Road Transport Hall of Fame, Alice Springs

Well you might ask ......... what were we doing in Alice after saying we were staying in and around Adelaide for a while.  In short, we had a problem with the Tojos throttle module system in Qld which reoccurred in Adelaide and while having this repaired (waiting in the car sales area), some how bought a new vehicle. As we have NT licences a quick trip to Alice was needed to register the truck!!

Not the new wheels, I couldn't afford the fuel!!!

We left the van in Port August and drove to Alice in a day, the next morning went and did the rego bit and was going to head straight back but thought we needed a territory fix so decided to stay for the day and take in some sights.  One of which was the Road Transport Hall of Fame, just south of town at the Shell Rimula Hall of Fame.

The Road Transport Hall of Fame is a volunteer based display which is dedicated to preserving Australia's unique road transport industry.  Alice Springs is also considered the birthplace of the road train and the first road train "Bertha" is on display.

The vehicles displayed take you through a mix of the very first types of transport in the early years to the modern trucks of today with the Kenworth Dealer Truck Museum dedication an entire shed for the most modern vehicles on display, which I believe is going to be bigger in the future.

The society has a reunion each year and people who have earned recognition from their colleagues are inducted into the Wall of Fame with many photographs covering the wall from each year - it's fascinating to walk reading names that are familiar to the quiet achievers in the industry.

I suggest it's well worth the time to visit, keeping in mind you could spend a whole day or more if you enjoy looking at trucks and reading about the history.

"Bertha" the first Road Train

Some of the old vehicles scattered around the displays

Lots of separate rooms displaying all sorts of memorabilia, from scale models to posters and engines.

Note the Wall of Fame in the background. This is from one year.

A selection of vintage vehicles around the displays

Barbed Wire Pub, Spalding

After arriving in Adelaide we spent some time catching up with friends and relies before heading to the Clare valley for a couple of weeks with my brother.  Over the next few months we will be around Adelaide having check ups and catching up with friends. Our daughter also came over from Canada for a wedding so was good to catch up while she is in Adelaide.

On our trip to the Clare Valley done the usual winery visits and stroll around Clare etc before we decided to head to Spalding, about 45 km north of Clare.  We had heard about a free camp at the local hotel.  The Barbed Wire Pub, Spalding which housed a museum of local and other various barbed wire and fencing droppers.  There would be about 500 pieces of barbed wire along with star posts and temporary fencing posts.  The collection was put together by Leon Dobbins over about 40 years and sold when he became ill to Geoff at the Spalding hotel.

This was well worth the visit and in our case a stop over and a pub meal. You can camp at the back of the pub for free if you don't connect to the power.

Camping out the back of the Pub, free if you don't want power.

Geoff giving a talk on the barbed wire, mostly displayed in the main hall way.

Some of the star droppers

Didn't realize how many types of barbed wire