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Port
Augusta
Monday June 18
Mayor
Joy Baluch
Gayle Mather
Tahnee Jackson
Pauline Hedger
Vince Coulthard
Hawker
Tuesday
June 19
Tracey
Spencer
Blinman
Wednesday
June 20
Lisa
& Jordan
John & Michelle Henery
Blinman
Community
Julian Todd
Leigh
Creek
Thursday
June 21
Nicole
Slater and Laurie Cowan
Rex Guthrieand Michael Diorio
Overland Telegraph Descendents
Coral
Fee
Visitor Information
Centre Staff
Iga
Warta
Friday
June 22
Coulthard
Family Members
Marree
Saturday
June 23
Chelsea Rose
Jan White
Shirley Oldfield
William
Creek
Sunday
June 24
Helen
Anderson
William Creek Hotel Staff
Oodnadatta
Monday
June 25
SOTA
Year 7 Class
Women of the Outback
Alan
Wilson and Bev Kemble
Rosanne
Woodforde
Oodnadatta Aboriginal School
Student Representative Council
Ruby Plate and Adele McCallum
Dr Terry Cutler
Lynnie
Plate
Mataranka
Tuesday
June 26
Peg McFarlane
Maryanne Lewis
Alice
Springs
Wednesday
June 27
Brenton McRae
Alec Ross
Tennant
Creek
Thursday
June 28
Alderman
Peter Davenport
SOTA Students and Parents
Jimmy Hooker
Katherine
Friday
June 29
Bill Daw
Peter Haddow
Emma & Caitlyn Lowe
Norman Rosas
Pine
Creek
Saturday
June 30
Tex
Moar
Bolda Hunter
Gaye Lawrence
Darwin
Sunday
July 1
Duguid
Children
John Ahnfeldt
Eddie Quong
Irene Patanzis
Katrina Fong Lim
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Repeater
Station - Chat Archive
Chats and Forum Archives
| Biographies
| Special
Dates
| Room |
Andrew
& Nicola from the Visitor Information Centre |
| Topic
|
Tourism
in and around Leigh Creek |
| Jun
21, 11:30: |
Karen>
Hi - who's still here? |
| Jun
21, 11:31: |
Andrew has entered the room |
| Jun
21, 11:31: |
Welcome Andrew,
|
| Jun
21, 11:32: |
Andrew>
Andrew and Nicola from the Leigh Creek Visitor Information Centre |
| Jun
21, 11:33: |
Karen>
Hi Andrew & Nicola - welcome to the chat room! How are things
at the Centre today? |
| Jun
21, 11:33: |
Action: NIC - 6anorth is closed. |
| Jun
21, 11:33: |
Action: NIC - michael is closed. |
| Jun
21, 11:33: |
Action: NIC - bongo is closed. |
| Jun
21, 11:34: |
Andrew>
Business as Usual. We have a steady trade through the last few
months, but it drops off according to weather. |
| Jun
21, 11:34: |
Karen>
How many people would you get through the Centre each year? |
| Jun
21, 11:35: |
Andrew>
We had about 8000 visitors through the centre last year. |
| Jun
21, 11:36: |
Karen>
What are the peak times for tourists in Leigh Creek? |
| Jun
21, 11:36: |
Andrew>
That is most likely due to the flooding of Lake Eyre last year.
It is slowly filling again, so we may have a few more still
to come this year. |
| Jun
21, 11:37: |
Andrew>
September is the busiest month, but any school holidays etc
are quite busy. |
| Jun
21, 11:38: |
Karen>
Where do you send people? What to see? |
| Jun
21, 11:40: |
Leanne has entered the room |
| Jun
21, 11:40: |
Welcome Leanne,
|
| Jun
21, 11:40: |
Andrew>
In the general area we have, Arkaroola, Wilpena Pound, Beltana,
Lake Eyre, Maree, but a lot of people already have their
trips planned. Out to places like Oodnadatta, Innamincka,
Birdsville and going through to places like Alice Springs. |
| Jun
21, 11:40: |
amber has entered the room |
| Jun
21, 11:40: |
Welcome amber,
|
| Jun
21, 11:40: |
Leanne>
Hi everyone... |
| Jun
21, 11:41: |
amber>
hello everyone |
| Jun
21, 11:41: |
Karen>
Hi Amber & Leanne. |
| Jun
21, 11:41: |
Grace has entered the room |
| Jun
21, 11:41: |
Welcome Grace,
|
| Jun
21, 11:41: |
Leanne>
I can only stay here for 2 minutes or so...So lets be quick,
please. |
| Jun
21, 11:41: |
Karen>
What is there to see at Arkaroola? |
| Jun
21, 11:41: |
Grace>
H] |
| Jun
21, 11:41: |
Leanne>
Hi Karen. I'm sorry if I sound rude. But I have to be quick.
Time is short. |
| Jun
21, 11:41: |
Lauren has entered the room |
| Jun
21, 11:41: |
Welcome Lauren,
|
| Jun
21, 11:42: |
Karen>
Leanne, do you want to ask Andrew & Nicola about Tourism
in Leigh Creek? They get lots of tourists through the Centre. |
| Jun
21, 11:42: |
Andrew>
Around Leigh Creek itself we have, Aroona Dam (the town water
supply) and the Coal Fields (the reason the town is here) |
| Jun
21, 11:42: |
amber>
what happens at the visitor info center? |
| Jun
21, 11:42: |
amber>
") |
| Jun
21, 11:42: |
Grace has left the room |
| Jun
21, 11:42: |
amber has left the room |
| Jun
21, 11:42: |
Leanne>
Bye..I have to go..I'll come back later. Sorry. |
| Jun
21, 11:42: |
Leanne has left the room |
| Jun
21, 11:43: |
Karen>
How long have you both worked at the Centre? Have you always
been interested in tourism? |
| Jun
21, 11:44: |
Andrew>
Arkaroola is in the Gammon Ranges, and they have Ridgetop Tours,
an Observatory, lots of Bushwalks and 4WD tours (including
tag-along tours) |
| Jun
21, 11:44: |
Lauren>
melanie how old are you |
| Jun
21, 11:44: |
Andrew>
I've been a volunteer for about 5 months, Nicola has been there
since the first day, 1st July 1999. |
| Jun
21, 11:45: |
Lauren>
are you going to talk to me |
| Jun
21, 11:46: |
Andrew>
We weren't originally interested in tourism but since getting
involved in the centre we really have and it has been a
very rewarding experience. |
| Jun
21, 11:46: |
Karen>
I don't think Melanie is at her computer at the mo Lauren |
| Jun
21, 11:47: |
Karen>
Where are most of the tourists from? |
| Jun
21, 11:48: |
Andrew>
Most are from Victoria, but we have a lot of Aussies in general
and lots of Europeans |
| Jun
21, 11:48: |
Karen>
Why did you decide to live in Leigh Creek? |
| Jun
21, 11:50: |
Andrew>
Nicola moved here with her husband who works for the mines and
really love the area. |
| Jun
21, 11:50: |
Andrew>
I have been coming out this way when I was a kid, so the first
chance that I had to come, I didn't really need to think
twice. |
| Jun
21, 11:51: |
Karen>
Why do you love the outback? |
| Jun
21, 11:53: |
Karen>
Lauren is whispering to me at the moment - she is in school
at the moment, from Surrey Downs. |
| Jun
21, 11:55: |
Andrew>
Leigh Creek itself isn't particularly a part of the outback
and is seperate from the surrounding area. However the outback
surrounding the town is simply beautiful, with a wide variety
of animals and plants. The ranges that are in the area are
breathtaking. |
| Jun
21, 11:55: |
Lauren>
ok how old are you |
| Jun
21, 11:55: |
Karen>
What are the people like in Leigh Creek - is there a good community
there? |
| Jun
21, 11:55: |
Luke has entered the room |
| Jun
21, 11:55: |
Welcome Luke,
|
| Jun
21, 11:56: |
Karen>
I'm 28, Lauren. Have you ever been to Leigh Creek? |
| Jun
21, 11:56: |
Action: NIC - keith is closed. |
| Jun
21, 11:56: |
Action: NIC - bob is closed. |
| Jun
21, 11:56: |
Andrew>
I am 24 and have been living in Leigh Creek since January. |
| Jun
21, 11:57: |
Karen>
Hi Luke |
| Jun
21, 11:57: |
Action: NIC - bob is closed. |
| Jun
21, 11:57: |
Andrew>
The community in Leigh Creek is very supportive and willing
to help each other. Visitors are very welcome here. We have
a number of social and sports clubs which get everyone together
in a friendly environment. |
| Jun
21, 11:58: |
Karen>
Andrew, Lauren wants to know what the best thing in Leigh Creek
is. |
| Jun
21, 11:59: |
Karen>
In the chat this morning, Coral Fee, mentioned she is doing
some research into the town's history - is there much information
available about how the town evolved? |
| Jun
21, 11:59: |
Action: NIC - bongo is closed. |
| Jun
21, 12:00: |
Action: NIC - kate is closed. |
| Jun
21, 12:00: |
Andrew>
Depending on the time of the year, the swimming pool is very
nice to go to in summer. We have movies here every Saturday,
and a great central oval. |
| Jun
21, 12:01: |
Luke>
What advice do you give to people travelling to Leigh Creek? |
| Jun
21, 12:02: |
Fred has entered the room |
| Jun
21, 12:02: |
Welcome Fred,
|
| Jun
21, 12:02: |
Andrew>
There have been a few books written about how the town evolved
which are quite informative. The mine have an extensive
collection of photos and local info |
| Jun
21, 12:04: |
Andrew>
Travelling to Leigh Creek is quite easy as there are bitumen
roads all the way from Adelaide in SA. If coming from a
different direction we really advise people to always be
aware that the tracks (like the Oodnatta, Strzelecki, etc)
are subject to many different conditions of repair, depending
on weather. So basically use common sense when travelling
on them. |
| Jun
21, 12:05: |
Karen>
Do you get frequent road condition information? |
| Jun
21, 12:06: |
Andrew>
Every day (sometimes twice a day if it has rained) we receive
faxes from the Transport Dept in Pt Augusta to help us advise
travellers about road conditions. |
| Jun
21, 12:07: |
Karen>
Did you answer the pet question, Andrew? I missed it! |
| Jun
21, 12:07: |
Fred has left the room |
| Jun
21, 12:07: |
Karen>
What facilities are there in Leigh Creek for shopping? |
| Jun
21, 12:08: |
Luke>
Best travel in a 4 wheel drive then huh |
| Jun
21, 12:08: |
Andrew>
Karen yes sorry I did. |
| Jun
21, 12:09: |
Andrew>
We have lots of facilities for shopping here. There is a Supermarket,
Cafe, Gift Shop, Craft and Plant shop, Hairdressers, Fresh
Fruit store, Post Office and Newsagent, and we sell locally
crafts at the Visitor Information Centre |
| Jun
21, 12:09: |
Fred has entered the room |
| Jun
21, 12:09: |
Welcome Fred,
|
| Jun
21, 12:10: |
Karen>
Hi Fred |
| Jun
21, 12:10: |
Andrew>
Luke there is no problem with a conventional vehicle, but if
you have plans to travel further north on the unsealed roads,
then a 4WD vehicle is always a good idea. |
| Jun
21, 12:10: |
Karen>
What about (clearly the most important!! ) clothes shopping?? |
| Jun
21, 12:11: |
Fred has left the room |
| Jun
21, 12:12: |
Andrew>
The supermarket has a range of clothing and shoes, and the Visitor
Centre sells T-Shirts, Polo Shirts, Scarves and a few other
items. |
| Jun
21, 12:13: |
Karen>
How many pubs are there in Leigh Creek? |
| Jun
21, 12:14: |
Andrew>
We have the Leigh Creek Tavern within the town itself, and they
do meals and accomodation as well, the Golf Club, Sports
Club and Pistol Club also have bar facilities. |
| Jun
21, 12:15: |
Luke>
Do you find yourself travelling to a larger town or city to
get something you can't get in Leigh Creek or does Leigh
Creek pretty much saisfy your needs? |
| Jun
21, 12:15: |
Karen>
So how many places are there in Leigh Creek for travellers to
stay? |
| Jun
21, 12:16: |
Andrew>
Luke, there is a good coverage in Leigh Creek. What we cannot
buy here we can sometimes buy from Copley (about 5kms north
of here). The closest major town/city for shopping would
be Port Augusta which is around 250kms south. |
| Jun
21, 12:17: |
Andrew>
Travellers can stay in the motel units, cabins, caravan park
and camping grounds, they can also rent a 3 bedroom house
or a 2 bedroom flat. |
| Jun
21, 12:18: |
Karen>
What are the rules for lighting fires for campers? |
| Jun
21, 12:18: |
johnny has entered the room |
| Jun
21, 12:18: |
Welcome johnny,
|
| Jun
21, 12:19: |
Natalie has entered the room |
| Jun
21, 12:19: |
Welcome Natalie,
|
| Jun
21, 12:19: |
Andrew>
People are also welcome to camp in the Aroona Sanctuary which
has limited facilies (toilets no power). |
| Jun
21, 12:19: |
Karen>
Hi Natalie, hi Johnny |
| Jun
21, 12:21: |
johnny>
Hi Natalie |
| Jun
21, 12:21: |
Andrew>
Total fire bans are enforced in the summer months (November
through to late April). No wooden fires permitted in parks
at this time. Some parts have year long bans on wood fires. |
| Jun
21, 12:21: |
Action: NIC - bob is closed. |
| Jun
21, 12:21: |
johnny>
Hi Karenn |
| Jun
21, 12:22: |
Karen>
Who polices the fire ban rules? |
| Jun
21, 12:22: |
Karen>
Hi Johnny - ever been to Leigh Creek? |
| Jun
21, 12:22: |
johnny>
How did Leigh creeck originate????????? |
| Jun
21, 12:23: |
johnny>
I made a mistake,oops!!!??:"? |
| Jun
21, 12:23: |
Karen>
Don't worry about the mistake, Johnny - we know what you meant! |
| Jun
21, 12:23: |
johnny>
Anyone wanna talk to me ? I'm lonely |
| Jun
21, 12:24: |
johnny>
I need a friend |
| Jun
21, 12:24: |
Karen>
It's a good question Johnny |
| Jun
21, 12:24: |
Lauren has left the room |
| Jun
21, 12:24: |
Andrew>
The Original Leigh Creek was established on a creek of the same
name about 22 km away in the middle of coal fields. Leigh
Creek South (the new town) was started in 1978 after open
cut mining would go too close to the old Leigh Creek. |
| Jun
21, 12:24: |
Karen>
Johnny if you go into "options" you can change the 'refresh'
rate to faster than 30 seconds |
| Jun
21, 12:24: |
Lauren has entered the room |
| Jun
21, 12:24: |
Welcome Lauren,
|
| Jun
21, 12:24: |
Natalie has left the room |
| Jun
21, 12:24: |
Natalie has entered the room |
| Jun
21, 12:24: |
Welcome Natalie,
|
| Jun
21, 12:24: |
Lauren has left the room |
| Jun
21, 12:24: |
Natalie has left the room |
| Jun
21, 12:24: |
johnny>
Thanks anyway how did leigh creek originate |
| Jun
21, 12:25: |
Andrew>
In the national parks, usually ranger would go around checking
on compliance in high risk months. |
| Jun
21, 12:25: |
Karen>
So how did the whole town 'move'? What happened to the old settlement? |
| Jun
21, 12:25: |
Andrew>
Johnny, coal bearing shale was discovered near Copley dam (5km
north) in 1888 |
| Jun
21, 12:26: |
johnny>
Thanks Andrew |
| Jun
21, 12:27: |
Andrew>
The originally mined for coal in shafts but soon after the Second
Wold War they began open cut mining. |
| Jun
21, 12:27: |
johnny>
:} |
| Jun
21, 12:27: |
johnny>
B-) |
| Jun
21, 12:28: |
johnny>
Gosh me ya smart Andrew |
| Jun
21, 12:28: |
Andrew>
Some of the "old" town still remains in the middle of the coal
field (unfortunately not for much longer). In 1978 a new
town was built further south using transportable housing. |
| Jun
21, 12:29: |
Karen>
What did the residents do in between? |
| Jun
21, 12:29: |
johnny>
)))))) |
| Jun
21, 12:29: |
johnny>
I like smily faces |
| Jun
21, 12:30: |
johnny>
(((((((())))))) |
| Jun
21, 12:30: |
Andrew>
The town itself was officially opening in October 1980. The
residents started slowly moving in around that time and
the old town was still populated for a few years until everyone
had safely moved out. |
| Jun
21, 12:30: |
Andrew>
I can see that johnny |
| Jun
21, 12:30: |
johnny>
Did the town make alot of money from coal money??????????? |
| Jun
21, 12:31: |
Elizebeth has entered the room |
| Jun
21, 12:31: |
Welcome Elizebeth,
|
| Jun
21, 12:31: |
Elizebeth>
hi. |
| Jun
21, 12:31: |
johnny>
|
| Jun
21, 12:31: |
Elizebeth>
hello people |
| Jun
21, 12:32: |
Luke>
hi elizebeth |
| Jun
21, 12:32: |
Andrew>
The South Australian government made money from the sale of
coal. The town itself would have only made the majority
of it's money from it's services. |
| Jun
21, 12:32: |
Elizebeth has left the room |
| Jun
21, 12:32: |
johnny>
Does anyone no anything else about the history of Leigh Creek |
| Jun
21, 12:32: |
Karen>
Nope Andrew's the expert there! |
| Jun
21, 12:33: |
johnny>
??? |
| Jun
21, 12:33: |
johnny>
Andrew can you tell us anything else about Leigh Creek? |
| Jun
21, 12:33: |
Andrew>
Johnny you could try looking up "Leigh Creek" on the internet.
There are a few sites that I know of. Failing that check
with your local library perhaps. |
| Jun
21, 12:34: |
margaret has entered the room |
| Jun
21, 12:34: |
Welcome margaret,
|
| Jun
21, 12:34: |
johnny>
Oh.... |
| Jun
21, 12:34: |
johnny>
So there's nothing else you can tell us? |
| Jun
21, 12:35: |
johnny>
Hello? |
| Jun
21, 12:35: |
Andrew>
Johnny, Leigh Creek is set in a truly amazing part of the country.
This one and the areas around it are a beautiful place to
visit. |
| Jun
21, 12:36: |
Karen>
Thanks for coming everyone, we'd better let Andrew get back
and do some work now - thanks, Andrew, for spending some
of your day with us! |
| Jun
21, 12:36: |
margaret has left the room |
| Jun
21, 12:36: |
Andrew>
Thank you to everyone who asked questions and made this a wonderful
experience.!!!!! Nicola and I need to get back to the Visitor
Information Centre now! Bye |
| Jun
21, 12:37: |
Karen>
Seeya! |
| Jun
21, 12:37: |
Luke>
bye |
| Jun
21, 12:37: |
Action: NIC - bongo is closed. |
| Jun
21, 12:37: |
Luke has left the room |
| Jun
21, 12:37: |
Action: NIC - ann is closed. |
| Jun
21, 12:38: |
Chelsea has entered the room |
| Jun
21, 12:38: |
Welcome Chelsea,
|
| Jun
21, 12:38: |
johnny>
When did Leigh Creek get really get populated heaps? |
| Jun
21, 12:39: |
Chelsea has left the room |
| Jun
21, 12:39: |
Action: NIC - andrew is closed. |
| Jun
21, 12:40: |
johnny>
HELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLO |
| Jun
21, 12:40: |
Karen>
Johnny, sorry but Andrew has had to leave. Doug Austin will
be in at 1pm and can answer more of your questions - he
is Leigh Creek's Town Manager |
| Jun
21, 12:40: |
Action: NIC - andrew is closed. |
| Jun
21, 12:40: |
Action: NIC - bob is closed. |
Created by Kate Dibben, Open
Access College, South Australia, Australia
email:
kdibben@oac.sa.edu.au
|
