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Ninnes Ride

Ninnes Ride

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The Genesis of a Ride

There’s a fellow who lives in Maiden Gully – let’s call him Greg, because that’s his name – who often walks around his neighbourhood, passing a mysterious old grave site. He wondered about it, until one day he went past and found a group of people gathered there. Being a curious fellow he went and asked the people who they were and why they were gathered around this grave. The story he got planted a seed, the seed grew to an idea, the idea grew to a plan, and here we are, about to set out on a ride from Burra in South Australia, to Bendigo in Victoria.

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Travel: To Robe

Travel: To Robe

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The Ninnes family continued their journey south travelling, I presume, close by the banks of the Murray River. There are a number of entries from the Thomas Ninnes diaries that describe the Ninnes party’s journey along the Murray and down the coast and I’ve included some extracts in this story.

We jump on our mini bus, drive over the bridge and take the road south to Wellington, tracking the Ninnes likely path. I feel that the Ninnes group had significantly more adventures on their trek, whether good or not.

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Palmer to Murray Bridge (to Avoca Dell)

Palmer to Murray Bridge (to Avoca Dell)

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We reach the Mighty Murray

I awake to a miracle. With the log out of my eye I seem to have made an almost complete recovery and so I can ride today!

We need to back track to Palmer this morning, to complete the ride from there to Murray Bridge. It’s going to be a warm one, with the forecast saying 30 degrees. What the? In April? Imagine doing this in the summer! I feel like everybody here must just hide inside their beautiful stone houses to wait out the heat in summer.

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Kapunda to Palmer

Kapunda to Palmer

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You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. (Matthew 7:5)

The Ninnes group travelled from Kapunda through Angaston and Collingrove, so that’s where we turn our bikes this morning. The route out of Kapunda initially follows the Mawson Trail, past views of the open cut mine at Kapunda and then onto the familiar red-dirt, undulating roads of the area. Today John is driving and the rest of of enjoy riding as the scenery changes from the dry, barren surrounds of Kapunda to the slightly more lush vineyards near Nuriootpa.

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Burra to Kapunda

Burra to Kapunda

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In the footsteps of the pioneers

Thomas Ninnes and family left Burra sometime in 1852.

1852 Left the Burra for the Victorian diggens. Brother Joseph and myself bought two Hasset drays. Brother Joseph, wife and Wm Roach in one dray. John Thomas, sister Mary and family in Hasset Bullock dray. Self, wife and three children in second John Thomas bullock dray. We locked up our furniture in one house. We went on to Kapunda, Angaston, Collingrove. – From the Thomas Ninnes diaries

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