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The windmills at Penong
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Penong
(including Cactus Beach)
Tiny township on the road across the Nullarbor Plain
The tiny township of Penong is located 73 km west of
Ceduna, 543 km from Port Augusta and 854 km northwest of Adelaide. It
is a small wheatbelt settlement which is characterised by literally
dozens of windmills which pump the local water supply from a large
underground basin.
Penong is probably the English spelling and pronunciation of
a local Aboriginal word meaning 'rock hole'. The area was settled in
the late nineteenth century but the town didn't really come into
existence until the arrival of the railway line in 1915.
To the south lie Lake MacDonnell, Point Sinclair and
Cactus Beach. Lake MacDonnell is known to have the largest deposits of
gypsum in Australia with estimated reserves in excess of 500 million
tonnes. The gypsum, which is now railed to Thevenard (see Ceduna), has been mined since 1919. In the
early days it was shipped from a jetty at Port Le Hunte. The gypsum,
which is used both as a fertiliser and in the building trade, has been
laid down to a depth of 4.8 metres.
Things to see:
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Point Sinclair
Nearby is Point Sinclair (Matthew Flinders named it
after his midshipman Kennet Sinclair during his 1802 exploration of the
coast) a delightful 502 ha area of coastline which provides good
surfing, fishing and camping in an area characterised by dramatic
cliffs, blowholes and huge sand dunes. Point Sinclair was the first
land in South Australia to come under a 1980 Heritage Agreement where,
in exchange for not paying rates, a landholder agrees to maintain the
native vegetation and allow access to the public.
Cactus Beach
Just 20 km south of Penong is Cactus Beach which has
become well known in surfing communities as one of the best surfing
beaches in Australia. Although access to the beach is through private
property it is possible to camp for a fee although there is no fresh
water on the site. Contact (08) 8625 1036 for more details.
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Hotels
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Penong Hotel
Main St
Penong
SA
5690
Telephone: (08) 8625 1050
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