Burra

Burra was a copper town from 1845, and for a time it was one of the reasons the young colony of South Australia stayed solvent. Miners came largely from Cornwall, and what they left is spread over several kilometres: the open cut of the Monster Mine with its stone enginehouse, powder magazine and chimney stacks, terraces of miners' cottages at Redruth and Hampton, a small colonial gaol, and dugouts in the banks of Burra Creek where families lived before proper housing existed. The town sells a pass that comes with a key to locked gates, which turns a scattered set of ruins into a self-guided day. It is dry stony country and the walking is all in the open.

What you actually see

• Morphett's Enginehouse - the restored Cornish enginehouse standing above the open cut.
• The Burra Creek dugouts - hollows in the creek bank where mining families first lived.
• Redruth Gaol - the small stone colonial gaol on the edge of town.
• Paxton Square Cottages - a square of 1850s miners' cottages built for Cornish families.

When to go

Avoid high summer: this is hot dry country with almost no shade at the mine sites, and January regularly clears 35 degrees. March to November is far more comfortable, and the paddocks green up after winter rain. The pass and key come from the visitor centre during its opening hours, which rules out late starts. Allow a full day to reach everything.

Honest expectations

The sites are spread out and you drive between them unlocking gates as you go, which suits some visitors and irritates others. Several are bare ruins with little interpretation beyond a panel. The pass costs more than a single museum entry and needs a deposit on the key. In hot or wet weather it is a poor day out, and the town has limited food options.

Nearby

The Clare Valley vineyards lie southwest, and Mintaro is about half an hour away.