Murphy's Haystacks, South Australia

Located on private property and accessed by a gold coin donation, along the Eyre Peninsula about 40kms from Streaky Bay are a group of ancient, seasoned, pink granite rocks said to be over 1500 million years old. Named after Denis Murphy who owned the property back in the early 20th century, the rock formations appear from a distance in the arid wheatbelt district to be haystacks, hence the name, “Murphy’s Haystacks.” Known as inselbergs, which means “island rock,” the hard granite edifices have remained, protruding out of the surface of the ground, as the surrounding softer material has eroded over time through weathering. Research fellow at the University of Adelaide, Professor Victor Gostin said the actual granite itself is very ancient believed to be over 3 billion years old, making the “haystacks” a significant tourist destination in the region and one that Murphy’s grandson and current owner Denis Cash has been happy to open to the public. Other inselbergs across Australia, include, Uluru in the Northern Territory and Wave Rock in Western Australia, both of which Shovel and I are yet to experience together. Shove and I had a fantastic time running around and between the rock formations, in awe of the magic of nature.