Booleroo Centre  South Australia

If steam and traction engines are your bag, include Booleroo Centre in your travel plans. This town in the rich farming region east of the Flinders Ranges is home to the hands-on Steam and Traction Engine Preservation Society which holds an annual rally every autumn.

Farmers and enthusiasts from far and wide make a bee-line to Booleroo for the big show which is held in late March or early April. There is nothing static about the rally and a wide range of ancient steamers are fired up to strut their stuff.

The name of the wheat belt town 260km north of Adelaide stems from an Aboriginal word used variously to mean 'soft mud' or 'plenty'. For unrecorded reasons, the Rev John Thorne added the word Centre to the town's label.

Melrose, the oldest town in the Flinders Ranges, lies 15km to the west at the foot of 956m Mt Remarkable whose summit offers superb views. If you are planning to enjoy those views, allow five hours for the return climb.

Befitting its age, Melrose also boasts some fine old historic buildings.