SERVICETON

We left our lovely spot at Bordertown this morning....crossed back in to Victoria and.....What an amazing day we’ve had today!

I need to go back a couple of days to explain......

Back at Naracoorte Showgrounds...our neighbours asked where we were off to next....and we said Bordertown. She said lovely, then said don’t whatever you do go past Serviceton (after Bordertown) without checking out the old Railway Station.

I thought, ummmm....maybe!   But we thought well why not.

You had to detour off the main highway and about 3km in the middle of nowhere you come to the tiny town of Serviceton.....that has about 12 houses, no shops, a couple of huge wheat silos that are not in use any more....and a huge Railway Station.

There was only 1 other couple there....that were leaving....but they did tell us we were very lucky as the caretaker was there and we could go in and have a look.

As soon as we climbed the slate stairway....you just felt like this was going to be something really special. 

I don't really rave over railway stations....but this was amazing. 

We walked in to this huge room...and you know when you walk inside and for some reason you just have to whisper.....even when there’s no one there? ...it’s just what we did!

We were looking around when the caretaker appeared from nowhere....and what a lovely man he was. 

He was a real weather beaten Aussie farmer in his late 70’s...and he lived in the town...and has looked after this place for about 15 years. 

Trains don’t stop here any more on their way to Adelaide from Melbourne....they just wizz past now.

He was so interesting and I could have listened to this man all day...he had so many interesting stories.

It’s a place where paranormal people come from all over the country...and the world....multiple times....as they have found sprits there.....our lovely friend today thinks it’s crap.....but he says it’s good to get the people in to have a look around. Such a funny bloke....we were peeing our pants with his stories....

Underground there are many many rooms. In its day it was not only a station, it was a saloon where they served the travellers....it made all the meals for the trains....it has many police cells...where they used to house the convicts that escaped and tried to cross the borders....it was also used for war criminals..and there was a morgue underneath as well....he asked did we want to go under and see....which we politely declined....

I spotted the stairs and asked if we could go upstairs.

He told us to watch out for the ghosts up there....and told us to have a look around, take your time...

Can you imagine the stories those stairs could tell as there was a bedroom up there. 

This was at the top of the stairs...looking down in to a bathroom...

Looking out the window...there used to be houses everywhere out there in the early days. 

We snuck a look in the wardrobe...skeletons in the closet!

Went down those creaky stairs again and into a babies room..

That square thing I was told was a playpen that was hand made in the early 1900’s with cotton reels painted on the ends for baby to play with. 

It was just amazing all the old stuff was so well looked after....people from the district had donated a lot of stuff.

It just went on and on.....he had rooms full of stuff that he had found with his metal detector...from around the station grounds.

He was so passionate about the place...we just stood there with him for ages. 

They get people from all over the world coming to visit....and they do lots weddings there as well....so I’m pleased that it gets used .....it would be sad to see this grand structure go unloved.

I’m so pleased we took that detour off the highway today....we have such hidden gems around this lovely country....you just need to take that road less travelled.

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