Before, I staggered back to the van after that swim, I thought I might let the staff know an extra night might be on the cards. The next morning it seemed very prudent. Not that I pulled up lame, but sitting in bed with my toast and tea, I realised that I could spend a day, doing some necessary but not too onerous chores to prepare for the upcoming free camping leg further north. Just the mundane stuff – washing, stocking up on water, writing and sorting the photography. Besides, I think I really chanced my arm yesterday, so let’s not push the envelope too far.
Being in one place for a few days allows you to roam unencumbered. I’d left my box of wood back in Melbourne and since you could only BUY wood at Rawnsley Station ($25.00 a bag!), I scooted up the Flinders Ranges Way till I found a dirt track which seemed to lead to a clump of gnarly trees on a small hill top a few hundred metres away. Barely off the main road, I spotted a couple of emus out for brunch. Camera in hand I crept quietly along the track and took a couple of pics. Unbeknown to me, I had company. I turned on my heel to head back to the Jeep and there not 5 metres away, three more emus were heading my way. They seemed much more interested in grazing than disemboweling this intruder, and obliged with a couple of nice shots. Collecting kindling and sticks seemed more of an afterthought than a priority after this encounter.
Wooded up, I headed back to the van. It was going to be an early start again in the morning. The northern cliffs of Wilpena Pound in the first few minutes after sunrise could be rewarding. And so in the pre-dawn, van hitched and ready, I quietly left Rawnsley Station for my first appointment with mother nature. Of course, the roos were up even before me, and I was playing dodgem with those critters all the way to the Wilpena Pound turnoff. I knew where I had to be, but the sun was already hitting the mountain tops as I headed across open fields, dodging deep burrows and loose shale amongst the grass and tussocks.
In the end, I had only a five minute window, but as you can see, the colours…….
My destination was Panachilna Camp Ground, only an hour away, recommended, but sight unseen. It’s a climb up to Blinman and at the top of a short steep section, pulled into Hucks Lookout for breakfast. The unexpected bonus was internet and I quietly tucked that away, given grand final weekend was coming up, and there was defs no internet where I was heading. A couple of signposts along the way sounded intriguing, The Great Wall of China (?) and an historic abandoned homestead. I would double back without the van another day to investigate.
Blinman is the end of the tar for the Flinders Ranges Drive. It’s dirt road for all points from here. A bit unexpected but only 16klm to the campground from here. Blinman is the highest town in South Australia, which sort of solves the mystery of why I was going through so much diesel on the run in. It’s a village with a bakery, a pub, a mining office, a PO and the last outpost for internet. Nothing was open when I called through, but that bakery had my name all over it. I’ll be back.
