Red centre trip day 1 -Home to Parachilna Gorge

Day 1 July 21st

Home to Parachilna Gorge -509km

We left finally at about 1045, then fuel stop before heading out of town.

Made camp at about 5.30 just on sunset, which meant we had just enough time to pick a spot before the the light was gone. We have pulled in to a flat camping spot about 10 km in from the main road amongst large gum trees. It is only a short distance from the road, but the road is not very busy, so that should be fine.

We came up in unseasonably warm weather (about 25 degrees), in just our shirts until we made camp. It was a stiff breeze though, and we used about 50 litre of fuel in the 400km between home and Hawker, where we refueled again.

We stopped at Pt Wakefield at about 1230 for a Cornish pasty before eating up the highway towards Port Augusta, with the lower Flinders on our right and the coast on our left under bright blue sky with varied formations of clouds. If only I was a meteorologist...

As we turned in towards Quorn and followed the Pichi Richie Pass beside the old train track between the craggy hills we really felt like we had come on holidays again. The winding road slowed us down and allowed us to appreciate the colours and shapes of the rocks and trees as we drifted along.

Note the unsightly wind farm

 Spot Trevor

Turning at Hawker we headed North again with the Northern Flinders on our right and marvelled at the craggy mountains , so green at the moment, but so inhospitable to the early settlers. We debated whether to stop at the Prairie Hotel for tea, but instead opted for the peace of our own company and our first bush campsite for the trip.

As we sit waiting for our tea to cook, we can hear an owl calling in the distance, and just the faint whisper of wind in the trees. We are appreciating the stars before the full moon appears to chase them away.

Our camp spot