After a long day on the road, we camped overnight at Wearing Gorge in the Flinders Ranges. Having received good rain in the previous few weeks, the landscape became more green and lush the further west we pushed. The next morning we had a leg stretch at Blinman, before proceeding down the Parachilna Gorge.
The grass was so green in places it almost hurt our eyes to look at it!
On our previous visit, we had promised the boys a meal at the Prairie Hotel. Unfortunately it was closed - and perhaps that was a good thing... (See here: http://project2014australia.blogspot.com.au/2014/03/wilpena-pound-and-rawnsley-park.html).
Sadly with any highly anticipated activity, we were a bit disappointed with the Prairie Hotel, Parachilna. It had been renovated without taste in a way which had destroyed all former character. There was no bar, save a glimpse at what could have been, now filled not with taps, but a till. The walls were covered in expensive art for sale, with only the occasional piece eliciting pleasure. And the meals were something else again. Trying to be inner city chic, the meals would have been more fitting in inner city Hipsterville. Sorry Prairie Hotel Parachilna, we won't be back.
We headed north and resupplied at Leigh Creek, before enjoying a night exploring the ruins of Farina. We passed through relatively quickly - but we had visited this country before, so we cherry picked some of the highlights and kept moving. (http://project2014australia.blogspot.com.au/2014/02/oodnadatta-track-and-old-ghan-railway.html)
We made it to William Creek early in the afternoon, for a well earned rest. In fact all were early to bed, because at dawn the following morning, we had booked a flight over Kati Thankda - Lake Eyre.
The flight was spectacular. With water in the lake, and not a ripple on the surface, the early start was worth the effort.
The enormity of Australia's largest lake can only be appreciated from the air. To see it with water in it is also rare, and we considered ourselves extremely fortunate to be able to witness this event.
A couple of nights in Coober Pedy, to wash and resupply was welcomed by all. We had a heap of fun at the Coober Pedy Races, enjoyed noodling for opal, and double checked everything before heading off for the desert. We figured we had eight to ten nights ahead of us before we would arrive at Birdsville. As we pulled out of town, it is fair to say, we were loaded to the gunwales.
Our first night on the desert leg was at Arckaringa Station. The Painted Desert is well named for the colourful mesas, with the display only getting better once the shadows get longer. We packed a picnic dinner and proceeded to one of the lookouts, savoring the changing scenes as the sun set.
Instead of proceeding straight to Oodnadatta, we diverted south to the largest bridge on the old Ghan railway, the Algebuckina Bridge. This bridge consists of 19 spans, each of 30 metres. I had hoped to visit the bridge in 2014, but the roads were closed at the time. This time, we enjoyed lunch in the shady floodplain.
We retraced a bit of our track, and then topped up the fuel tank at Oodnadatta's famous Pink Roadhouse. The cold ice creams were a real treat - before we pushed on further north.
On our way to Hamilton Station, we paused when we saw some elusive Sturt's Desert Pea (Swainsona formosa) on the side of the road. We then realised that there were massive clumps of the rambling wildflower growing all around us. It is particularly hard to cultivate, but thrives when conditions are just right, forming a delightful display.
Hamilton Station was the perfect place to rest our sleepy heads. A basic camp site - but we thoroughly enjoyed rolling out our swags under the perfect sky.
Our journey wound further north to Eringa Waterhole. On the way we passed some old cattle yards, complete with a bronco rail. It was a beautiful relic of former times, when cattle were handled by stockmen on horseback. If only these rails could tell the stories of the folks who worked here.
Eringa Waterhole is a beautiful place. Originally part of Eringa Station - the first property owned by Sir Sydney Kidman, it rarely dries up. Now part of Hamilton Station, camping has been banned here after some campers used a chainsaw to cut up some old cattle yards nearby for firewood.
We enjoyed lunch before continuing to Mount Dare Homestead. It was time to fill the fuel tanks to the brim, make one last check before setting off into the Simpson Desert.
It was exciting to now be so close to setting off into the real part of our journey... but we decided that we should start refreshed, and there was no better way to do that, than visit the famous Dalhousie Springs.
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