So our last day of having a look
around, started with a short drive to Mt Remarkable National Park. To
get there we had to cross the southern Flinders Ranges via Horrocks
Pass, and given we were there we went off-road for the last time to
have a look out of the look-out. Quite a bumpy road with some wicked
little dips at the bottom of gullies. Marjan was busy looking at the
road so she missed some wild budgies......yes, she had been yearning
for budgies and when they presented themselves she was looking at the
dirt. Life, don't talk to me about life!
Anyway, we stopped at Wilmington for a
coffee. One of the strangest little coffee places. Half re-built,
half falling apart, an op-shop through the wall, but the coffee was
fresh and strong.
We had changed drivers at Wilmington
and hallelujah....Marjan saw budgies! I would probably have never
heard the end of the failure to see budgies, so I was most grateful.
We also of course saw emus, and euros......the local roos.
Not far into the national park. The
signs stressed the need to pay the fees, so we stopped at a lookout
to use our phones to do so. Not sure why they do not have an honesty
box. What if people did not have a smart phone, or God forbid were
on Optus, they head back out and don't visit? I have no problem
supporting national parks, but on-line only? Really !!
The road in had signs advising not to
tow anything in, and we saw why. It was up and down like a yo-yo,
narrow and very, very steep.
This is a very different place to the
northern ranges, looks a lot wetter, and the trees and plants are a
lot thicker. River Reds, Blue Gums, Sugar Gums and lots of native
pine, a few wild-flowers......very pretty.
We did one of the shorter walks a two
hour one along Alligator Gorge. It was a really lovely walk,
surrounded by butterflies, lovely trees, red cliffs, the tinkle of
the creek, the sound of birds, fossils of waves on the shore......
even lots of tadpoles in the water, and one tiny little frog.
The Gorge got really narrow at one
point and the creek seemed to disappear underground, it reappeared
about 100 metres later. The walk was quite short, but given how up
and down and rocky it was, it took us the best part of the allocated
two hours. No problems, though Marjan was tired out by the last bit
of uphill.
No shade where we had parked, so we
drove in a bit further and found a shadier spot.....mostly shaded by
the clouds coming in...... for a picnic. A few very short walks after
lunch to help get the pate down, and we headed back out.
We had booked our accommodation in
Melrose, the oldest town in the Flinders. We had a little look
around, found our digs and settled in.
A lovely little place, full of
character, and in the shadow of Mt Remarkable. Not sure why but they
have some huge trees. They look like river red gums, but old and
huge. One even has the road going around it. Now we will head out
for a second look around and to drop into the pub, for a beer with
the locals and a counter meal.
Lovely last day of meandering! We have
just over 1,000k to cover over the next couple of days.
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