1i Adventures 2023 Flinders Ranges Day 8 Alpana to Hawker.

We woke to a light sprinkle of rain on the tents. It eased off enough to allow us to pack up and head off.
First stop was the Great Wall of China, a mountain range (Mount Emily). It does look impressive, but we weren’t climbing it.
From here we headed south to Dedman’s Hut. It looks like it is still in use. The windmill didn’t look in a healthy state.
Our plan was to head to Willow Springs and do the Skytrek loop, however due to the overnight rain the track was closed.
Due to having a plan laid out, a bit of thinking allowed for an easy change to keep us moving and seeing things without having to do any backtracking.
So off to Aroona Hut we went. The road there was certainly entertaining, quite slippery.
Again, to see the buildings that had been built years ago is impressive. A well that had been dug from on top of a ridgeline - interesting.
Pumpa’s Hut is preserved to show you what a pug hut looks like. Pug is a mixture of mud and straw that is applied to the outside of a building as a sealer / wall skin.
On the bike again to ride through Brachina Gorge / Gap - spectacular. At the information centre, you can read about how these ranges where formed.
Now we headed south along Bunyeroo Road, stopping at numerous lookouts and whatever caught our eye.
One of the stops was the famous Razorback Lookout. It was a bit overcast so the area’s colours were probably not at their best, however still good to see.
We continued on, heading to Wilpena Pound, stopping at Cazneaux Tree. This one’s certainly been growing for a while and hopefully many more to go. As we were about to ride out of the car park, Tony noticed his front tyre was flat (the only flat tyre for the trip). It didn’t take him long (20 minutes) to have a new tube fitted and ready to go. A bit of good banter was had while we monitored his progress.
Into Wilpena Pound we went, coffee time.
Once fed, we continued towards Merna Mora station. Again, numerous lookout stops and scenery photos taken. We headed up the Moralana Scenic Drive, and yes it is very scenic.
Due to our days track change, we decided to not stop at Merna Mora Station but aim for Hawker. So down the bitumen it was however it wasn’t long before we were on some dirt roads weaving our way to Hawker.
As we headed to Hawker, the clouds were building and the temperature dropping.
We pulled into Hawker, found a service station and refuelled. Found some accommodation and as well headed there it started to rain, good timing.
We got a motel room for the night which allowed us to dry out some of our stuff from the last days camp.
While having a cold drink in the pub, we got chatting with a couple of road inspectors. They had a few tales to tell.
So, again not a big distance day however lots of sights seen.