Tuesday, August 16, 2005
It was cold last night and hard to get up in the morning. But we were all packed up, had breakfast and ready to start by 9.00, which included a chat with our friend from last night, Chris. We decided to do a scenic drive today, and a long walk, to St. Mary's peak, the highest peak in the Flinder's ranges tomorrow. The scenic drive passed on the east side of the pound and then through the Bunyeroo valley, past the Bunyeroo gorge and then through Brachina gorge. The weather had cleared and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. The ranges were a pretty sight, their orange exposed rock contrasting with the lush green of the grass, and the blue sky. The whole setting was like a park. There were very few shrubs. Mainly grass with scattered gum trees and native pines (cypress pines), which enhanced the park-like feeling. The scenic drive was a dirt road. There were a few lookout points from where we could see the road curving its way into the valley, and the ranges rising majestically in front. We stopped at Bunyeroo gorge and set out on the walking trail there. It was along the creek, lined with massive gum trees. I've never seen gum trees with the girth of these giants. It must be because of the higher water availability along these creeks in the ranges, or maybe they're a different species altogether. have to find out more about them. Spring flowers have just begum to bloom and there were some bright yellow ones. Actually they were a few different varieties, but they were all a cheerful yellow. Then there was another kind of flowering bush with orange or red flowers, a bit like begonias. The first time we encountered them there was a gentle perfume in the air. It was so faint and delicate, that it was hard to decide if there really was a fragrance in the air. but we came across the bush a few other times today and each time the perfume wafted through. Smelling the flowers close-up didn't help confirm that the flowers were responsible for it. But later when we gently rubbed our fingertips against the flowers the perfume carried on our hands. It was lovely.
After challenging walks the last few days, the gentle walk along the creek made us a bit restless so we cut it short and continued along the drive. At Brachina gorge there were explanations about the geology of the ranges. They have been formed when sedimentary rock was pushed up to form mountains, about 500 million years ago. These softer layers of rock have eroded away, leaving the harder layers projecting in the folds and layers that were formed when they became mountains. Of course, with all that erosion they are much smaller. But they are still on a really grand scale. The ancient mountains would have been really high.
The road from Brachina gorge joined the sealed road between Hawker and Leigh Creek. Outside the ranges the land was dry, and stony with a few shrubs, just like it had been along the Oodnadatta track. It had the feel of the outback, and it beckoned to us. We were tempted to do another outback track, like the Birdsville track or the Strezlecki track. But we didn't quite have the time to do it. It would have been rushed. So we regretfully dropped the idea, and turned south onto another dirt track, the Moralana scenic drive that we had taken when we passed through the ranges on our way to Maree. It was as charming as we found it earlier. It is private property there is bush camping area marked and we decided to stay there/ There's nobody else here. There's half a moon throwing plenty of light and it would be great if we could sit out and enjoy the tranquility. But it's quite cold once the sun set and so after dinner we're sitting in the car. Tomorrow we have a long day of walking ahead of us, but we're looking forward to it.
