Quorn to Parachilna Gorge
Devonshire Tea was a must do experience for G before we left Quorn. Apparently it is rated very highly on the Dev Tea Australasian circuit. We paddled around town marvelling at the old buildings before dropping into the information centre keeping the economy alive with some must have purchases. Additional information from the centre revealed the Dev Tea was not open on Mondays. Shattered we marched on to the Quandong Café.
A few scones and a bacon and egg delicious later we were on the road headed around the Flinders Ranges loop. We motored up past Rawnsley Park Station and Wilpena, eyeing off the magnificent cliffs surrounding the big hole in the ground made by a decent sized rock falling out of the sky a few years back.
Before too long the City of Blinman came into view. We stopped, peed and walked the street containing one café being closed, and one pub being open. We learned that for $22 we could purchase a glass of beer, get a pub pie and a plate of chips. Tempting. We had places to be.
With the sure knowledge of a camp spot G and I had seen on our last visit some km down the Parachilna Gorge Road, we set off on dirt. After about five ks we both acknowledged we had gone the wrong way as our exit last time from Blinman was from the top of town and not this way. We whipped around a u-turn followed by Trev and Sue before finding our way back to town and out the Glass Gorge Road.
Glass Gorge Road is not a SA government priority it would seem. Despite being loads of fun as it took us through narrow winding tracks into and out of creeks beds, it was a bit of hard work. The further we went the surer we were that we had made a mistake and we were on the wrong road. An hour or so later we popped out at the intersection of Parachilna Gorge Road. A left turn had us at the camp we well remembered; just a bit later than planned.
Perhaps the best camp in the land, we relaxed, watched rock wallabies do their thing high on the cliffs and marvelled at the adaptation of feral goats to this harsh environment. No one was out of bed late tonight with no promise of being up early tomorrow either.
