Day 197 - Port Augusta to Hawker

Today we left Port Augusta to travel a short 105km to Hawker, which claims to be the dropping off point for the Flinders Ranges.  It was indeed a change from the predominantly flat country we have been experiencing for the last several weeks, as we drove into the Flinders Ranges.  However, by the time we had reached the first small town of Quorn in the ranges, we were on a very large, wide plain called the Willochre Plain, with mountains running down either side of it.  That was our experience for the better part of today.

201014 Entering the Flinders Ranges

The mountains are everywhere and the further away they are from us, the bluer they become.  We thought we were back in Central Australia.

201014 Further into the ranges - Note the wattle trees on the roadside

We reached Hawker by early afternoon.  Later in the day we drove out to "The Fiveways" and to Jarvis Hill Lookout.

The Fiveways was a confluence of five different roads and not much else.  To get there we passed through miles of plains with an occasional small range to cross.  One of these ranges had the Hookina Creek passing through it.  The erosion had exposed quite a sizeable rock face and some very old Red River Gums seemed quite at home in the dry creek bed.

201014 A cutting made by Hookina Creek north of Hawker

201015 Taken from near the "Fiveways", just north of Hawker

Jarvis Hill Lookout, about 6km from Hawker, was on one of the nearby ranges. It provided a view back across the plain to Hawker and the mountains heading up to Wilpena Pound, our destination for tomorrow.

201014 Hawker from Jarvis Hill Lookout 

201014 Looking towards Wilpena Pound from Jervis Lookout

201014 From Jarvis Hill Lookout looking SE

The little towns hereabouts are steeped in history and there is many a property with broken down rough hewn brick houses, fences and windmills. Some properties have been retained an enhanced.

201014 Once a mill now a motel in Quorn

201014 The Old Ghan Station at Hawker.  Now a restaurant

On the animal/bird front today we saw cattle, sheep and emus.  All looked in pretty good health even though the food looked sparse and dry.

201015 Mum and her chicks.  Mostly see their back view
as they always walk away from us

We are sad to say that the temperature today reached 37 degrees, the grass crunched when you walked on it and the roads were dusty. Boy, were they dusty!  So much for our clean car.