Wednesday 1st April 2015 – warm / overcast – Easter forecast is warm cloudy and maybe a thunderstorm.

Our drive north to the Flinders Ranges – around 330 kms

We are finally back on the road.  It seems so long since we have been in the outback and I am looking forward to it.  I hope to finally see a free range Thorny Devil on a track some where other than in a reptile park.  We upgraded to RACQ Ultra care for the trip, so the towing of the car/camper and accommodation and hire car were all covered under the policy.  After the installation of the gearbox and transfer case, we had further electrical problems which needed finding and fixing.  We could not have been better looked after.  We had lunch with Pat, said our goodbyes and turned the Patrol to the north and decided to drive the full leg to Brachina Gorge in Flinders National Park.  We were concerned that doing a camp half way would mean that we would be in traffic and competing for a campsite.  We drove up through Spalding, Jamestown, Orroroo, Carrieton, Clifton, Hawker to the park.  We have 17 days camping left on our holiday pass and will try to make the most of it.  It was a spectacular drive very late in the afternoon into Brachina Gorge.  This is the Geology Trail and most of the rocks along this trail start around 500 million years old, there is limestone, siltstone rocks.  We saw some very cute rock wallabies and a kangaroo on the track in. 

 

 

 

 

Burning off of the wheat stubble.  They burn in stripes, so that it doesn’t get away from them.  Although there is a total fire ban, the farmers are given special permission for the burn off.  This is in preparation for their winter rains.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glen hung these up for Pat – There were three, Ram, Ewe and Lamb.  They are really cute.  Might make some for our sheep station.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We stopped at the rest spot just out of Carrieton for a afternoon cuppa.

Below our first glimpse of the ranges from Carrieton.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We have arrived at Brachina Creek.  We are entering the park from the west and are in the north west corner of the park.  It was the quickest way there late in the day and also gives us easy access to the rest of the park.  Wilpena Pound is in the south of the park and is a private resort and is fully booked over the Easter period as all of the station stays.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was a really nice drive along Brachina Creek in Brachina Gorge on the way in.

Rock Wallabies certainly win the award for being very cute – little black paws and feet and striped tail.  We saw a couple on the way in.

Camp is set, it is threatening to rain.  The weather forecast for Easter is cloudy and showers.  It was very warm overnight.