Good Vibrations on the Corrugation Highway

April 24, 2021

Mt Little Station to Rawnsley Park Station

The wind kicked up sometime through the night, so I stayed in my cosy warm sleeping bag listening to a podcast until I heard the kettle whistling. It wasn’t as cold as I thought but Pete had the fire revved up. These river red gum logs burn for ages and were still going from the night before. The first hour was on sandy tracks through Mt Little Station. I was off and on the bike regularly (mostly intentionally) as the creek crossings were either built up with sand or river stones and gravel.

Steve inspecting this dubious water source, ensuring it hasn’t been illegally tapped from the Murray Darling Basin, and thus also making this trip tax deductible.

We eventually hit the highway for a boring 10ks and after morning tea in a gravel pit/road side pullover we turned onto the Moralana Scenic Drive, better known as the Corrugation Highway. No guesses why. Scenic. tick. Corrugated. Double Tick. This brute lasted long enough to give my neck the sort of manipulation my chiropractor would have charged several hundred dollars for. It’s a constant battle trying to find the smoother sections which appear and disappear just as quickly. This section follows a spectacular line of river red gums, so when we stop for lunch we pile some limbs onto the trailer for the fire tonight (that I’m in front of right now as I write)

We reach the Flinders Ranges Way eventually. A bitumen road never felt so good. We’re approaching Wilpena Pound now and although I’ve said this a number of times before, I’m pretty sure I’m right this time.

Rawnsley Park is our destination, another massive station that has turned to tourism in a big way. There’s homestead accommodation, a restaurant and swimming pool. There would be a hundred caravans dotted around but you could probably fit 10,000 in this place.

We get an unpowered site near a dam and within walking distance of a well needed shower.

No grass, but thankfully no burrs. Fellas, get off those devices and feel the serenity!

Tomorrow’s our last day, and it’s definitely the Queens stage as they say in cycling parlance. We finally get to Wilpena Pound an amazing geological structure caused by shifting tectonic plates. And our destination, The North Blinman Pub should be an interesting place on Anzac Day.

Today was my mate Rays wake so I’ve thought a lot about him today.

Today's ride: 66 km (41 miles)
Total: 869 km (540 miles)

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