I was looking forward to my first RTE in almost two months after catching covid rule me out of last month's trip to Gellibrand. My first stop was at Inkerman between the point to point speed cameras at Two Wells and Port Wakefield.
I'd put the Warnertown hotel on my list of 2023 RTE suggestions but for some reason this looked different to how I remembered it. I even have my doubts to if this is the same place, but there's not a lot in Warnertown so it must be.
Next minute the boomgates started rigning so I did the bolt acoss to highway so see if I could snap a train. It was the Ghan making it's way to Adelaide from the Top End.
I deviated into Miranda for the first time and despite being dirt was a very smooth road. Next time I'll check out Chinaman's Creek and Red Cliffs.
I popped the drone up at Winninowie/Port Paterson (the road is the border) to fly around some wind turbines. I haven't even looked at the video yet.
It's getting close to two decades since I came to Adelaide and have yet to see a real sturt desert pea. This was on the sign at the entrance to Port Augusta. They've removed the old one on the left that had a snake on it.
The drone's second flight of the day was at Flinders Lookout in Port Augusta West. The bridge you can see is the Redbanks railway bridge and is the line that
the Ghan would have taken to go to/from the top end goes to Whyalla. The body of water is the Spencer Gulf and goes up to Yorkies Crossing.
Edit:
A train enthusiast friend of mine has advised me the Ghan doesn't use that bridge and trains that use it go to Whyalla.Then is was the one kilometre ride to the Arid Lands Café, venue for the RTE. By my standards are very straight ride.
I snapped Stinky Pete and Langers coming in. Only three of us after lurgies ruled out others and not one ST between us.
After lunch we rode back to Flinders Lookout for group photos.
We made our own way home from there. I must have passed Stinky Pete when he was refuelling at Port Augusta because he passed me when I pulled into a rest area for a comfort stop near Port Germein. I think Langers when and checked out Yorkies Crossing before heading off to Melrose. I hope you managed the ball bearings because that is one hell of a skaty road. Well it was when I did it in 2020.
I saw this one way up and made a mental note to stop for a picture (or three) on the way home.
I saw my second train for the day in Crystal Brook from a distance so had time to pull over and get my camera out. The driver obviously saw me do it because he sounded his klaxon and gave me a wave.
I had planned to ride to ride through Mantawarra, Balaklava and Mallala home but ended up going via Port Wakefield after deciding turning right to refuel at Snowtown was too hard. As it turned out turning into refuel at Port Wakefield with it's roadworks was more of a challenge. I refuelled again at my local and at $2·44 I think this is the most per litre I think I have ever paid.