The forecast for the last day of Spring was for a beautiful overcast day, and I had been hanging out for a decent ride, so a plan was hastily put together. I left home at 0410 with a plan that would take me to the Southern Flinders Ranges and west to Kimba, and return home, with the objective of photographing a couple of “Big Things”. You can see my route on the attached map. The pre-dawn is a beautiful time to be on the road, and I was hoping for a classic long distance rider's sunrise photo opportunity, but the overcast sky concealed the dawn, so I rode on into the lightening sky to Clare where I refuelled. The RM Williams Way passes through the southern Flinders Ranges and took me north through gently rolling hills, to the little town of Cradock, home of the “Big Akubra”. It celebrates SA's RM Williams after whom the highway is named, but the Big Akubra is not that big, and something of a disappointment. My route from Cradock took me back to Quorn and I arrived at the iconic Emily's Bistro at 0900. Emily's is a cafe in an old emporium, and the interior has retained the old shop goods and fittings. The food is very good indeed and I had a coffee and a cinnamon bun that had just come out of the oven. From Quorn I rode the Pichi Richi Pass which I rate as one of the top five riding roads in SA and refuelled at Port Augusta for the return stretch to Kimba. It rained for a short time, but it had cleared by the time I reached the Iron Knob turn-off and did not dampen my high spirits. At Kimba there are some iconic photo opportunities, including the “Half Way” sign and the Big Galah, but my main objective was the big statue of the explorer Edward John Eyre and his aboriginal companion. These were erected in 2011 and are sculpted in steel. They overlook the town from Whites Knob Lookout, about 4km west of the town. The statues are spectacular and worth a visit if you are passing through Kimba. My return ride home was straight down the main road (see the map), with a stop at Snowtown to photograph the Big Turbine Blade, and again at Port Wakefield for a coffee and snack. I love the solitude of riding on my own, and this country has lots to offer for the traveler. See you on the road.........
