A person could be forgiven for thinking they are the only person on the planet when out here. It has a way of making a humans feel small, very small and alone.
This spot is not often-frequented and the people that do make their way here know to leave others alone, give them space...That is, after all, one of the main reasons people come here.
The loose dirt road leading from Blinman to this ancient place soon gives way to a rocky track which is where high-range four-wheel-drive needs to be engaged. It's not a dangerous track but care needs to be taken and speed kept to a minimum to protect the environment and vehicle. That suits me nicely as it precludes many from coming here through lack of a suitable vehicle, skills and equipment to make the trip. So many don't even know this place exists anyway so it's unlikely a visitor will run into another.
Things seem much more simple out here and there's little else to do but enjoy lungfuls of crisp air, the warmth of the winter sun and sounds and smells of the Australian outback...It feels like...Home.
That image above is my truck stopped on the track. We had come across a small mob of feral goats and, because why not, I decided to see if my stalking-skills were still as sharp as always. I didn't have a gun with me but a little practice seemed worth doing. The aim? Get as close to one as possible before it bolts.
I got within about 20 metres and then the group took off. Considering I was in the open that's pretty close; I think these ones haven't been shot at much as they seemed quite trusting - An indication of how few people come here.
I snapped this image and headed back to the truck to drive a little further into the gorge itself to find a decent campsite.
We'd left our camper trailer back at our main camp a couple hundred kilometres away in the Central Flinders Ranges which is sveral hundred kilometres north of Adelaide, South Australia. The turn off the blacktop to the gorge is just south of the small (bloody tiny) town of Blinman. We only had a swag to sleep in, some food and a few bits and pieces to cook with - A simple overnight camp.
After choosing a spot, hidden from the view of anyone that might come along, we set up the swags, arranged firewood and set a fire ready for lighting later in the afternoon. It gets cold at night in these parts during winter; The days could be 21°C but the nights almost 0°C and a fire is always a welcome addition to a winter camp.
Once camp was sorted we hiked out for a few hours with the intention of doing not much at all other than hiking, enjoying our own company, the solitude and peace and quiet of the Australian outback which we truly love.
Whilst on the hike we came across this rock art gallery created a long, long time ago by some aboriginals.
I don't know what they mean, if anything at all, but they are sort of cool because they are old. Of course we knew they were there as we've been in this area before, but we hung around and had some lunch near by and chatted about what the ancient petroglyphs might have actually meant. Just scribbles or some deeper purpose? (I think scribbles to be honest). Above you can see Faith standing in front of a group of them on the rock-face behind and above her.
We hiked for about five hours then made it back to camp where we lit the fire, cooked up some chow and settled in for the night to stargaze, drink coffee, eat cookies and relax.
The next day we were up early for the sunrise, (a spectacular one), had some breakfast and coffee then packed up and headed back south to our main camp. We felt very satisfied with our little side-trip which included some off-roading, hiking and camping...Legit. 😃
So there you have week thirty nine of #whereonwednesday.
This is what social distancing is all about for us, getting into the outback and away from society, but today...Well, we're both here working from home due to the government-imposed social distancing laws. We'd rather be several hundred kilometres away, back in the Flinders Ranges though, and will be at some point. For now my memory will have to do.
Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default - Tomorrow isn't promised.
Be well