Day Three: Copley
Day Three – Copley
Another hundred mile day, with the added news that the stable weather pattern was changing so that I might pick up a tail wind late in the day, but then have headwinds all the way home—the life of the touring cyclist!
Hawker Morning View
The ride up to Copley-Leigh Creek begins with a light climb through the range and then a long flat for the rest of the day. However, that "flat" actually hides longish slight grades (.5-1.5%) which, combined with a headwind, can be a bit wearisome. There is no water except at Parachilna (90km) in, and no food. The pub at Parachilna is a fancy bookings-only eatery that doesn't cater to cyclists.
But the ride is glorious. It gives an extended back view of Wilpena Pound and the Flinders Range. It is still following the Old Ghan line, so there are occasional signs of early white settlement.
Above Nooltana Creek, just before the descent to the plains
Lonely graves at Hookina. These three are separated from the rest by 150 metres. Goodness knows what kind of community grief that was reflecting.
Looking into Bunyeroo Gorge
I've seen this site before, usually dry. The bare scald that is between the rows of vegetation is the result of cropping or, more likely here, over-grazing, and can last a century and more. Here, the lessee has run over large tracts of land with a single furrow plough, with the aim of catching seed blown in the wind. In a good season like this year, the effects are clear. Further north past Leigh Creek, I saw areas where the remaining islands of salt bush stood 2-3 feet! above the blown out and eroded ground in between. We have devastated the arid lands.
Stats: 160.7km, 8:44 hours moving at 18.4kmh, Real Average Speed: 16kmh, Min Temp: 9C
Compared to the 13.3kmh Real Average Speed of Day Two, this is a fair bit faster. The wind turned south from 9.30 to midday, and then again from about 3.30pm. The difference is plain. It also reflects the much flatter terrain than the ride from Jamestown to Hawker.
