Day 23 Port Augusta to Laura 115 kms

Didn't think I would sleep well last night after the nanny nap in the afternoon but I slept like a log and apparently missed some excitement in and around the caravan park in the middle of the night. People were whistling and yelling and then moving heavy equipment loudly. No one got up to find out what was going on but we all survived and myself oblivious to it all.

Nice ride out to Horrocks Pass but the weather was looking ominous above the Flinders Ranges. Sure enough we arrived at the top of the Pass in thick fog and the beginnings of misty rain. It was pretty cold and I stayed in the car while the others had Collis take photos of them at the memorial. Of course over the pass the scenery changes completely and you are in a totally different world, lush green pastures and lots of giant gum trees. This is one of my favorite spots in Australia as it is just so pretty.
Trouble is the weather broke and we ended up getting wet and the wind was really icy according to the riders. Morning tea was at Wilmington and the local shop allowed us to use their outdoor sitting area that was covered for our break. Then we all stopped at Melrose for coffee and hot chocolates at a really quaint little coffee shop with lots of unusual artifacts and an open fire. It was a bit hard to leave the warmth. We had to keep going as Collis was shouting everyone a pie and drink for lunch at Stone Hut.
Ben decided to take a scenic tour up to a lookout and ended up a long way behind the rest of us but he was keeping me up to date with his whereabouts via the phone and text messages. I'm glad it was worth the journey as the cloud lifted just as he was ready to take the photograph. It had been a dirt road and his brakes all jammed up with mud so he had to walk the last section and then clean his brakes. He ended up catching the last rider and they rode into Stone Hut together where we were waiting for them. Stone Hut is up for sale so not sure if it will be still there when we go through next time.
We arrived in Laura and we appreciated the manager lighting an outdoor fire for us. It is a cute little caravan park with the best showers and a fantastic camp kitchen. The park is owned by the local community and is one of the best we have stayed at. Alex, the manager, was lovely and he and his wife Barbara ended up making us some damper and providing us with 2 bottles of local red wine, very nice. Then at the end of the night Alex organized a sing-a-long with the riders. Those that went to bed said we were all out of tune but we enjoyed ourselves.
It is supposed to get down to one degree tonight so I've rugged up with two layers on, my hot water bottle and my dolphin blanket. Hope this is enough.