Text and photosIan Smith

Ian at Devils Peak

Further north in South Australia, on my fourth excursion, I investigated my wallet and found some folding stuff and bought a ticket on the famed Pichi Richi Railway.

30 | Bushwalk August 2023

As it was school holidays, I wasn’t alone and, these days, being featured in a Russell Crowe movie hasn’t hurt its patronage either.

It isn’t cheap but it is enjoyable. Chatting with my fellow passengers and listening to the happy volunteer dispensing all manner of information along the route combined to add up to a pleasant outing.

The cheering spectators on the nearby road left a smile on my face. A few days later I would be with my partner Lorraine on that road.

I couldn’t help but notice, constantly looming in the distance, there was a standout hill.

Pichi Richi Railway

The lure of Devils Peak

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Devils Peak Walking Trail

Devils Peak

Start of the walk

Further enquiries led me to find out the name of said hill (Devils Peak) and the joyous news that it could be climbed.

That was my next stop, heading out on a benign dirt road to get to the parking area where it said it was a 2.6 kilometres, 2 hours return to the top but was graded “hard”.

The first part was just a normal bushwalk, slightly uphill through scrub and spring flowers with the cliffs beckoning in the background. The part I loved was that they had signposts every 200 metres, so you could judge how far you’d gone but it was the last 100 metres that was taxing and I failed to realise just how steep until the return journey. Near the top you

have to ascend through a crack and presto, you’re on the extensive sloping slab of pound quartzite that has been your goal.

The views are 360 degrees and there’s a genuine “top of the world” feeling about this place because Devils is the highest point (697 metres) for some distance in any direction, with panoramas over the fields of spring beyond Quorn.

I had to leave this special mount and head to Adelaide to pick up Lorraine who had been tutoring her textile art in Sydney and hadn’t been able to get away.

Still, I had a memory I'd never forget.

Vista from the top

Last steps to the top

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