There’s a ridge that runs inland along the coastline of the Great Australian Bight, from just west of Kanidal beach south of Cocklebiddy on the Eyre Highway, to east of Eucia, nearly two hundred miles along the coast. Some thirty miles inland from the coast, it forms the basis of the Medura Pass which was a feature of stage 322. The ridge then runs east, just a couple of hundred metres north of the highway for the whole of stage 323 before recrossing the road near to Eucla National Park in a few stage’s time just before Around The World cross into South Australia.
But for now we are focussed on the almost deadly straight 323, a lumpy gentle descent for much of its course once you’ve scaled the initial climb out of the pen. There are no real landmarks to speak of, just mile after mile of light red dirt on either side of the road, although the ridge does threaten to come right back down to the road side after five miles, creating a tongue shaped hillside on the left as it does so.
The road is straight for twenty miles before a gentle left hander wakes you up for a three mile run in to the finish. With only two hundred feet of ascent on the stage, and a similar amount of descent, stage 323 has all the makings of a power fest so the best thing to do is let the bots do all the work, grab a wheel, and you just hang on in there in cruise mode.
Distance: 23 miles / 37 kilometres
Ascent: 210 feet / 64 metres
RGT Magic Road: UbCmO6rec53g
Max elevation: 107 ft
Min elevation: 55 ft
Total climbing: 211 ft
Total descent: -240 ft
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