Day 65: The end plus 1 - Angorichina Village to Parachilna Village

Daily distance: 18km
Total distance: 1193.5km eish almost 1200km

After a late departure past the general store to purchase a coffee milk to have on the way, Dee and I set off for the last walk of our adventure. The weather was great being cold but sunny with a bit of cloud. The road was good with good traction ability so we could set the cruise control to an even 4.7km/h and sit back and enjoy the walk.

We both decided that the Heysen ended in the wrong place and should end at Parachilna because the walk back through the Parachilna Gorge was just amazing. The mountain and the creek that cut through them created an amazing backdrop to a very nice walk. Well, that was for the first 9 km then we came out the gorge and the country opened up in front of us. Flat and more flat as far as the eye could see. In fact, it was so flat that we could see Parachilna village from 8km away. None-the-less it was fantastic walking on a flat road, in great weather in the Aussie Outback.

Walking into Parachilna Village was an experience in itself. We could see it for 8km, so in 8km you paint amazing pictures of what you are going to find. Well none of my pictures matched what we found which was a pub. OK first we got attacked by the pub dog who did not have a clue what we were, cant blame him when my backpack sticks up over my head and I dont speak Australian! Secondly the people outside thought we were nuts and looked at us as if we had boogers hanging from our noses (Dee) but the funny thing was they were just as foreign as we were, as they were from Port A'gutter.... oops, sorry meant Port Augusta. However the publican lady was great and welcomed us as if we were old friends. Having a look round the village from my seat outside the pub... mmm 2 houses to the left and two houses to the right. The pub... The Prairie Hotel.... is fantastic. We booked a room and were blown away at how modern and luxurious it was.

I had to sample the local nectar which I took to the room with us. However, it was a 20 minute struggle to get the bloody bottle open.... being a local brew they put the lids on to last. However it did taste really good once opened. Dinner was an experience and I had FMG.... Feral Mixed Grill.... supposedly won a few awards in Aus. Camel sausage, Emu fillet mignon and Kangaroo fillet, oh nearly forgot there was a potato on the plate with a slice of fried tomato. Dee had the T-bone steak.

So ends our adventure, but don't go away, there will be another!

Day 64: The End - Aroona Hut to Parachilna Gorge & Angorichina Village

Daily distance: 23.4km
Total distance: 1175.5km

I was outside soon after the alarm went off under the most exquisite night sky imaginable. It was crystal clear, freezing cold and the moon half just setting over the Heysen ranges which were superbly illuminated. The wind had died down during the night, which obviously made it a bit colder but then, the clouds had disappeared.

The sunrise over the mountains was fantastic, needless to say a photo or two was taken. This did however lead to a momentary lapse in concentration which lead to an early Dee-tour. Only when we were half way up the mountain above the valley we had spent the night in, did I look at the GPS and realise we were about 500m off the trail. No drama.... off we went down the side of the mountain until we found the trail....no worries mate!

From this point we literally followed an old track the whole way to the trailhead 16km away. Well, to call it a track would be a stretch as there were parts where the "track" had washed away completely, and others where the gullies across the road were so deep they would hide any Texans 4x4. None the less it was all level ground so the walking was easy and the scenary was just out of this world.

Eight kilometers up the track from the old Aroona Station ruins we past the "Pigeon bore", which had been sunk by the original owners of the station in 1850. It was still working with an old hand pump on it which we used to have a drink. This also marked the top of the watershed for the two folding rivers which flowed in opposite directions, in the valley. The trail started to descend gradually until we joined up with the very wide Parachilna Creek which carved its way through the ABC and the Heysen mountain ranges. Truly spectacular! We stopped for lunch and had to take a few "selfies" in the creek. This was an experience with the flies........

Before we were ready, the trail rounded a bend in the gorge and popped out at the Parachilna Trailhead and the end of the Heysen Trail.

I am not sure how we felt about it but it was a very ....... well it was sad in one regard and exciting in another. Dee shed some tears and I just simply could not believe it was over... 1175.5km in 52 days of walking, averaging just over 20km a day and now over...

Well not quite, because we still had to walk through to the Agorichina Village which was 4 kilometers to the east. On went the packs again and off we went down the road. Yip, we were back on trail again and what a trail it turned out to be. The road followed the Parachilna Creek through the gorge and it was outstanding. Sheer cliffs dropping into a stream bed only to rise up on the other side just as high. Super.

Before long we walked into Angorichina Village into the only building there.... the general store..... We booked a camp site, bought some beer and wine and sat outside and had a toast to the walk. We then picked everything up and walked down to the camp grounds. Here's us with big packs on, beer and wine in both hands walking round a barren treeless piece of dirt on top of a mountain, both of us freezing cold.... well we did one circuit and carried on straight back down to the general store and changed our booking to a cabin. Yeah, now thats what I call thinking. Had a few problems with the gas heater, but once that was sorted out what followed was a shower, beer, wine, food and.....   a good nights sleep.

Day 63: Yanyanna Hut to Aroona Hut

Daily distance: 25.2km
Total distance: 1152.1km

The wind in our little tin hut during the night sounded wild, however I dont think it was that bad. Waking up was easy this morning but getting up was tough! Once we were up, packing up was a dream inside a nice warm little hut. The weather was all misty but dry.... or as dry as mist can be, that is. As getting out of bed was tough we set off a bit later than normal, but this worked in our favour when the sun came out a bit later.

The track started off from the hut onto the Bunyeroo Road for a very short distance before turning right onto the Yanyanna Track and headed in a northerly direction. We stayed on the Yanyanna track for about 8km, passing through some really great open country full of Red Kangaroo and Yellow-footed Rock Wallabies on the rocky slopes. The Heysen Range was still on our western side with the ABC Range on the eastern side and where we were walking was as flat as a pancake. We passed the old Elatina Ruin (homes built for sheep herders in the 1800's) before coming to the Elatina Hut which is also a ruin but has been restored for Heysen walkers,  and is now called Middlesight Water.

We stopped at this awesome little hut and had morning coffee and a small bite. As we had made good time in getting thus far we decided to continue to Aroona Hut thus making the walk to Parachilna Gorge a lot less. There is a Heysen reroute at this point but we decided to take the old route which I have on my GPS. It was a fantastic decision as we followed Etina Creek as it wound it's way through the valley. This part of the Heysen Trail is on the Flinders National Park Trezona Trail so is well marked and very easy to follow. Two kilometers later we got to the Trezona Trail Head, which is where Joe Public can park their cars and start the walk. Here is also a camping ground with rainwater tanks for those adventurous hikers. From here we followed the route markers for the Aroona Trailhead and Heysen trail.

It was an absolutely fantastic walk! Flat, sunshine, spectacular scenery and all along a well marked, easy walking path. We crossed creek bed after creek bed as we meandered up the valley. After about 6km we came to the Molena Ruin from where the route turned west again cutting through the ABC Range on it's way back to the Heysen Range. True to form,  the last couple of kilometers of the trail were up and down a very very steep hill before reaching the hut. At least they are consistant!

This hut is very different to the others and has a lot more ventilation. No doors, no windows, no fireplace and nice big gaps between the poles that make up the walls. (Sounds like where I lived in the Caprivi) However it does have a very nice roof under which we have put up our tent.