Tuesday, 8 July 2014

Day 57 &58: Kanyaka Creek to Mount Elm Campsite to Hawker

Daily distance: 27.8k
Total distance: 1025.9km Yeehhhaaaaa...........

It was a very still night with not a breath of wind blowing. However, with it being that clear and calm it was also freezing cold and both of us got very cold during the night. The morning dawned bright and cheery and after packing up camp on the banks of our creek to the calls of a flock of Little Corella's waking up, we navigated the bush to the road and started our trek. We passed through the Patacoona Station gates and headed north on the road. It is obviously a very big station (farm) which has a secondary road running through it which is the one we were on. We obviously hit peak hour traffic as a car came past just as we got onto the road. Four hours and 15km later after a breaky stop we still only had the one car that had passed us..... Busy day! To be fair we are a helluva long way into the outback here!

Even though the walk today was not all that interesting in that we stayed on a road and fence line the whole day, the scenary was just outstanding. Great time for me to run out of batteries for my camera..... sorry..... The valley was wide, as in 50km wide open plains, with mountain ranges on either side. The great hulking blue/grey south wall of Wilpena Pound dominating the horizon (five days walk away) ahead and us walking down the middle of this heavenly valley.  Mense dit was mooi hoor!

By lunch time, 15km in and still on the same straight road, we started going up a rise towards the Calabrinda Creek Campsite and looked back the way we had been walking. Not only could we see where we started this morning but we could see back 4 days to Mount Arden. Sometimes looking back can be a bit disheartening!

We stopped to get water at the Calabrinda tank and there were two other fella's there. They were walking the opposite direction having only started a couple of days ago in Hawker and were heading to Melrose over 10 days. The one fella had done the whole trail the previous year in one hit like us and was now just walking with a mate over the stretch he enjoyed the most. Fantastic to see two gents well into there 50's out for a 10 day stroll.

We had decided to pass the Calabrinda site and try get to the next one being the Mount Elm Campsite. Soon after drying my sleeping bag and socks in the sun, using the most amazing longdrop ever, having a bite to eat with coffee we hit the road north once more. The only difference now was that the wind was pumping in our faces something chronic. What should have been an easy 12km walk became a 13km slog! Dee lost her hat, I had to tie mine on my head with a buff, (luckily the camera batteries were flat), and we had to bend double to get any momentum forward. Anyway we made it to the campsite exhausted but found a very nice wind sheltered spot to put up the tent. This is where we are now, with Dee resting her eyes next to me.

Two highlights for me today, other than just being here with Dee, were one a lifer, White-fronted Chat and two, I clocked 1000km's!

Into Hawker.

Daily distance: 10.6km
Total distance: 1036.5km

Had a great night listening to the wind but not being affected by it. Two reasons for this, one being Dee chose the camp site and two it was behind a bank and in the trees.  I was "Dee-lighted"!

It was still very windy when we started walking but for the first 2 kilometers we were in a well wooded area so did not feel it much. However..... when we came out of the trees and onto the road the wind was hectic. We climbed up the western side of the Yourambulla Range, through the gap and down the eastern side of the range onto the flats with 5km to go into Hawker. Here the wind really got hold of us and it was like being in a tumble dryer on a dirt road. At one stage we had a vehicle get right up behind us and hoot before we realised it was there. I'm not sure who got a bigger fright the driver or us but both parties landed up in stitches of laughter.

We made it into Hawker and found a spot to stay at the motel come pub even though it's school holidays. We have done all our shopping for the next leg to Wilpena Pound, done our washing (pleased about that), have had a feed and now in bed. The wind has picked up and if like this tomorrow we are going to stay exactly where we are.

There are not many photos as we ran out of batteries....... sorry!

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