Day 29: Marrabel to Smiths Hill Campsite (HAPPY FEET)

Daily distance: 17.5km
Total distance: 458.11km

Happy feet, happy feet, happy feet, is what we were singing the whole walk today! Dee you are an angle for bringing our shoes.

Before I go into today you will see a few photos of last nights beef schnitzel, which was huge and then of our barn dorm.

Packing up inside the barn this morning was great as it was dry and very spacious.  The bales of hay were the last to get restacked before be left the "arena" and headed down the road. The red arrows started at our gate and took us 4km straight west before we turned north for a whole lot of kilometers. Right from the first step I knew this was another walk entirely simply because we had comfortable feet again. Now all the walking was just that walking, and not pain management for the whole walk.

We stopped at a crossroads on 5km and made ourselves a cuppa before turning and heading towards the Northern Mount Lofty Rangers. The wind farm with all its massive wind turbines became visible on the ridges to our northern side. These are simply very impressive to see, not only size wise, but also the volume. Amazing! I think we will be walking next to these for the next couple of hundred kilometers.

Most of the walking this morning was spent on farm, and sudsidery roads, before turning west and climbing the Lofty Mountain range. Once on top we turned north and followed a valley which took us all the way to the Smith Hill Campsite. A hundred meters or so before the campsite, Jeff spotted an Euchidna. Unbevievable and although the photos are not the best, at least we saw the animal!

On arrival at the rain water tank and platform, shoes came off, shoulders were inspected (Jeff's are not so happy), we had a feed, some coffee and a look round to see where we were going to camp. It was in the unpacking stage that we realised the time was only 14h00! Just shows how happy our feet really are...... 17.5km before lunch. We did the sensible thing and decided to stay and let our feet rest. Tents have been put up, beds laid out and Jeff is making a fire. We were rewarded with a spectacular sunset over the windmills but now the 'polar bears' have come out and it is freezing.

Day 11: Moung Compass to Woodcutters Cottage, Kuitpo Forest

Daily distance: 26.4KM
Total distance: 157.8km

Another long day out there! Check the stats photo and you will see we spent 9 have hrs plus out there. It was fantastic! All of you are probably thinking "poor Dee" ...well let me tell you she was leading the way so "poor Bruce" is more like it. Now that she is ahead with the walking I'll get her to carry the beer, and once she is back up to speed with that, she gets my pack as well...... SORTED......

We only walked into the Woodcutters Cottage long after dark navigating  through the plantation by GPS. Made it, so now sitting here with a fire going, belly full almost ready for bed....

We did get accosted by the manager of the caravan park this morning before we could make our escape so we paid our dues and headed forth. We crossed over the main Adelaide/Cape Jervois road and headed north. Soon we had been routed to a fence which enevitably means 'your gonna die on the steep sections'... guess what? The fence did not disappoint the whole day. Up and down and again and again..........

We stopped about 7km in to take  a breather on the side of the main drag, had coffee and gave Belinda (our support) a ring and see if she wanted to come visit tomorrow. Thats code for 'we need supplies, come visit' only sounds alot tougher when daughter visits mom on the route....... My, what technology can do now! We rang Belinda, searched the internet for accommodation,  got the number, rang and made the booking for this evening, all the while sitting on the side of the road having a cup of  coffee while doing an "unsupported walk through Aus. Gotta love it!!!

The booking did add on another 15km or so, but Dee was unperturbed by this so I just drank my cup of concrete and hardened the ..... up. The walk turned into a bit of a slog in the end with us only getting in after dark navigating by GPS. Some of the areas we went through were well worth it though. Tomorrow is a rest day with only a couple of kilometers to the parks HQ to pay for tonight and to meet Belinda and Jeff. Our bodies are sore and need a break after 2 days of over 25km per day. We have both developed blisters which need some time off. I need to get out there and spend some serious time with my bino's and try get a handle on some of these birds.

Until next time....