I decided to do another section of the Heysen and picked one slightly further north of where I left off last time, avoiding an area of fire damage and meaning I could walk from Tanunda through the Barossa Valley while the vines still had a few autumn leaves; I was always frustrated when I did the Barossa Marathon that the vines were bare.
May 25 My walk didn't get off to the best start: off the plane in Adelaide I had to take a bus from Adelaide to Gawler and connect with the bus to Tanunda; I missed the connection by a few minutes and had to wait almost 3 hours in Gawler, basically all afternoon, for the next bus. By the time I reached Tanunda it was almost dark and too late in the day to walk to my planned camp at Greenock, and it was so wet and windy that staying in Tanunda was a no brainer.
May 26 Much improved weather. I left Tanunda before 7.30 and once I was out of the town the walking was very pleasant, passing vineyards with remnants of autumn leaves. The trail was either dirt roads or on lightly vegetated strips between fields, or sometimes right down the middle of the ploughed field. I was surprised at the level of activity - like people gardening among the vines. I stopped at the general store in Greenock for a coffee and the owner was interested in what I was doing and told me about other walkers who had been by recently.
After Greenock I climbed onto a ridge with good views across farmland and gradually left the wine country. I had to cross a deeply carved dry creek which was full of rusty car parts. The walking was easy, just a little undulating, and often along fence lines. Close to Kapunda while following another big dry creek I met a pair of trail runners and chatted with them while they walked for a bit. When I got to Kapunda I decided to call it a day so I could have another night in a warm room and I checked into a very daggy pub, paying extra for heating (which they insisted on calling air con). 29.5 kms
May 27 Another early start and I walked the 12 kms to Lights Hummocks campsite along dirt roads and fences. Just before there I met a couple of hikers coming towards me. So there are other hikers on this trail! I stopped at the campsite for a coffee break, it was in a nice patch of bush.
Most of the day I was walking along fences in farmland and it was not terribly exciting. Often I could see a good trail on the other side of the fence but I wasn't allowed to use it. Sometimes sheep grazing, sometimes furrows and straw. I got a bit tired of climbing stiles over barbed wire or electric fences. (For the next 5 days it was always a relief when there was a gap in the fence so I didn't have to use the stile or, better still, an open gate.) The sun would come out, go in, threat of rain, blue sky, repeat. There were plenty of birds around, galahs and honeyeaters.
Towards the end of the day I caught up to a hiking couple going in my direction and we went into light bushland. There were some beautiful huge gum trees (stringy barks and red gums) and a lot of dead timber and this was a lovely change in surrounds from all the ploughed fields. I was pretty tired by then.
The trail climbed Peters Hill and followed a ridge with extensive views in every direction, then descended rapidly to Marshall's Hut in its own little hollow, a spacious old stone building with bunk beds for hikers. I preferred to use my tent, but I enjoyed having the company of the couple (whom I next saw in the pub in Burra) and Heidi (thru hiking northbound). 35 kms
May 28 The day was bookended by lovely walking. I started back in the hillside reserve, more big trees, and then a wooded corridor between the reserve and paddocks. Then many kms on gravel roads through farmland. I came to the mini settlement of Marabel and stopped at the memorial park to use the flush toilet and make coffee.
From there more dirt roads, slightly undulating. I could see a wind farm nearby, which is not a good omen when out walking, but most of the turbines were not operating so that was cheering. In the other direction was a range of low hills, the Tothills, and this was my destination. I climbed the wooded range and then walked in bush for several kms, very nice after all the farmland. However it was overcast and the views were unexciting.
The campsite on Smith Hill was in light woodland and had water and a small shelter. I picked a patch of flattish ground overlooking the valley I would be crossing tomorrow. It was peaceful with just a slight breeze. Heidi camped there too. She has the tent I almost bought when I got my Tarptent. 26 kms
May 29 The wind picked up hugely in the night and it was cold. By the morning it was ferocious and I packed quickly without stopping to eat breakfast. I descended off the ridge and then went through the bushland and along dirt roads, all with the roaring wind. (So I was right to be unhappy when I saw the wind farm.) Sometimes the wind pretty much blew me into the fence I was walking along. I was wearing all my clothes and I was not overheating even with a blue sky and sunshine. After 7 kms I stopped under some slightly sheltering trees and ate a breakfast bar. The next part went more easily, probably because I had just eaten.
I stopped at Webb Gap campsite where there was a water tank and found a sheltered place to make coffee. Soon after I left I passed two farmers and I asked them to turn off the wind. I don't know what they did but the wind was never as bad again!
The walking was so much nicer. I took off my beanie but still needed my gloves. First a tree lined road through sheep grazing country then a climb back up the Tothill Range passing through Niblet Gap. This was all bush, red earth and stony. I saw a few kangaroos. Then the trail went along the edge of the range crossing several deep gullies before descending back to the sheep.
The trail crossed the valley and followed a dry creek with lots of big gum trees dotted about. It was really pretty in the sunshine. I came to Huppatz Hut and put up my tent with difficulty in the wind, now strengthening again. Heidi arrived soon after. 30 kms
May 30 In the evening the wind became wild and I found it hard to fall asleep with the noise of the tent flapping. Towards morning one pole fell over and half the tent collapsed over me; I left it like that and fell asleep again.
I had breakfast in the hut then set off back across the valley and up onto the range; I enjoyed the climb so much I went right to the rocks on top, missing a turning. I saw many kangaroos. The descent was quite steep in lovely woodland and the trail stayed in the woodland for a while. There was a perfect blue sky (with the moon still out) but it was cold and windy.
I had a long climb along fences with plenty of sheep around ( I saw a few dead sheep and a dead eagle) and I came into Worlds End Conservation Park. I saw hakea, saltbush, etc. By now I was mostly out of the wind and it was so hot I could walk in shorts. The trail went into a gorge and I walked down in the dry creek bed. This was a mini version of the gorges I walked through on the northern part of the track. Then I stopped for a coffee break and while sitting there I heard a voice which I thought was Heidi talking on her phone and I called out; it was a couple who weren't sure where the trail was and we had a chat, among other things we talked about where I was going to camp and I mentioned that there was no water at the nicer of my options. I continued through the gorge, came out and walked along the bitumen road. The couple I'd met pulled up in their car and offered me a litre of water! (I later bumped into them again in Burra.)
The last kms were along dry Burra Creek and I walked in the creek bed for a while although this was not the trail. I came to the car camping site, very nice near the creek with lots of trees, bins and a toilet, and I was happy I could camp here now that I had enough water. Heidi arrived just on dark. 19 kms
May 31 It was freezing cold in the morning and the water in my water bottle was frozen. But no wind. I got up quickly and walked to the nearby hiking shelter with a water tank, 2 kms, to have breakfast. The trail followed a dirt road for ages through farmland with low hills covered in yellow grass in the distance. It was fast walking but monotonous. The sky had a little blue but a cold wind was picking up.
I turned off to follow fences across grass paddocks. Stiles and more stiles.
There was far too much tumbleweed; the prickles kept getting into my shoes and under my arches and I had to stop and pull them out of my socks. The trail crossed a couple of deep creeks (dry); as usual the banks were steep. Eventually I reached the highway and the trail appeared to be along the verge, but it didn't look friendly to walkers there so I climbed the fence and walked at the edge of the field on a dirt path. At the far end I exited via an unlocked gate and felt vindicated in my decision.
Now it was time to go over the hills I'd been parallel to all morning. This was nice: grassy hills with flocks of kangaroos and when I reached the top I could see Burra in the valley. I descended to Burra and my hike was done. I had barely stopped since breakfast.
I went straight to the bakery for a large snack and when Heidi arrived we crossed the road to the pub to get rooms. 25 kms
I have now done about half of the Heysen.
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