Day 36: Worlds End to Huppatz Hut 21.05km

A fairly simple day to get across to the Tothill Ranges. A quick walk down the Burra River. All dry and I got away before the 4wd brigade and then a walk up the Worlds End Highway again. Worlds End was a name locals gave the place as it was considered the last place you could settle before the country became too dry.

The Burra River at this point had permanent water. There was a township and school and the remains of a suspension bridge across the river is still there that provided safe passage to the children going to school when the river was flowing. When people pass me I wonder what they think when looking at a lunatic walking along when its zero degrees with a slight wind. From the highway the trail turns west again along a dirt road then eventually through to some farm tracks and creek walking.

Whilst there is a Hopkins Creek Conservation Park we walk past the farm land that has been set aside as a conservation zone by the owners and it is privately managed by donations and government grants. I mean it looks like scrub country but at least its giving some habitat back to the native animals. Considering since I've started this walk I have either been on private property thats is a working farm or parks that were working farms. There is not much of SA that I have seen that hasn't been touched by the European settler. The bits that might be untouched maybe some of the creeks that I wandered through in the Flinders. But even there you can see the effect goats and rabbits have had.

After the conservation area it is back into farmland to climb up and over the Tothill Range to Huppatz Hut. The Huppatz family own a lot of the land that I will walk across over the next couple of days. Apparently Tothill Range is named after Charles Tothill who leased the local land from 1843 for several years. Its interesting in SA that the European settler and explorers are well celebrated and recognised.

I will come to curse this Tothill range as the days progress as I cross it east West then west east up to 5 times.