Day 27: Hiskeys Hut to Curnows Hut 28km

Four weeks have gone . I got up fairly early after a good nights sleep. The temperature did drop fairly dramatically after midnight which made the hut creek and groan as the timber and metal roof cooled. There was a bang in the sink and on inspection a bar of soap had dropped in the sink and you could see the teeth marks where something was taking bites. Was a fairly warm morning compared to some I have had and I saw they are predicting a cold snap down south in WA so I expect I will see it within the next week. 

There was a three kilometre walk into Georgetown where I stopped at the General Store for a bit of breakfast and a chat. The bloke had been waiting for me as Belinda had spoken to him twice over the last couple of weeks with regards to food and accomodation in Georgetown. The pub has shut and is looking for a new lessee. 

From there it was a long walk out on a gravel country road to the next range of hills. The ones I will be going up today is the Campbell Ranges. All part of the Northern Mt Lofty ranges. So I head East and then the trail heads north again as I climb the range. Just as I climbed the weather changed and I climbed up into the clouds and wind with occasional showers. I read in a logbook at Hiskeys someone had compared the walk across the sheep paddocks here akin to the scottish highlands but without the sleet. 

It was a fairly enjoyable walk and not too taxing as once I gained the altitude it was a ramble along a ridge line. After a while you turn due east again. I am sure I was level with Crystal Brook again if not further north. The track then meets up with the Bundaleer Forrest. Apparently the first forestry setup was in South Australia as Goyder had noticed the SA native forests were being depleted.

I can attest to that as the hills are bare. I expected when climbing the ridge to overlook this forestry area a place full of trees but I was to be disappointed. There ain't much there. There was a long rock wall that I haven't been able to find anything about but it seemed to encircle the boundary of the forestry area. If they had planted as many trees as they used rocks to build the wall then maybe it would look like something. 

From there it a slow climb to the top of Mt Campbell. Another bare hill. Then a drop into the forest reserve where you arrive at Curnows' Hut. I lit a fire in the pot belly stove an set up my stuff on a bed frame in front of the fire. 28 kilometres for the day with a 32 kilometre day to do tomorrow to Spalding Pub for Pub Grub and a beer.

 

Day 26: Crystal Brook to Hiskeys Hut 19.72km

It was lovely to sleep in a bed with an electric blanket. The night didn't get as cold as I thought it might and I had to turn the blankets down. Blankets you say . Well I had a double. When you spend night after night arranging yourself onto a sleeping mat no wider than your shoulders the sheer luxury of spreading out is exquisite. Look out Belinda when I get home. 

Woke up early as usual and I believe I was the only one upstairs so I made a coffee and packed the pack waiting for 7 o'clock and the bakery to open. I would have preferred eggs on toast but that cafe didn't open till 10am. 

I ended up getting a curry pie for breakfast. Not the best idea as it repeated all day as I walked. Left Crystal Brook by about 7.40am and today was just a road and paddock walk to get across from the Southern Flinders to the Northern Mt Lofty Ranges which I will then follow down past Adelaide. 

There is a good thing about fairly flat road walking and that is the mind can wander about. 

Today I caught sight of my shadow and pondered the engineering that has gone into developing us. When you think about it we stand tall with a lot of weight above our waist balancing, in my case on size 10.5 feet. The skeletal and muscle structure that gives us stability to walk and run is quite fascinating. The shadow I was looking at had my pack hanging of the back and I was pondering the adjustments my body is making so I can walk. This leads onto thinking about our body and how it responds to stimulus and the adjustments it makes as we ask it to do various things. 

I can of course see some changes as the weeks go on. One of them was losing a fair bit of belly fat that helped keep my pack up. I have lost a bit and now the pack slides down and I don't think it will get better till I lose a bit more fat and get an actual waist. Then there is the thought of what happens to the body when we go to space. Our muscles atrophy and we lose bone density through lack of stimulus. 

So then if we are built really well for the Earth and not so well for space then what will we have to do to go out and play in the cosmos. 

Given that relativity holds true if we want to explore beyond our backyard we can't as we are today. Will the explorers of the future be quite alien to us. How do you ride a light wave. Hmmm 

Then I reached Hiskeys Hut. Its on a bare hill that the friends of the Heysen have planted trees on so in the future it will be a little protected. The last people living here were 3 adults and 6 children. Its no bigger than my lounge dining and kitchen so they must have spent a lot of time outside. I knocked some deadwood of a tree down the gully and may light a fire tonight.

Day 25: Beetaloo Creek Camp Site to Crystal Brook 25km

Today was an early start. I woke up about 5am and it was easier to keep warm by packing up and then moving along. The path goes on station tracks then onto local roads as it continues to go down to the town of Crystal Brook. Today marks the last day of walking on the Flinders Ranges. Its recognised that the ranges start at Crystal Brook. 

It has been a rewarding experience and one that I have enjoyed. Even though today there was a lot of farm lands that is looking green and lush there are still pockets of hills that are sparsely treed and covered in spinifex. A taste of things to come in the north. 

The highlight of the day is to finally drop off the roads and follow Crystal Brook through the last of the hills. The Brook was named because of the crystal clear waters flowing. None today but the walk was magic with lots of birds and big trees. As you get towards Crystal Brook town it degenerates a little but from Bowman Park (48 hour free RV parking) to the Wilkins Highway its a magic walk. 

Got into Crystal Brook about 2pm. Booked into the pub for the night. Did a bit of shopping and had a shower. No laundry handy don't want to go back out the caravan park. Will need to move on tomorrow so no time to look around crystal Brook. It looks more interesting than Melrose, would have liked a zero here.

Day 24: Go-Kart Track Shelter to Betaloo Creek Camp Site 19.8km

Today the tent fly was saturated with dew. Made the pack-up a little cold on the fingers. Frost again and I wanted to quickly get moving. 

Today was a continue on the Go-Kart Track with its PUDS as it climbed its way to the regions Television Towers. They look a lot closer each hill you crest just to go down and see it all again on the next peak. Finally got there and a bloke was climbing the tower. Conversation goes. "How high you got to go?" "About half way". "Your mad", says I. How far you walking? He says. "1200 kilometres in total ",I say. "You're mad" says he. 

The walk then starts a long eventual loss in height with its PUDS all the way though. From the ridge line you can see Port Pirie to the west and Wonoka Plains to the east. 

The track then takes a turn though a gate into farmland and the camp site. Not happy again with the camp site Trying to find a level spot that not under the dead branches of the trees. Its basic camping in Australia that you don't pitch your tent under the widow-makers yet they have a whole campsite under 5 or 6 large gum trees with dead branches. On top of that the water in the tank had that lovely Tannin colour and flavour. I just flavoured it with more dead leaves and called it tea.

Day 23: Murray Town to Go-Cart Track Shelter 26.34km

Woke up with frost on the ground. My Wet Pants which I hung over the front wall had frost which made it easier to make sure they were dry. Another day of walking through the fields and then climbing up the back of the Telowie Gorge National Park. Then it was a follow of the Go Kart Track. 

This is a fire control track that follows the ridge line between east and west and has many PUDS (Pointless Ups and Downs). To a walker to continue to climb a hill and then just lose that height to climb the next one is one thing that gets on the nerves after a while. 

A good walk track would contour slowly around the hills leaving the peaks alone until necessary. But this is the Heysen. The fire control track is another thing. It is put in to manage fire supposedly. I could see the results of fires on either side of the track and the bush recovering but the scar of the track in some places 50 metres wide will never get chance to recover. 

I finally reached the designated camp site only to be disappointed at the offering. I filled up with water and moved about 100 metres up the track where there was at least a level spot that was in the lee of some bushes protecting me from a bit of wind at least.