Section 4: We Get By With a Little Help From Our Friends

I thought this section might be an easier one since we left the Flinders Ranges and boy was I wrong. My sense of time is distorted but it feels like it's been the most difficult so far. High velocity wind, rain, hail, mountains and big distance turn out to be a hard combination.

Lucky we had help in a number of different ways. Neil and Jenna surprised us with dinner, wine and a fire after a day of filthy weather, a farmer let us camp in their front yard when we had to ditch our planned campsite due to no shelter and belting wind, and even though most of Hallett was officially closed when we rolled in, we ended up with a great meal, some memorable accommodation and the use of a fountain to find the leak in my sleeping mat!

We probably should have expected the weather having crossed the Goyder line and also walked into wind farm territory.

Mentally I've noticed a little slippage into walking hard and paying less attention. I think it's a combination of increasing familiarity with the experience and having coped with some the tougher days. I'm trying to push myself back into the relaxed presence I enjoyed at the beginning and I'm making sure to check out the stars again.

My feet have started to hurt at the end of each day as we pick up the distance. I'm surprised I haven't had more blisters with entire days of wet socks, so many mountains and countless stones.

My little toe is developing a second toe of dead skin which I've named Toto. We're definitely not in Kansas anymore.

Day 20

I can't believe it's already day 20, and that we're out of the Flinders!

I slept well at the Royal Crystal Brook Hotel, and the publican Bridge was a legend sorting our washing, thanks!

On the way to breakfast with Dave, Dave Sr and Jan I bumped into Stephanie, a northbound end to end walker. It was great to compare notes and realise that we'd cross the mid point in the next section.

We left Crystal Brook in good spirits. The weather was great despite overnight rain again, and it was a short and easy looking day ahead.

We walked a short section of road, a longer section of dirt road and then along pasture fences. A long creek really made the day, it was a stunning spot and we took a long lunch to enjoy it under the shade of a pepper tree. Dave sang a song about Noop Noop and the Cheese Sticks to the tune of Waltzing Matilda to pass the time. Trail madness is definitely not a thing.

We got in to Hiskeys Hut quite early. It's fantastic hut that's been well restored. There was a book which told surprisingly entertaining tales of the efforts to revegetate around the hut with antagonistic sheep nearby.

It also had a great article about all the different First Nations language groups original lands that we were passing through. It's very sad to think that most of these groups are gone as a result of colonisation.

Later in the day another northbound hiker arrived, Joe. We had some great conversation to pass the rest of the day.

Day 21

I woke with a terrible thought. The day before we crossed the Goyder line, which Dave passionately explained is a survey line across South Australia indicating which parts have reliable rainfall to support sustainable agriculture.

Reliable rainfall and hiking are not best friends. It has rained most of the night and there was no sign of letting up.

We walked along various roads in the rain. We walked through some paddocks in the rain. We climbed a hill in the rain. We walked along a long rollercoaster ridge line in the rain. I think you get it.

The scenery would have been great if not for the dense cloud cover. There were occasional hints of a huge vista of the farmland below. The strong winds added an icy chill to the wet.

I enjoyed walking through the marshy grass, and picking paths around overfilled damns. Late in the day we climbed a mountain with a long man made stone wall. I suspect the intention was wind protection, but today's gale blew from the opposite side.

The final section sent me into the middle of a pine plantation. I'm not sure if I missed a sign, but it was fun navigating the dense and soaking wet forest.

Approaching Curnow's Hut I was thrilled to see smoke coming from the chimney. Our friends Neil and Jenna had come to surprise us with fire, food and wine.

Neil was cooking an oxtail potjiekos (pronounced poi-kee), a South African dish that resembled a stew but apparently isn't as it is never stirred. It was absolutely delicious and great to see you both, thanks for the surprise!

We also met Kate and Callum, northbound end to end hikers who are raising money for the Childhood Cancer Association here. They were lovely and we wish them all the best for their time in the Flinders.

Few photos today owing to the foul weather.

Day 22

I took a slower start today to have coffee and see Neil and Jenna off. It was a big day with a straightforward profile and the weather looked great.

The valley from Curnow's Hut was thick with fog and it was very pretty. Dave had left early and left me a lovely trail message.

Later the trail led along a creek in a stunning valley. There were many sheep, kangaroos the surrounds so pretty that I took my time to happily take it all in.

Early afternoon had me following an viaduct, and water would be the theme for the remainder of the day. I followed pipes through the SA Water site Bundaleer Reservoir. I've really enjoyed the trail cutting through electricity and water infrastructure in some sections, it's a testament to human effort and key enablers for modern life.

The last part in to Spalding was a struggle due to being such a long day and the accumulated fatigue.

We stayed at the Spalding Hotel. It's undergoing some renovation but we still got a great room, wood fired pizza and our clothes washed. The place has great potential and I'm sure Fletch and his wife will be successful with it.

Day 23

The day looked promising. We had a reasonable sleep in waiting for the general store to open. The place was well stocked and made a decent coffee. A local noticed we looked like hikers and said there was snow forecast above 700m. Our climb took us to about 650m so she'll be right, yeah?

The morning was lovely, sunny and easy dirt road walking. We had a decent hill climb, then started on the ridge line where a decent wind was already blowing. I found a good hollow for lunch and spotted Dave in time to call him in.

The wind steadily picked up, increasing to a point that I had to walk on an angle against it. It started a novelty but fast became hard work.

I was concerned at how quickly the weather could change at this pace, and wasn't thrilled to see large grey clouds looming. Sure enough they got us, alternating sideways rain and hail. The hail nipped at my face but my buff did a decent job as a shield.

It was pretty real at this point. We were following a fence line at a little distance to avoid being pushed into the barbed wire. There were occasional flashes of lightning, a little too close for comfort. We wanted off the hilltop urgently, but the stony terrain and gradient wasn't quick.

We arrived at the planned campsite and immediately knew it wouldn't serve. Whistling Trig had a small shelter and a tank and little else. There was nowhere to pitch safe from this weather.

We filtered water to 4L as preparation for a campsite without water and continued to disembark the ridgeline as fast as possible.

It was incredible how quickly it eased once we dropped altitude. We'd walked 30kms, were soaked and were looking opportunistically for any kind of sheltered place to camp when we saw a farmer on the road. He offered to call and see if we could camp in the front yard of his bosses place, a nice flat spot with saltbush for wind cover. Thanks Brad, you did us a huge one.

We were lucky to get a break in the rain while setting up tents, but my troubles weren't over. Exhausted and cold, I managed to spill my just watered dehydrated meal through my tent and spent 30 mins and a weeks worth of toilet paper cleaning it up. I expect to be finding cous cous surprises for a while.

I rolled into the sleeping bag feeling pretty sorry for myself. At 11 I woke with the cold of the ground seeping through my bag. My sleeping mat had a leak! The remainder of my night was a cycle of 3 hour sleep, wake cold and reinflate.

If you're not familiar, sleeping mats are far more important than just comfort. They insulate you from the cold of the ground. Your bodyweight squashes sleeping bag down making it ineffective, so even my glorious minus 15 bag gets cold quickly on the ground in close to zero conditions.

Day 24

I woke feeling pretty rough. It was bitterly cold out and and icy wind blew, I decided I'd wait for some warmth of the sun to get moving given we had a short day.

Packup was straightforward and the light of day showed I'd done a surprisingly decent job of cleaning the cous cous and Mediterranean sauce from my tent and things.

It was a hard days walk. My back hurt, my feet hurt and I was tired from the previous tough day. It was sunny but never warm due to the icy wind.

I met a northbound hiker named Nell who looked cold. We spoke briefly but I didn't want to hold her up and get even colder. I hope she did ok over the ridgeline we crossed the day before.

We decided to try stay in Hallett rather than at the abandoned railway station to recover and repair. We ate at a charming cafe and collectables store and learner that most things are closed on Tuesdays in Hallett. The owner Tristan phoned a friend and said there would be accommodation available when he returned from Clare later that day.

In the meantime I set about repairs. I asked if there was a pool, tub or trough in town but there was none. I asked if I could work on my mat in the store, and with an all clear inflated it and started inspection. It's a painful job and I wasn't getting anywhere when Tristan offered me to use his fountain.

It would've made an unusual sight to see me carefully dunking sections of mat, and Dave said that a concerned citizen came in to make mention of this. It paid off, I found the hole and patched it, as well as a tear in my rain shell from a barbed wire fence pushed over the trail by the wind.

His friend Chris arrived who owns the general store. He opened for us, allowing us to restock and order dinner. He gave us the keys to our room and it turns out we would be sleeping on an old train! And he sold beer!!

In the end I was able to complete my repairs, dry and clean my gear, restock, have a wash, eat a great meal and knock back some beers with Dave while processing the wild day before. It turned out a fine day.

Day 25

This was a day we were both dreading. We were still shy from the battering by the weather 2 days earlier and locals had mentioned that Mt Bryan has broken many a hiker. The story of northbound hiker Stephanie being physically unable to ascend the mountain due to the combination of wind, hail and gradient sat fresh in my mind.

I'd taken to referring to it as Mt Doom.

In the end it wasn't too bad. Other than being icy cold, the weather was kind. The approach from the north was quite reasonable, mostly gradual ridgelines. The descent was rough though, I can see why it can be a trouble for northbound hikers, especially if wet.

The views were great and soon we were back on road. We stopped for lunch at the Mt Bryan School hut, which also serves as the mid point for the trail!

We walked through Caroona Creek Conservation Park for the afternoon. Tourilie Gorge was a major highlight, a creek bed with water shaped slate in soft greys and beautiful bluestone formations.

It was a huge day and we made it to Caroona Creek Shelter to meet Glenn. He was a veteran walker on his second Heysen Trail and great company.

Day 26

The morning was some of the best waking since the Flinders. So many great views and wildlife. I highly recommend Caroona Creek Conservarion Park if you love nature walks, and it's not so far from Adelaide.

I took a significant detour by accident, adding about 3kms to a 32km day, but at least I got some great views for my trouble.

The afternoon had us walking up and down monotone bald hills along a dead straight fence line. It felt like purgatory, every hill crossed presented an identical view and they seemed endless. The only variety was unpleasant - a sheep carcass with the smell of blood heavy in the air, and some hills much stonier than others.

It reminded me of going off the map in a computer game, where the scenery is completely empty and there is nothing but procedurally generated terrain.

Late in the day I did watch 2 eagles sitting on the wind hunting, a real treat.

By contrast the Wandallah Shelter was an oasis. A great site with shelter, platform and toilet, I cooked and ate under the shelter and did some stargazing on the platform with my sleeping bag for warmth.

Day 27

We took a slower start knowing we had a short day into Burra. The trail quickly had us on rolling hills similar to the previous days purgatory which Dave found particularly egregious.

It didn't last too long and we we rolling down a dirt road close to Burra.

We me John, a northbound hiker and stayed for a good chat. We warned him of the hill trials to come and wished him well. He shared some different hardships he'd encountered along the way too, noting we'll have severe climbing in the Myponga Conservation Park heading south.

We made it to Burra for a stay at the absolutely delightful Tivers Row Cottages!

Next entry - Section 5: The In-Between Places