Day 16 – “Stealth” Camp to Stony Creek Camp – 25km

Total Distance – 290.04

A Heysen Trail Story

“The Heysen Trail is just one big hill”

Pierre, Northbound, Day 55

I met someone on the trail! I’d been walking for about 15 minutes, when like a mirage, I saw a person walking towards me in the distance. I felt a bit tongue tied. It had been so long.

Pierre is a sixty something fellow, originally from France, but now living in Coffs Harbour. He showed me his war injuries. An infected leg. A huge graze on his right leg. He’d weathered storm after storm after storm. Literally. And he was loving it.

“I feel like I’m just floating on the air” he told me. I definitely don’t feel like that yet. But I hope to. Wouldn’t that be nice…to transcend the physicality of the walk itself, and just exist in some hardcore bliss. Perfect.

We chatted for about 10 minutes and then said out farewells. Both of us had much to do today. Because this was big hill country. And these were very big hills. But it was a beautiful sunny morning, with a cool, gentle breeze. Couldn’t ask for more with these hill climbs.

It took the full morning, but eventually I reached a road junction. This felt like a major achievement. For a couple of reasons. The first is that in the bus on my way to the start, it had been pointed out to me where the track crossed the road. I was warned that it was very hilly country. I remember looking out the window, wide-eyed with fear and longing, and wondering to myself if I could make it. “I hope I have my hill legs by then” I said to those in the car.

And now today, I was back there. And I made it! I may not have the best hill legs. I’m very, very slow. But domine. I did it anyway. I felt very proud of myself in that moment.

The second reason was that the road felt like the gateway to the next section of the walk. Done was I with the beautiful, rolling green meadows with the spectacular views. It was time to change it up.

First up. “Harry’s Run” adjacent to the main road. It might not have been the most scenic section of the walk to date, but I loved it. No rocks, relatively flat. It felt like a win. Onwards and up a side road until I reached a farm house with a bevy of barking dogs out the front. Up and around the farm and then down a telegraph line track. Easy as you like.

I reached the stony creek track around 2.30pm. It felt sublime coasting along knowing that camp was only a few km away. I came across a camping family with a couple of dogs. These ones weren’t so friendly. But no harm done.

Now I sit on a table writing this. It’s going to be a cold one. The camp is right beside a little creek which still holds water in it. Both sides are dominated by large hills, neither of which lets the sun penetrate.

Oh, and just as I thought my gear was all sorted, my tent pole has suffered another breakage. Exactly the same as last time. The ferrule on one of the lengths must have come unstuck when I was packing up this morning. Luckily, I have the spare temporary fix sleeve! But now I’ll have to have another chat with my MSR buddy about getting ANOTHER piece of pole sent. He should have just sent me a whole new one in the first place. Dealing with him is going to be fun…

And man oh man it’s frustrating! My last MSR Hubba Hubba lasted 10 years without a single issue. What’s going on? Why can’t these products do what they are designed to do? I’ll let you know what the MSR guy says to that question.

For now, I’ve got the temporary fix, so I’m golden. Time to make my dinner in the last of this light. And I’m very, very hungry!