Total Distance – 749.8km
A Heysen Trail Story
Walking on a dream
How can I explain
Talking to myself
Will I see again?
We are always running for the thrill of it, thrill of it
Always pushing up the hill, searching for the thrill of it
On and on and on we’re calling out, out again
Never looking down, I’m just in awe of what’s in front of me
Walking on a Dream, Empire of the Sun
I felt really inspired this morning. I had my music on for the first time in a long time. The sun was shining for the first time in days. I was walking along a ridgetop with inspiring views on either side. Like a solar charged battery I felt myself getting stronger and stronger. I sang out loud and felt invincible and free.
And in this moment I wanted to test myself. See how far I had come. What I could do. I decided that if I reached the next campgound, in around 22 kilometres time, and I was feeling good, I would continue on to Kapunda. A long day, but doable. I picked up my pace and set off.
I made the decision that I was just going to go for it not long afterwards. I just felt so damn good. Floating, as Pierre would say. And there would be some great rewards. My tent was absolutely saturated from the dewy morning. I could set up at the caravan park, grab a hot shower and a feed, dry my tent out in the morning while cafe dining, wash my clothes, and then walk the kilometer to get to my pub hotel room for the evening. Decision made.
And so I went for it. To be fair, it was a good day for going such a distance. Not fantastic scenery and relatively flat. It was easy to fang it. I got to the campground by 1pm and was happy with my decision. Whilst it was lovely and treed, the whole site was on a rather steep slope. Time to keep on keeping on.
In the end I completed the almost 37km fairly easily. I arrived at the campground by 4pm. A slight hobble, but pretty much no worse for wear than any other day. And a steamy hot shower definitely made it all worth it. Pizza at the pub and a great sleep on a flat campsite the icing on the cake.
And today? I feel absolutely fine. Which I am rather shocked about. It’s like I’ve become a bit of a superhuman. Just through walking. It’s bizzare and brilliant. How I wish I could always feel like this. A goal to aspire to I suppose.
In the meantime, I’ll just keep enjoying this amazing experience and being grateful for all it is doing for me.
I love the thought of you striding on top of those ridges, singing away in sheer enjoyment of the moment!
The old shoe looks too good! You must not have fanged it enough!🤣😂🤣 and I am glad you enjoyed your pizza 🍕🍕🍕. xxxxx
I hope you know the old song “I love to go AWandering, along a mountain track”, Mel. I feel that it is the very thing to belt out as you float along on a high!