Day 45 – Tanunda to Rossiters Hut – 14km

Total Distance – 792.1km

A Heysen Trail Story

“And in, what I assume is not a first for this family…I’ve just had two desserts! 😊😊”

Text to my support crew

Well. I didn’t end up joining anything last night. In fact, it was a struggle just to roll back to the hotel room after the gigantic meal I had! What a meal it was though. The restaurant, 1918, was set in an old house, and I was placed right next to a roaring fire. All of my courses, entree, main and two desserts, were absolutely delicious. It was such a nice night out, and felt rather well deserved.

So, in the grip of a food coma, I heard nothing of the revelry downstairs and drifted off into a blissful sleep.

In the morning, more food. A cafe for breakfast. The weather changes from lovely, warm sunshine to pelting down rain. The run of warmth is over.

It’s a short and lovely walk to Rossiter’s Hut. This is especially true of the second half, through the Kaiserstuhl Conservation Reserve. The track here was lined with stringybarks, colourful wattles and fuscias and large granitic boulders. It was lovely being back on a forested track after days of pastures and roads.

I arrived at the small hut around 11.30 and barely had time to open the door before a blast of rain and hail bucketed down. A good time for a hot mocha.

Before long a knock on the door and there stood a bedraggled looking Cath and Greg. They had walked through the worst of the storm and were keen to get inside. It was great to catch up with them again after a few days.

I’ve been in my tent all afternoon trying to warm up. Again the temperature has halved in one day. But to be warm and dry, tucked up in my sleeping bag and enjoying my book….you can’t ask for more than that. Very lucky.