SATURDAY 12 MAY     ARKAROOLA

It was a quiet camp day for John and me. John had done a lot of driving and walking since we had been here so it was time for a little rest. We tended to forget that it was only three months since shingles had really knocked him about and deprived him of any energy, for ages.

I now had a sore knee. Suspected it was from trying to favour the ankle with the sore Achilles, when walking.

It was a rather cool day, but with blue sky. Later in the day there were some interesting cumulus clouds building up.

M – ever energetic – was feeling like doing more walking. She decided to tackle the 15km Oppaminda-Nudlamutana Walk, which she thought looked interesting. It was not one that interested me, though, because the route went up and over Mt Warren Hastings – 590 metres asl. I try to avoid walks that go up and over mountains! Even up and over steep hills…..

The trail could be picked up from the campground, so she set off at 9am. She reported there were great views from the top of Mt Warren Hastings! Then the route passed Nudlamutana Hut, before arriving at the Balcanoona road, about 9kms south of the Resort.

As we’d arranged, at 12.30 I drove out the Balcanoona road, to where the end of the walk track met that road. I was expecting to have to wait for a while for M, and had taken a book to read. But she trudged up to Truck at 12.45pm. That woman can walk! She had done the walk in very good time, but was stuffed!

We all lazed about camp for the rest of the day.

The Road Conditions notice board on the way out of Arkaroola Village said that the Strzelecki Track was closed. Some of those dark clouds we had been seeing to the north must have dropped a heap of rain on it. From Balcanoona it was possible to get to the Strzelecki Track on a back route that went through stations like Moolawatana and met it near Mt Hopeless. On one of our school holiday trips in the early 90’s, we’d come that way after a camping trip to Innamincka, and found it quite a straight forward and pleasant drive.

Through today, there was more cloud building up in the distance.