It rained overnight, so awakening to a STILL Burra morning was rather a surprise.
The mob duly assembled at the Spading toilets, for the short drive to the bus meeting point.
Remarkably, it remained fine and Russell was able to offer the morning prayer, without us all reaching for our rain-jackets.
It was then onto a short road walk, over the Morgan to Whyalla pipeline and onto the Bundaleer Channels, which we followed most of the day.
This remarkable engineering project, to divert water into the Bundaleer reservoir was started in 1898 and took 8 years to complete. The channels drop about 1 metre every kilometre so it was downhill all the way, apart from some very brief uphills.
We had morning tea at the site of the great sink-hole that almost bought Christine, a German walker, unstuck, when she fell though the track at the start of the Oban aqueduct, 5 metres into the creek below!!
The crops were certainly enjoying the recent rainfall, as were the recent plantings by the Friends Greening group.
Over 1000 trees planted!! What a great effort, and according to our resident "planter" Dominic, most were doing very well.
For some veteran walkers this was the first time we had walked the new Spalding reroute that took the Trail into Spalding, and consequently lunch was taken early at the famous Spalding toilets (well park really).
This was also the opportunity to get some fresh coffee from the local café before heading off once more to rejoin the channels near Freshwater Weir.
More gentle downhill, with some being attacked by a rather irate magpie, and finding a fawn quietly resting in the grass.
Finally, back on the road for the last couple of kilometres to the cars, a 25 km marathon with feet sorer than usual.
The mob duly assembled at the Spading toilets, for the short drive to the bus meeting point.
Remarkably, it remained fine and Russell was able to offer the morning prayer, without us all reaching for our rain-jackets.
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| The morning sermon with Father Russell
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This remarkable engineering project, to divert water into the Bundaleer reservoir was started in 1898 and took 8 years to complete. The channels drop about 1 metre every kilometre so it was downhill all the way, apart from some very brief uphills.
We had morning tea at the site of the great sink-hole that almost bought Christine, a German walker, unstuck, when she fell though the track at the start of the Oban aqueduct, 5 metres into the creek below!!
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| Site of the great sink-hole |
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| Greening in action |
For some veteran walkers this was the first time we had walked the new Spalding reroute that took the Trail into Spalding, and consequently lunch was taken early at the famous Spalding toilets (well park really).
This was also the opportunity to get some fresh coffee from the local café before heading off once more to rejoin the channels near Freshwater Weir.
More gentle downhill, with some being attacked by a rather irate magpie, and finding a fawn quietly resting in the grass.
 |
| Who said fawn was a dated colour?
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