The first weekend away Kapunda to Peter's Hill Day 1

A new phase of E2E5 started this weekend with walking two days in a row AND our first weekend away.
Kapunda was our base and a number of walkers arrived on Friday afternoon, to get around the Saturday morning rush.
The more intrepid camped at the Kapunda Caravan Park, whilst others braved the cabins and a very noisy party adjacent, eliciting terse text messages to the caravan park management at midnight.

Russell gives the words of the day

The gathering point quickly filled with cars, the bus however beat us all there. There were the last minute directions over the phone  for some who had failed to update their ICN systems (that failed to recognise the new Northern Expressway). and we were off, back to Kapunda with 37 walkers.

Back in Kapunda and debussed, Russell gave the walk briefing of the day and Vicki after some deliberation presented the Heysen Hotshots to me, for my attack of German Measles the previous walk. She does make special mention of Peter Clark for providing the group with Bee-sting  for morning tea and Dana Florea for the six pack of German beer she carried until lunch then shared with us all. Much worthier recipients really.

Then it was off, out of Kapunda, over a fine stone bridge that spans Ross Creek, along back roads for quite some way until at last hitting a road reserve and some off-road walking.

We paused briefly near a ruin and bee-hives where quite a number of the girls made a dash for cover for a comfort stop, prior to us breaking out onto back roads again.

Some interesting back roads, Vogt Road, Holthouse Road, Black Joes Road then Bridges Road until we hit some more pleasant road reserve and finally rested for lunch on Lights Hummocks.
The bag of jelly snakes had been left back in the car, however I was able to sub with jelly mini-dinosaurs distributed with a blessing from the "Rose".

  

From there, a quick walk along more back roads, through lush fields, past inquisitive cows with gender disorder and back to the cars.
A quick drink at the musically orientated Wheatsheaf Hotel at Allendale North and then a scramble for the showers and happy hour at Cabin 11, no 12, Vicki was confused.
Happy hour brings out the extroverts and show offs and this evening was no exception.

The hippest of the hip!!

Unfortunately, I must confess, being somewhat subdued in my attire, being over-shadowed by Peter Wynen with his hair out (a sight not very often seen) and a variety of "Flower Power" outfits including some rather hip hippies.
Dinner at the Sir John Franklin followed with a repast of varying quality, certainly not up to the standard of many of the community organisations, who have fed us on previous End to Ends.
With daylight saving causing a loss of an hour's sleep and an early start, there was a hasty retreat back to camp and bed, however not all succumbed to the sack, and went on to have post prandial coffee, chocolates and port.

Tanunda to Kapunda

A great day greeted us at Kapunda, with clear skies and a wind that wasn't too cold.

The troops gather

The German theme was evident in some, German WW1 coal scuttle helmets and rather esoteric in others, a man with red spots on his arms and face. We had Gretchen, a hamburger, a Porschota and some German bells that soon drove most of us mad (and were silenced).
A quick trip across the Barossa to the start point at Smyth Road, where the group had finished the previous month.
Quickly, the Heysen HotShot was announced, a close tussle between one who forgot the Roses chocolates and the one who actually brought them, Carol Homewood, who became the winner.

Carol parades her trophy.
 

Then the briefing form Russell, which was true to form brief and we were off.
The walk covers lots of back roads and road reserves and could not truly be called bush walking, and so it was.
Liebig Road, then Roennfeldt Road, and it was here we stopped for morning tea, opposite a wine barrel store.

Morning tea

Peter, the providore, miraculously presented the party a variety of fresh German cakes for our prediction. And mightily enjoyed they were.
From morning tea it was all downhill to the new works around the Sturt Highway, through the underpass, with its odd footpath, that Vicki managed to negotiate and on to Greenock where the leader made the mistake of announcing the presence of a toilet. This led to most of the female members of the party vanishing and staying vanished for quite some time. Some even disappeared into the pub!
Finally, all corralled and we were off, along more of the road reserves, this time north of Greenock.
Finally, we managed to get onto a road reserve that almost looked like a walking track, until this popped us out beside a vineyard.
There was some confusion amongst the leaders as the Trail markers seemed to disappear, and in true fashion, they announced lunch to avoid having to deal with the problem!



Lunch proved just how resourceful people can be, when Dana produced from a six pack of German bear, cold, and proceeded to deliver some to all the fathers on the walk. Even some non-fathers were able to participate.
Trail found it was off to finish the walk, with more road reserves, some crop dodging and walking past the highest trail marker on the entire Trail (tall enough to reach above crops).
Our reward a Golden North delivered by our support drive, Michelle Foster and then back on the Trail skirting some pretty impressive erosion gullies until we re-joined those damn road reserves, however these were special.
Why? Well the planting along them are part of the original Friends Greening group efforts of about 20 years ago and it was delightful to walk down an avenue of trees  many 6-10 metres high. Just shows what can be done with a little effort.
Then into Kapunda, past the rifle range, the old Kapunda mine and back to the cars.
How far? 26.6 km over 6 hours and 30 mins.
This link leads you to my photos of the day.
I can certainly add a link to your, just let me know.
 https://picasaweb.google.com/115827045141699129695/TanundaToKapunda?authuser=0&feat=directlink