The breakfast call came at 6:55am although Dave and I were already awake and had rolled out of our swags. I brushed the sand off and walked the few steps to the tent to remove my thermals and dress more appropriately for the day ahead. We were soon sipping tea and munching on toast by the fire pit. The reluctance I had shown last evening, when Dave suggested sleeping under the stars, was unfounded. It was, as Bill and Ted would say, truly excellent.
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| Finke River campground. |
Today was another walk of around 15km but it was relatively easy to ensure we were all fit and able to tackle Mt Sonder the next day. We began at the Finke River. There were a number of campsites set up with everything from tents to caravans. The road in was a maze of tracks that had been carved out to avoid boggy sections or deep sand drifts. There were no signs, so to find the camping area first time would be a process of trial and error unless you were a regular visitor.
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| There was no shortage of water. |
Our first stop today involved tracking another resident Western Bowerbird. The bower was a reasonable size and was discovered quickly. Declan knew where it was from previous trips.
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| A well used bower. |
We made our own pace once again today and I was becoming more adept at using the walking poles. As a trade-off I handed the camera to Dave so I could focus on walking. I need to be comfortable using the poles before attempting the climb up Mt Sonder tomorrow, in the pre-dawn dark.
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| Mt Sonder. |
The trail was undulating of course, but there were no major climbs involved. The area was far more open than yesterday and the colours were as stunning as they have been everywhere else. The backdrop to this walk was Mt Sonder, majestic in the distance in the washed-out colours that Namatjira has perfectly captured in his paintings. Aside form the white-out climb to Counts Point, Mt Sonder has been visible at some point everyday.
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| A controlled burn in the distance. |
Being able to choose your own walking pace is a real bonus. It allowed those with a long stride to disappear over the horizon. Those who were not so fast, did not feel pressured to keep up. It also promoted a quiet time for reflecting on the landscape that surrounded us. Before the final trek into Ormiston Gorge, we gathered together in the sandy river bed and rested in the winter sunshine. It was delightfully pleasant laying on the sand listening to the sounds of nature and distant chatter of other members of the group.
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| It was surprisingly green. |
Muscles refreshed, we returned to the trail and Ormiston Creek where Jonny had set up lunch and was waiting for us. The braver souls of our group went swimming in the extremely cold water. I didn’t feel the need. It was a most relaxing day and we covered the distance efficiently and had time to rest at the gorge.
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| A comfortable place to rest. |
We were back at camp early to attend a briefing on tomorrow’s trek: the pre-dawn ascent of Mt Sonder. Our wake-up call would be at 2am. Declan had sketched out the walk on pieces of cardboard and walked us through what to expect as far as terrain and weather conditions. It was recommended we carry a sleeping bag to ward off the pre-dawn cold and the usual 3 litres of water and extra snacks.
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| Declan in the classroom. |
Dave and I re-organised our day packs, complete with a sleeping bag to share. We were advised to sleep in as much of our walking gear as possible. Our thermals kept us very warm around the fire that night as we enjoyed our afternoon tea of damper and an early dinner of risotto.
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| The swimming hole at the gorge. |
There was no loitering around the fire tonight. The early dinner ensured everyone was tucked into their swags by 7pm. A good night's sleep was important for the focus walk of the entire trip. Tomorrow promised to be one of those moments.
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| Lunch. |
Everyone has enjoyed the trek but as the Bachman Turner Overdrive song goes, "you ain't seen nothin' yet". The climb up Mt Sonder in the morning promises to be something special.
Until then.
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