Broadview to Woolshed Flat

Another cold morning the mercury bottoming out at -4!!
The convoy from Quorn to Waukerie Creek and then an anxious wait for the bus.

An anxious wait for the bus

Twenty minutes late, the first bus had broken down, and we were all loaded and on our way to Broadview.
Some excitement when the bus stalled on the railway crossing at Quorn and then an interesting three point turn with a pause for the driver to answer his phone, stall the bus again and finally arrive at Broadview.
A very short oration, then off up to join the Trail, followed by an early morning tea, as Karen had misplaced her cameral, and needed to back-track to get it.

Caterpillar with a butterfly!

Then the walk through some truly wonderful creek lines, water flowing and caterpillar crawling!
After a slight navigational mishap, it was up, past Catninga Tank and onto Mount Brown.
Happily, Heather and Brian Daniel were working at the tank and were more than happy to chew the fat as we paused to catch breath.

The climb to Mount Brown was, as usual, quite exhausting, however the rewards are great with all round view and a very welcome lunch.
Then it was all downhill from there, via the well graded National Geographic Trail until we met Waukerie Creek at Olive Grove where a short rest was taken.
We were all pretty tired at that point, yet we had to negotiate the Creek back to our cars.
Long drive home, arriving in the dark.
 

Horrock's Pass to Broadview

We arrived in Quorn just after four on Friday, checked into our B and B and then had a look around town.
Frankly, a ghost town had more happening at that time on Friday. No-one at the pubs and virtually no cars, yet at 6.30PM Emily's was buzzing the E2E 5 arrival all vying for a meal.
Great atmosphere and would ne a great place for our Saturday dinner, if it hadn't been booked out. Them's the breaks.
Saturday morning and Quorn turned on the best winter morning possible, cold, crisp and frosty.

Cold Quorn morning

Then off to Broadview to meet the bus, a new company from Port Augusta, and the trip to Horrock's Pass and the start of the walk.
John Babister excelled on the previous weekend away producing home made Madeleine's and justly received the Heysen Hotshots Award.

Hotshots Award to John.

It was then across  to start the climb up Cudmore Hill and the ridgeline we would follow most of the day.

Looking back to Horrock's down Cudmore Hill

Then followed the usual ups and down of the ridgeline with great views to the east, west, north and south, in fact panoramic view. There are benefits of cold still nights-clear skies and great views.

Lunch was taken on a log, well a bloody big tree really, and it was delightfully warm in the sun.

A sign of the times

 The obligatory lunchtime group photo then off.
There was a dispute as to which side of the fence we should be walking, which lasted most of the afternoon, and was resolved by our arrival at the turn-off to Broadview. One party was clearly WRONG!!
Then the very pleasant walk off the Trail to the cars and Broadview
Dinner at the Austral Hotel, an old favourite of the Friends, and the viewing of the various TRAIN themed costumes.
There are the enthusiasts, the mildly interested and the can't be bothered groups with regards themes. Unfortunately, the can't be bothered's rule in numbers at least.
Thankfully the regulars made up this group with the "Afghan" and the "Engine Driver" being the stand-outs, with some rather esoteric (intended for or likely to be understood by only a small number of people with a specialized knowledge or interest)  "Flying Scotsmen", a man with a regal "train" and a man who had tickets on himself!!
Bed to sleep to dream, as tomorrow is a big day!



Murray Town to Melrose

With rain overnight, hopes weren't that high for a dry day. Poking a nose outside the accommodation confirmed the idea that drizzle was in the air. The clan gathered outside the Northern Star, the site of the previous night's infamy!.
In spite of the overcast day, spirits were high for a good walk, and so the group alighted at Murraytown and after a brief sermon, in which Russell pointed out that next month's theme "Tour de France" could include anything French (but not condoms) we were off.

The green road reserve, out of Murray Town

Some pleasant road reserve walking ensued with the weather remaining clement and some better view of Mount Remarkable were obtained.

Mt Remarkable sans cloud (that's French you know).

In parts, mud was still sticky on the track, and it was good to find some patches of grass in the off the road proper.

John with muddy road.

Finally, we were able to get off the road for a while and cross Yellowman Creek, circuit alongside a rather nice, albeit too short, gorge to emerge onto some fields.
It was then back onto the road to Melrose, with a rapid traverse, a group photo at the BIG tree and then to the cars.

The BIG tree

Everyone seemed in a hurry to be home, though our sights were set on Café de Laura for a pie.
Next month THE MOUNT!!
 

Wirrabara to Murraytown

Second walk of the season for E2E 5, and it starts with a gathering of the clan at the Mt Remarkable Hotel for dinner.
We are scattered all over Melrose and some are even further afield.
The weather does not look good and it rains heavily through the night.
The morning, however, whilst overcast isn't too bad.

The meeting place just out of Murraytown looks rather bogey, the bus slips trying to turn, however manages the task.
A quick trip down to Wirrabara and out to Marner's Road for the oration, delivered in fine style by Russell.

Oration started by...

Russell

 

 



Information imparted and it's off along the reroute necessitated by the closure of the Wirrabara forest due to the recent fires.
As road walking goes it's not too bad, with pleasant outlook across the fields as we motor along at 5.4 kph moving average.
A man in a field gives us an amusing moment as he keeps quite still and has great control over his dog, If only the dogs of RSB were as obedient.

The still man and his dog

We hit Main North Road and take a morning tea, aided by some "sit-downs" provided by Michelle from the support vehicle.
Then off again and we finally come back onto the Trail proper at Wongyarra.
Mount Remarkable looks closer, yet is clouded in mystery, well low cloud anyway.
The mobile maintenance team put a marker back together with some ingenuity, whilst the main mob walk on to a hill-top lunch.
Lunch is cut short by the arrival of the rain and a wet final couple of kilometres takes us back to our cars and thence dry accommodation and preparation for our evening meal.
All dolled up, with the J theme in mind, we gather at the Northern Start Hotel where it's a puzzle just who is what and who is who.
There's a Jigsaw, a couple of geishas, a jester or two, Judge Judy, a jelly fish, a Jamaican and a man in a bra!!
Judge Judy held court, though the session was brief with the man in the bra defending an accusation of impropriety to a favourable outcome.

Laura to Wirraba

An early meeting at the Wirrabara Hotel (closed) then a short trip out to Marner's Road to meet the bus.

Laura main street

RailTrail pooh

After gathering around CJ in the main street of Laura for a group photo, we headed off along the RailTrail that parallels Main North Road, or Horrock's Highway as it has been renamed.
Deemed the dullest part of the reroute so far we eventually deviated to the west to get onto some pleasant back roads.
The country surprisingly lush and the creeks running and puddles to negotiate.
Morning tea saw the group listening to Russell give us some background to CJ Dennis and then came the poetry reading deferred from the previous night.

CJ gets a reading

Russell kicked off to be followed by Peter Wynen, Vicki and Julian, all giving a different slant to CJ's talents.
More roads leading us a rough road reserve, blighted by four motor bike riders and their noisy machines.
Lunch at Charcoal Road and then on to the end back at Marner's Road again.
Another section completed.
 

 

Mount Zion to Laura

The first walk for the new year and we're not even walking on the "true" Heysen Trail!!
A large fire that burnt some 30,000 hectares around the Wirrabara Forest has robbed us of this opportunity, due to closure
of the forest.
E2E 5 is to walk on a new, as in completed 3 days prior, reroute around the "exclusion zone".

Russell give the oration

Vicki presents the Heysen Hotshots Award to Ian for Ned Kelly costume at Gladstone Gaol and changes the rules.
In future the previous month's Hotshot will choose a successor.

Ian takes the award,

It's then off along the back roads for a relatively short day into Laura, home of our theme man, CJ Dennis.
All in all for road walking it's not too bad, green countryside, running creeks and some excellent views over the plains to Laura and Gladstone.
We hit Laura for lunch and the local Café de Laura does a roaring trade in pies, pasties and black coffee.
It's then a free afternoon to do other stuff, or just contemplate our navels until dinner at the North Laura Hotel.
We have a full house at the pub, however not many take the opportunity to dress up to our theme, and one simply didn't get it at all.

Two Doreens, a Sentimental Bloke and a Giant Twin

The pub was too noisy for the anticipated poetry reading however the meals and company were good anyway.