Belair to Brownhill

The hiking boots were dragged on yesterday for yet another walk along the Yurrebilla trail, this time to find the connecting path between Belair and Brownhill Creek.

Got up to Belair train station at about 7:45am and entered Belair National Park through a gateway that looked like a relic from the past. Some creatures (human variety) had pulled off all the Yurrebilla arrows off the posts so every time I came to a post (every 500m) I had to guess (from memory, as I'd forgotten a map) which way to head next. It was like an easter egg hunt, or orienteering for the terminal weekender. A few wrong turns, including walking all the way to the end of the National Park and then heading back, I found the trail again and make the connection.

Some highlights were:

Echo Tunnel - pitch black in the middle, was like something from a novel

Lower Waterfall - would have been awesome if there was some water in it, good view

Winding path into Brownhill - it was like walking down those platforms from Donkey Kong

All up I walked (inc. wrong direction) about 24kms, on par for what I'll need to do for the Camino de Santiago in Spain. Ate 2 metwurst/tomato sandwiches, 4 apples, 2 muesli bars and 2.2lt of water. It started to rain too so I was able to sample a bit of the spirit soaring nature connection there.

Will look at other bits of the Yurrebilla Trail bit by bit before planning to do it all in 2 days. Go those sore legs and butt cheeks!

Oh, and my car got broken into while it was sitting there at the Belair Railway Station. The Red Slut violated again! Little thieving bastards. I had to laugh though... only got my street directoy, a little torch and heaps of coins covered in sticky Coke. Haha. Suffer you little street urchins!

Australia Day

Happy Australia Day.

I'm breaking out the chops and sausages today for a nice traditional feast. It's tempting to be a cynic on a day like this, make jokes of stereotypes and make fun of how fundamentally Australian it is to cling to the bygone eras of yesteryear. To poke a stick at the Great Australian Sport Machine, or petrol head f-wits. But it's really not all like that when you get past what the media are drumming into us what we should be. In the age of dying nation states, it's kinda nice to still have something in common with people.

Although not to this degree: race riots. Damn idiots, on both sides. New immigrants or first generation Australians going nuts and burning flags, proclaiming national pride from somewhere else yet reaping the benefits of being an (passport) Aussie. Then the equally as dim-witted white Australians (including those who are only 3rd gen) who are forcing people to have the same views as them. And this is why we've had our flag banned at some events, including the Big Day Out in Sydney.

Must say though, great day to see us whoop some arse in sport, eat meat and have a bit of pride.

Adelaide hiking begins

Well I've been on 2 successful trips up to the hills now, both shared with Kath as we explore the tracks trying to work out what's what. Last weekend was threatening rain so that was an experience. Any second we were expecting (and hoping - as practice!) to be totally rained down on. The week before that was above 30deg so we were glad we had an early start.

We've been going from Brownhill Caravan Park up Brown Hill, across to the direction of Waite Campus and then along NE following the Yurrebilla Trail. The first bit is a killer, as only 2 mins from the car we're instantly on the steepest gradient of the whole trail. Last week was a bit slippery as you may be able to see from this photo of Kath. There was a lot of stop-start uphill work but you're rewarded instantly with an early morning view of Adelaide city and surrounds. Makes it worthwhile getting started at 7am. I would suggest getting up early anyway. It's cooler, you're body isn't awake enough to resist and once you're done by about lunch you have the whole day ahead of you.

Brown Hill is old grazing land, as you can tell by the sparse hill top. It is an area of quarries too, and some land is now fenced off as private land "no trespassers" etc. Trails lead through to Mt Lofty, Waite Conservation Park and the Yurrebilla Trail. Other than the steep incline near the caravan park the rest is quite mild. We made good time cruising along the trail, especially the second time around when we knew where we were going.

Even in the short amount of time we were gone (4hrs) we managed to down almost 2 litres of water each plus sandwiches and apples. We covered about 14km of up and down terrain with some breaks for the view. One morning there were even some fitness psychos in lycra running up to the top - incredible.

Hopefully each trip will get longer and it's a great way to build up endurance. It's a far cry from my panting up Mount Parker. Hehe.

Women wee standing up

Is there nothing the modern woman cannot do?

Cool. Can have a 'sword fight' with your girlfriend... haha. Check out this from Whizbiz.

'March of the Penguins'

Review

March of the Penguins
DVD (2005)

This documentary was so well done. I couldn't believe it wasn't CGI is so many bits, and the patience and endurance of even the cameramen should be applauded!

Nature is so harsh and the more it is the more strikingly beautiful it becomes also. It reminded me that the planet is still a place where we don't always dictate the terms, and I'm really very thankful that we don't need anything in those remote parts of Antarctica (not yet anyway) so we just let it be. Watching this reminded me that nature has no welfare system, the rules are dealt with uncompromising force, yet the rewards are monumental.

I was yelling at the screen telling the father penguin to keep their egg on his feet and under his belly fur while the mother was off getting fish. I laughed when I saw the new families playing after the ravages of yet another winter storm. I was relieved to see that us human Borgs hadn't yet overtaken the planet.

It reminded me to that we should weather the storm, rejoice in our triumphs and enjoy life while we have it. An excellent watch.