We met them by the pond while talking to a tree. We looked up at the tree and saw a tiny bird that she was conversing with. We chatted a little and then decided to move on with our chat. 

They were walkers, he a cyclist as well, and they live in Rozelle, next to Balmain. So we chatted about these and other things. We talked of getting together to talk of more stories and suggested a meet up after our walks.

We left them at an old building called ‘The Farmhouse’ and took the next turn to Bridal Gap. It was a flat surface up until the surrounding hills with blackened tea trees dotting the landscape. This then melded in with a dotted landscape of blackened native pines where families of kangaroos grazed peacefully tens of metres away; a black nanny and her baby chewed what was left of the grass; as these multi coloured green parrots jumped about eating what they eat.

The mist was closing in on the mountain saddle we were heading for, as yet another very rocky path challenged us on our last few kilometres. Up into the foothills slowly we hiked as the rain became heavier and we had to be more careful where we placed our poles and pieds. On arrival at our high viewing point it was mostly mist but if I waited a little it would momentarily lift.

On our way back down we re-met our friends, and then two huge packs arrived with a man in front of each one. This was nearly as exciting as seeing your first koala in the wild. They were the first hikers we had seen on the Heysen Trail and as the packs suggest they carry everything with them. One was an engineer who will spend three months walking the 1200 kms trail, while his companion was a geologist, so unlike us, he liked stones especially those very old ones.

Soon, it was back home for us, our backs still aching but much improved from two days prior.