Well, we got a full and proper mountain for the last day – Mt Maria – not too big, not too small, just right. Once again we have a different character altogether. We walked through a graveyard, then had to be careful of the balls on/off the golf course. I was wondering whether Maria wanted some privacy with all this happening.

However she still had all her wares on display. She decked the base with rough barked Peppermint Box Trees, which soon mixed with tall Blue Gums (called Yellow Gums on the east coast). Higher up, the gums continue amongst the rocks with those Weeping Sheoaks. In summer the Wattles come out to bring some welcome colour.

While it was great to find a mountain (in Beautiful Valley) but it was a short journey so it was off to Melrose (also our home for tonight) to climb the substantial foothills of Mount Remarkable. And what a superb day it was, not too cold, not too hot, just right. The foothills were very steep but beautifully wooded with more grass than rocks and it had a sense of mystery, like a fairy land or land of goblins.

Once again there was no-one much on the slopes. It was a camping/caravan sort of place and it was 4.00, when these happy campers go to their homes and prepare for the evening.

We also wanted to taste some other tracks and this was the starting hub for many trails. So I followed the Heysen Trail for a while (Corrie kindly booked in for our last night) until it joined the Mt Remarkable Trail which we had already climbed.

I don’t know much about this but there also exists another trail named after someone famous – Mawson. So I walked on his trail for a short while, less stony than most, to try and get a Mawson feel – but it didn’t happen. Corrie joined me for a while as we shared stories, laughed, gave directions to trail hungry souls and munched on our new found muesli bar.

We’ve loved sharing with all of you and hoped you got some enjoyment from being with us for the month of June.

We walked a little over 600 kilometres which is half the great Heysen Trail of 1200 kms, but of course without the very heavy pack. I probably couldn’t do it without Corrie and enjoy her company and presence more than she imagines.

Until next year when we will once again be somewhere in the world……….walking, we say farewell and trust that life is great like ours

With a huge hug to all of you from both of us, another good thing about technology, it’s covid free.

And lastly I’ll leave you with a two minute sonnet:

We crossed their mighty mountains and their hills

From Adelaide across the mighty Flinders,

Aided and abetted by some pills

We took the opportunity of winders.

We started off with mountains that were Lofty

Our Anstey was a hill of many paths,

Grass trees on Black Hill were not any softy

Twas tough at times though we had many laughs.

Remarkable, but then the Dutchman’s Stern

Ohlssen Bagge a test as was the Devil,

Mt Mary was the toughest we would learn

With most there was relief when on the level.

And characters we met along the way

Enriched us with their stories many a day.