Day 46 – Rocky Paddock Campground to Scotts Shelter

Sometimes a happy surprise is enough to get you through the day... just.

After leaving a relatively smooth Barossa Valley on Day 44, I knew I was in for some bumps. The undulating Adelaide Hills would begin on Day 46 and promptly introduce endless slopes and towering pine plantations. Thankfully, I was prepared; though, I couldn’t anticipate the stunning scenery scattered throughout Warren Conservation Park. This patch of remarkably diverse scrubland fueled my trek right up until my tired bones crumpled in a heap at Scotts Shelter.

Heysen Trail Diary – Day 46

 
I left the Rocky Paddock Campground with a surprising amount of enthusiasm, especially considering the extra kilometres I’d endured on Day 45. I used this early momentum to make a headstart on the crowds and clamber up the Tower Hill Track toward Warren Tower and the Warren Conservation Park entrance.

Warren Conservation Park contains 75 different bird species, including the uncommon Brown Treecreeper, Black-chinned Honeyeater, Buff-rumped Thornbill, White-winged Chough and Yellow-rumped Thornbill.
birdssa.asn.au

I knew little about the 363-hectare reserve when I arrived at its north-eastern gates. In fact, heading into the Heysen Trail, I barely knew it existed. Nevertheless, this secluded section of outer-suburban bushland left a lasting impression. After spending the previous two days walking amongst regimentally-planted pines, it felt refreshing to get back into the disorganised wild, if only for a few hours.

Warren Tower oversees much of the surrounding region.

Vibrant stretches of spring-induced banksias, wattles, orchids and other varieties of native blooms lined the winding track as the route took in soaring ridge-high views and delicate valley-floor detail. Diversity in abundance, from top to bottom.

I would have loved to stop and savour the panoramic park all day, except, for the first time in weeks, my energy levels were hopelessly debilitated. My mornings’ motivation had all but evaporated and I couldn’t remain focused. Typically, periodic punches of hiking adrenaline, coupled with my carbohydrate-packed porridge, were enough to see me through each day. However, I had begun to suffer the lingering effects of the unrelenting journey and my body yearned for a long slumberous break.

Colour aplenty on the conservation park floor.

I could feel my drowsy eyes rolling back in my skull just as I reached Scotts Shelter. I groggily unpacked my belongings, inflated my sleeping mat, sprawled out on the hut’s wooden bunk and thusly collapsed, stamina drained.

When I awoke, an hour or so later, the sun was still radiating through the campsite’s crop of colossal conifers. I sluggishly hauled myself from the shelter and admired the imposing plantation while rehydrating an early dinner.

For the first time on the trail, exhaustion had almost got the better of me. I’d have to start taking extra care of my body, especially before my date with the Adelaide Hills’ uninterrupted slopes on Day 47.

All the details.