KALGOORLIE TO BONDI ROCK
September 26th, 2011
Hi I'm June from Brisbane and I have just joined the Walk in Kalgoorlie after attending the ANFA meeting in Alice Springs. I had 2 days to get to know people before walking out of Kalgoorlie on Monday morning. It felt wonderful to claim the road through Kalgoorlie with 50 walkers, flags flying and chanting " Wanti uranium leave it in the ground,"
One hour out, the Perth bus met us and we had to say farewell to 20 people as they returned home, some who had come for 4 days to support us and have a short experience and others who sadly had to return after walking many kilometres.
As the day grew warmer and clothes were shed, I gradually got into the rhythm and began enjoying the wonderful landscape that was continually changing. It was so great to have so many children walking, running, siting in bike trailers and riding bikes. Interacting with each other and with any adult that was nearby.
As we were now on the main highway there were lots of semi trailers, cars, truck and caravans to contend with. Some very friendly slowing down, waving and sounding horns, and others staring stony faced ahead and others speeding past as though we weren't there.
Monday night we bush camped, the night was clear the stars so bright, food warm and satisfying, then the sunset and the cold night set in. I was one of the first to climb into my nice warm sleeping bag.
Tuesday started out very early, (6am wake up call) the morning was cold but it soon warmed up as we strode out along the road. I was amazed at how fast the group walked; up to 7Klms between breaks, this with many children and one mother carry a small baby.
Today we are walking into Coolgardie (21klms) and people were excited to hear we would be staying in the Recreation Centre where we would have use of the kitchen AND hot showers, what a treat. Some people went to the swimming centre in Kalgoorlie and were privileged to have a warm shower, but for others I believe it had been camp showers since Wiluna.
Malcolm the Shire President came to welcome us saying it was so good to see the new centre being used. He stayed and talked with people about Coolgardie and shared a meal with us.
Next morning we learned that a number of walkers had an unexpected "shower" the automatic watering system came on at 3am, sending sleepy people scattering for cover.
We had a very long walk today, 26 klms, but the scenery was out of this world, the wild flowers were in abundance, I had always wanted to be in WA in spring for the wild flowers and here I was. Grevilleas stood out because they were taller, pink, yellow orange red. Everyone had their cameras out, stopping continually to take photos. We agreed that there would have been more than 50 varieties, so many different shades of blue, purple, yellow white cream pink, ones that seemed the same until closer inspection showed a different coloured stem or a softer leaf, a larger petal or prickly stem.
That evening just as we were finishing a once again delicious meal a wild windstorm blew up having everyone rushing to secure their belongings and put fly's on their tents. It also turned really cold so it was early to bed again (for me anyway)
Today, after an early (again) start we said goodbye to Karen as she headed back to Perth. It was a small group for this 21klms walk, 9 adults, 5 children and a baby. Some people have been unlucky enough to not feel well, nothing serious, just enough to need to rest.
The wind was very strong (from the west) and cold and made the mornings walk hard going, but we still made good time, walking into camp just after 2.30pm.
As some of the days run into each other, I forget sometimes what happened when (I allow myself this little habit) but the cooks have outdone themselves when it comes to camp cooking, we have had apple crumble, sweet damper with apple sauce, delicious innovative cakes using left over porridge and cooked in the coals.
Last night at our bush camp we were rudely awoken at 9.30pm by very loud and very bad drumming. Some of us thought it might have been a walker, but others realised it was coming from a van parked on the road not far away. After 30 minutes the drummer must have got bored as no one confronted him, so he drove away.
Today's (Saturday) walk was another long stretch 26klms with a wind from the west again, but nonetheless very peaceful and beautiful, children running along the pipeline (water from Perth) having a wonderful time. Arriving at camp after 5pm a superb place with two dams and shade trees, I was so happy it was a rest day the next day, as after 6 days straight I was exhausted. Not too exhausted to welcome Jon from US, it was so good to see him, we had walked together in 2008 and 09.
To make a donation to the "Walk away from Uranium Mining"
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