Day 4, Thursday September 15, 2011

Waitpinga was the first campsite with actual rubbish facilities so far and I took great pleasure dumping my rubbish bag and the few pieces I had collected along the trail. Filled up my water from the large masonary water tank and then I was off again a bit after 8am to walk the sandy track out of Waitpinga. It was mostly gently uphill and arrived back at the cliffs via scrubland and erosion reclamation areas in about 3-4km. Awesome views into the sun of King Head and West Island each time the trail re-emerged onto the cliff tops. I had a break at a full size Picnic table installed by the Friends of the Heysen in memory of Peter Hill, a past official in the club and maintainer of this section of the trail.

King Head and West Island from the picnic table

From there the walking was easy and pleasant. Mostly downhill and breaking out of the scrub a few times for magnificent views of the southern ocean rolling onto the dark slabs at the base of the cliffs. The scrubland was replaced by grassy hillsides as the trail approached King Head and King beach where the Heysen Trail leaves the coast and heads inland.

West Island and Cliffs

At this point, I left the Heysen and continued on the coastal track and into Encounter Bay and Victor Harbor stopping at the first restaurant I came across for a feed of fish and chips on the beach washed down by a cold beer! Stayed overnight at the Victor Holiday park where my tent looked quite out of place nestled in between massive caravans and motor homes!

Dinner at the Hotel Victor where they redefine value for money pub meals. The roast of the day, (small) was yummy and more than I could eat and only $14.

Bus home in the morning, thus ending my first Heysen interlude.

Trip Stats:
Day 1: 16.55km, 696m Ascent
Day 2: 19.49km, 801m Ascent
Day 3: 22.21km, 662m Ascent
Day 4: 18.75km, 387m Ascent
Total: 77km, 2546m Ascent