Hiltaba Trip Day 3

Today we walked the David Cleland walking trail. This is the latest of the trails marked across Hiltaba and fairly gentle. They are trying to build us up to the harder walks.

The walking trails are named after the founders fo the Nature Foundation – David Cleland being one of them.

We all walked together to Pretty Point , crossing a number of rocky regions with red Hiltaba Granite boulders and flat rocks. There were also a number of rock pools in the rocks, holding water from the 10.4mm of rain that we had last night.

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At Pretty Point campsite we had our lunch together under the large shelter shed (this has even has a barbecue available) and then some of us drove back to camp, while others walked back. The map below shows the full walk (there and back ) as done by the B walkers.

We had a good view of one wombat, lots of wombat burrows and emus.

Bob gave us a good talk about granite formation about 1.6 billion years ago using his lunch box to demonstrate the erosion.

Those who walked back went via the mini wave rock and the green sentinel rock (that looks like a lady) and got caught in a rain storm.

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They came back via Nugent’s well and windmill. Trevor was in that group. Unfortunately his neuroma on his foot played up terribly and he limped in at the finish in a lot of pain. This resolved overnight.

There was corned beef for dinner followed by brownies for dessert.

Some of the volunteers told us about Hiltaba and the nature foundation. The nature foundation primarily exist to conserve the habitat of SA. They ahve a number of programs to this end – to preserve nedangered species of plant and animal and also places. They own a number of properties, which are managed towards these ends. The foundation was initially founded by a small group and has grown from that. They now own both Hiltaba and Witchelina are open for nature tourism.

The fire was lit in the research room and some of us spent time together there reading and chatting.

Things we saw today:

• Hiltaba Granite
• Wombat
• Flat rock
• Rock pools
• Green sentinel
• Rain