Day 4 Finke River Shelter to Ormiston Gorge 8.9km 5.6 degrees to 26.7 degrees max. Moderate rating
5.30 awoke but got out of bed at 6.30am . I slept a bit better last night with less coughing. Breakfast was porridge with raw sugar and sultanas with apple and 2 cups of tea. By 7.45am we already had a visit by a couple on their way to Rocky Bar campsite. I left at 8.00am for the just over 2 hour and under 3 hour trip. An easy day in kilometres and it sure was in difficulty with rolling hills, great track including rock stairs and good weather.
My right toe was sore in my Crocs and ankle was sore but once in my trail shoes all good.
At 10.30am I hit the lookout hill just before a group of 12 all men and their female guide arrived for morning tea. They had just left Ormiston Gorge.
I arrived at Ormiston Gorge around midday and proceeded to get my food drop box using the key from the storage room next to the Kiosk. Once a cheese and corn thins for lunch and a chocolate drink consumed I left on the Ghost Gum walk, a 2-3km walk. Unfortunately the River levels were up so it was an out and back walk, unless I swam across the freezing river.
After the walk I hang around the Kiosk to charge up my camera batteries and drone batteries which took about 2-3 hours.
After I emptied my backpack my toilet paper and trowel fell out of the side pocket on the outsid eof my pack. Even though I had been putting in my water bottles in that pcket I didnt realise that it was there.
I caught up with a lady from my teaching days at Sanderson High who was a tour guide for one of the tour companies and was waiting for her group to walk in from a 30km trek from Ochre Pits. Wow what an effort, with ages from 20ish to 70 plus.
near the end of the day after dinner at 5.00ish I put my rubbish in the rubbish bag leftin the box from LTTS which I never thought of so good on ya. I also just ran out of gas so good timing to get a new cartridge but also to not use it too much next time.
After sunset I was going for a walk when I came across my first snake on the road betwen the campsite and the closed kiosk. It wouldnt move as well despite trying to coax it with sand and stick, but it eventually got the hint. Not sure what kind it was and didnt want to get near it to identify it. A snake is a snake.
Back to the tent and the very crowded zone for bed and sleep.