16 September – Point Pass to Eudunda 15 km
Overnight rain on the tin roof was a welcome sound. More welcome was the dawning of a clear, sunny day, our first for a few days. Breakfast was light because I was still digesting last nights excellent meal from the pub. Quick pack up, then we turned off the power, crossed the oval, hopped the fence and were back on the spur trail. The spur trail wound through a farm uphill to the top of the Bluff Range again, then continued south along a road which had been planted along its edges with attractive mallee trees. These were in contrast to the hills which have been cleared of almost all vegetation.
At the end of Scenic Road the trail took us through a small forested area before emerging into wheat fields and sheep paddocks across the undulating hills. To the east were good views of the rolling green bald hills in the morning light. All around were kangaroos, wombat holes and rabbits and even the odd fox.
We came to the rail corridor from Eudunda to Hampden. This railway is no longer used but the corridor carries LFT hikers for the final 3.5km into Eudunda. Walking through the streets of Eudunda we admired many of the old houses and decided that garden ornaments are popular here. The best was a full size concrete lion lying on a bed of river rocks with a thatched canopy overhead to keep him cool, but there were many others.
Almost the first business we saw in Eudunda was the bakery. Bakeries are our favourite places when we get to a town but we didn’t know if this one would be open on a Sunday afternoon. Like many other businesses, the bakers names are German and the street names and War Memorial Honour Roll also reflect a heavy German presence from the early days of settlement.
At the Point Pass Hotel, Mark had recommended to us to stay at the Eudunda Hotel Motel. Walking into the bar on this cold day, we headed for the fire and the publican earned our everlasting gratitude by presenting us with a glass of his own concoction of port, whisky and brandy – thanks Kieran! The motels laundry was opened to us and we washed clothing and bodies; sorely needed both of them! The motel was comfortable and the meals at the pub were great so we settled in for a couple of nights to lick our wounds, resupply for the 3 day run to Truro and give the bakery a workover.