2021 April – Seaford to Myponga

Day 4: We had a short way to travel across Adelaide before we could resume our Camino. Only 2km from North Adelaide to the beautiful Adelaide Railway Station, and then of course the 45 minute train trip to Seaford. As we strolled down the hill to the station we debated what it would cost. I guessed about $15 maybe. So it was a wonderful surprise to discover that on a Public Holiday it is a flat rate of $3.80 for a two-hour ticket no matter now near or far you travel. And if you are the proud recipient of a Seniors Card you get the trip for FREE! Well done Debs!

It has been a while since I have travelled by train and I always love it. Despite many stops the journey was smooth and relaxing. It was interesting to race past the territory that we had painstakingly covered in the previous days. The back blocks, and industrial wastelands, and possibly my glasses.

Arriving at Seaford, we were happy to be heading in the right direction. We walked straight from the station to the coast and were again amazed at how each part of the coast has a different look and feel. The Esplanade we had been following intermittently for the past days petered out and was replaced with coastal tracks that took us past Moana Beach. Here the terrain was drier and rockier with shallow reefs stretching out into the water.

We took the ‘goat track’ that straddled the line between the rocks and the hill until we got to Ochre Point, where the path rose up onto the limestone cliffs. It was dry and dusty and signs constantly reminded us to stay behind the fence and avoid the sink holes. It was disconcerting, but not surprising, to see overseas tourists stepping outside the safe zone and to the edge of the cliffs to get a better photo.

The temperature was a pleasant 27C and the sky a vibrant blue and we headed steadily towards Maslin Beach. Despite it’s reputation we did not see any ‘nuddy bums’, to quote a boy at the playground, and therefore were under no pressure to strip off and jump in! It seems to be quite a family friendly place.

We stopped at the Maslin Beach playground to air our feet and refuel for half an hour or so. We had decided over the previous days that frequent sock changes is the key to happy feet and were making an effort to stick to our resolution.

Although we had skipped over 10km of the coastal route by alighting the train at Seaford instead of Christies Beach, we were one day behind on our itinerary and needed to cheat somewhere. We had to keep up the pace if we were to make it to Myponga by 5pm when our pre-booked accommodation was expecting us. We also had to make sure that we could purchase some supplies as Heysen’s Rest is a bit off the beaten track and we needed ingredients for dinner. We approached an older couple enjoying their fish and chips to find out if there was a corner store between here and Sellicks Beach, which was the end of the road. Uncertain if there was anything further along our router, they offered to drive us inland to the shopping centre if we were prepared to walk back. While we seriously considered this offer, despite our now well-founded fear of detours, we took up their other suggestion to make some calls to Sellicks Beach to see what could be had.

While Aldinga Beach looked much the same as the beaches further up the track I was impressed by its uniquely Australia flavour. It was clear that everyone found it much easier to just park on the beach, and obviously the council were happy with that! Everyone was laid out in two neat rows, and I decided that whether you were first or second sitting was probably determined by the tide level when you arrived. It was still going out as we walked between them. Having taken the Delica onto many beaches over the years, I fully support not having to lug food, drinks and sporting gear over runny sand-dunes.

As we discovered on previous days, the South Australian folk are a friendly bunch. We had chatted to a young woman walking her dog on the cliff tops before Maslin Beach and bumped into here several times over the afternoon as she made her way to Sellicks Beach to catch up with friends for the evening.

At 3:30pm we arrived at Sellick’s Beach to purchase dinner supplies, but were still a 2 hour walk from our destination. And so we were delighted to hear calls of “You Made It” from across the road. Our fellow walker, Erin, as we were to later learn, had arrived a few minutes before us and was off up the hill to attend a friends’ Cellar Door opening. It was directly in our path and she invited us to join her with the added bonus of seeing if she could secure us a lift.

The company wonderful, the wine lovely. Not only did we enjoy a glass in situ, but also a bottle to take with us to Myponga, which raises the question of how to get there. It was now 5pm and we needed to get moving. True to her word Erin had arranged for one of her friends to drop us at Heysen’s Rest, but imagine our delight at being transported in Volkswagen’s latest kitted and fitted van. Pop up roof, fridge, seat-fold bed, and still a five-seater. Wonderful! Dane gave us a quick show and tell before heading back. It makes my recent improvements to the Delica look a bit sad.

And so, at last, our day on the road comes to a close. A bottle of wine, exotic nibbles (prosciutto and melon) and the wonderful freedom of being the only people in the bushland area. We each had a single cabin, but of the four only ours were occupied. After 25km walking we were tired and in need of sleep. Just us, and the screechy things in the night.