Arkaroola

[ZenGum]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

River? Not potable? The first picture looks like ankle twisting terrain, were you following a trail with smoother walking?

I guess I should have said "... following the river bed..." I guess it's potable if you're a rock-monster:



That is how it is for 99% of its length; it is the end of the dry season for that area, and we've had a 10-year dry period as well. It would be a fantastic place if there was regular water.

As it was, I had to do plenty of research to plan for the water situation. As well as getting guidebooks and talking to locals, I even dug out some books about the traditional Aboriginal culture in the area, because I know many Aboriginal songs/stories are verbal maps of the land with important resources mentioned. I was following a story of Arkaroo, the great serpent who drank Lake Frome (a nearby salt lake) dry and crawled back into the mountains, creating Arkaroola creek and leaving a chain of waterholes as he went. I drank from these waterholes.

But as well as no water, there are no paths (now you see why I took the emergency beacon). What you see in those pics is all I had to walk on. I have good stout boots with high ankles, tied tightly. Mind you, they are less than 6 weeks old and already the tread is breaking off the soles so I am not too happy about them.