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Day: |
037 |
|
Date: |
Saturday, 30 April 2016 |
|
Start: |
Tralee |
|
Finish: |
Ballyheige |
|
Daily
Kilometres: |
24 |
|
Total
Kilometres: |
1030 |
|
Weather: |
Very cold, windy and showery in the morning
and cool, windy and sunny in the afternoon. |
|
Accommodation: |
Brassil's B&B |
|
Nutrition: |
Breakfast: Tiny Irish Breakfast
Lunch: Muesli bars and chocolate
Dinner: Chop Suey &
fried rice, and apple pie. |
|
Aches: |
Nothing new |
|
Highlight: |
The walk along Banna Strand in the sun,
listening to music on my iPod, and watching families enjoying their
long weekend on the sand. |
|
Lowlight: |
None really. |
|
Pictures: |
Here |
|
GPS Track: |
Here |
|
Journal: |
To add to my list of Tralee B&B
shortcomings, were the paper-thin walls that allowed conversations
in the next room to be clearly heard during the night, and the late
breakfast time of 9:00am. And when I went down to breakfast, I
was bemused to find every table candle-lit, and then surprised by
the size of the Irish Breakfast, which was easily the smallest I
have seen on this trip. There was some toast, but no cereal or
juice, to compound their crime.
I wasn't sorry to leave at
10:00am and was heartened to see what looked like the Saturday
morning Tralee Parkrun in progress as I walked across town with
people of all ages, shapes and sizes running around the perimeter of
the Town Park (later in the day I saw Half Marathon kilometre
markings on a road I walked along) . My route took me back to
the Tralee Ship Canal, which I had followed into Tralee last night.
The weather was very cold and windy and snow was clearly visible on
the top of the Caherconree Mountains I had passed by yesterday.
I regretted not putting my rainpants on for protection, and maybe
another layer on top, but hoped that if I got out of the wind I
would warm up.
After the Canal, the North Kerry Way, my new
route, followed the northern shore of Tralee Bay on a mix of
footpaths, fieldpaths and the top of a levee. It was bleak,
but I wasn't the only one out walking, and as long as I kept moving
it was OK. I wasn't sure what to expect from the lesser-known
North Kerry Way, and when it left the shore and headed north and
inland on a reasonably busy country road, I persuaded myself that it
wasn't going to be that interesting.
However, after a few
hours, it turned west towards the coast and dropped to the flat
polder-like land behind the dune-protected coast. The sun came
out, there was less wind, and the scenery became more interesting.
I passed the ruins of Rahoneen Castle, though no information was
available about its history, and then around the northern edge of
Carrahane Strand (beach) which bordered a large almost land-locked
shallow inlet. The Strand was a vast stretch of hard sand and
a small herd of cattle looked incongruous as they wended their way
across. A couple of people in the distance were making use of
the wind to kite-board on the flat sand, and were flying along.
I found a sheltered spot in the sun behind the dunes for my
first (and only) break with a view across the Strand and enjoyed the
warmth and interesting view. My route then took me over the
top of the dunes and down onto Banna Strand, another vast stretch of
flat hard sand lapped by the Atlantic Ocean. I turned north,
and apart from a very pleasant detour onto a grassy trail behind the
dunes for a kilometre or two, followed the beach all the way to my
destination, the seaside village of Ballyheige. The walk along
the beach was at times solitary, and at other times I passed by
families playing on the beach and others out walking or jogging in
the brilliant sunshine on this first day of a long weekend.
In Ballyheige, I found my B&B without trouble and checked in at
3:40pm, earlier than I had expected. I later checked out what
food was available in town and settled for a Chinese take-out before
returning to my room. Although there is more to the North
Kerry Way (about another day's hiking), I am leaving it here and
heading east towards Limerick, 100km away, where I will pick up my
next way-marked trail. That means three days of road-walking
coming up, which doesn't appeal to me that much, but I'm sure it
will pass quickly. |
|
ADVENTURE LIST
Round Ireland
(2016)
Hume & Hovell Walking Track
(2013)
Via Alpina
(2012)
Australian Alps Walking
Track
(2011)
Land's End to John O'Groats
(2010)
Round Oz Bike Record Attempt
(2009)
Round Oz Bike Record Attempt
(2008)
Round Oz Bike Record Attempt
(2007)
Australia Tip to Top MTB
(2006)
Adelaide to Darwin MTB
(2005)
Sydney to Melbourne MTB
(2004)
Three Peaks Race
(2004)
Appalachian Trail
(1986)
Alpine Track
(1983)
|
