|
Day: |
029 |
|
Date: |
Friday, 22 April 2016 |
|
Start: |
Killarney |
|
Finish: |
Castlemaine |
|
Daily
Kilometres: |
21 |
|
Total
Kilometres: |
829 |
|
Weather: |
Light drizzle early, hazy and overcast,
though clearing later in the afternoon |
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Accommodation: |
Castlemaine House B&B |
|
Nutrition: |
Breakfast: Cereal, scrambled eggs and
bacon, toast and jam
Lunch: Muesli bars and chocolate
Dinner: Burger (more like a huge meatball/rissole), vegetables
and gravy, apple tarts |
|
Aches: |
Right shoulder still bothering me |
|
Highlight: |
None really |
|
Lowlight: |
None really |
|
Pictures: |
Here |
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GPS Track: |
Here |
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Journal: |
After breakfast, I walked into the centre
of Killarney at 9:15am in light drizzle on a mission to top up my
mobile phone credit, find some good trekking socks, and get some ATM
cash, all within an hour. All went well, though only time will
tell how good the new socks are. I felt quite bad throwing out
my old holey socks, since they have served me well on some long
hiking trips, but no room for sentimentality if it adds to the
weight on your back or risks the comfort of your feet.
Back
at the B&B I changed into my hiking gear and set off a little before
11:00am for my destination of Castlemaine, just over 20km away.
I had scheduled a short day because I wasn't sure what time I would
leave Killarney and also because yesterday was long and hard.
I am now walking between the end of the Kerry Way and the point
at which I will join the Dingle Way, so there's no defined route.
Instead, I worked out the most direct route that avoided main roads
as much as possible, and apart from the first and last few
kilometres, that's what happened. The drizzle stopped and it
became warm enough to walk in T-shirt and shorts again along the
narrow country lanes, often bordered by wildflowers at the base of
the hedgerows and old stone fences. It was through dairying
country, and it's possibly the first day I haven't seen a sheep!
As has become my habit, I spent some time listening to podcasts
of Australian current affairs programs as well as the main Irish
radio station. Ireland still has a caretaker government,
something like seventy days since their election back in February
which left no party with a majority and quite a splintered result.
The two parties with the greatest number of seats, Fine Gael and
Fianna Fael, have been trying agree on the rules to allow a minority
government to be formed by the former, so there are endless current
affairs programs covering the negotiations. There may yet be
another election, but either way, I know a lot more about Irish
politics than I did before this trip.
I reached Castlemaine,
birthplace of "The Wild Colonial Boy" according to the sign on the
way into town. There's a famous song "The Wild Colonial Boy",
with many different versions, based on the exploits of an Irish
rebel (Jack Donahue) born in Castlemaine who was transported to
Australia as a convict and then became a bushranger/outlaw who was
shot dead by police. Other than that, Castlemaine, though
historic, now appears to be more of a truck/car stop on the way to
somewhere else.
After a check-in and shower, I worked on my
itinerary and bookings for the next week, before walking to a nearby
pub for a reasonable meal. I won't get to the Dingle Way until
late tomorrow after a long road walk along a busy road, which I'm
not really looking forward to. |
|
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)
|
