The CrossingRest, repairs, massage, and the next phase
One More Night In Kalgoorlie
Our last day in Kalgoorlie was properly slow: a sports massage for me, an RFDS visit for Ben and Ols, and more work on the campervan problem. Tomorrow the walking would start again.
The second day in Kalgoorlie actually felt like rest and recovery. There was still planning and admin, but no 50-kilometre walk. That helped.
The campervan update was very Ben: good news and bad news. Vehicle number two was drivable, although the leak needed watching and the oil would need topping up. Vehicle number three was due to meet us at Norseman on Thursday. We would get through Kambalda, transfer everything again and then point ourselves at the Eyre Highway.
Rydges kept looking after us. The heart display had pride of place in reception when it wasn’t outside or in the bar with the footy club. Jemma from the day spa gave me an hour of sports massage and chat. She was a runner too, so naturally I tried to recruit her to Kalgoorlie-Boulder parkrun.
While I was being patched up, Shane Miller, Louise’s husband, showed Ben and Ols around the Royal Flying Doctor Service facility.
My body was holding together better than I probably had any right to expect. We had covered 600 kilometres in two weeks, bang on schedule, and I wasn’t falling apart. My main problems were sore feet, a little chafing and extra tiredness. No disaster. No major injury.
Ben had also improved the way we broke up the walking. My original idea of four neat 15-kilometre blocks was too blunt. The newer rhythm was 15 km, 10 km, 5 km, lunch, 12 km, 8 km, maybe another 5 km, dinner, then collapse with painful feet and communicate in small grunts and moans. The breaks could change, but the shape gave me more chances to recover before the day broke me.
Shoes, socks, Tailwind, food, hydration, recovery and the endless work Ben and Ols were doing had all helped. Runwest, Hoka, Tailwind, Lightfeet and USANA weren’t names on a list by this point. We were using their help every day.
Steve from Poppet’s Pantry had offered us another batch of food, and my friend Melinda happened to be coming to Kalgoorlie for a public speaking event. She collected the meals and brought them with her.
That night we made the most of one last hotel dinner. I had lamb shank in pastry followed by chocolate, beetroot and chilli cake. The lads had Wagyu burgers and Super Pit chocolate mousse.
At 7am the next morning we were due to leave for Kambalda. After that came Norseman, another campervan swap and our first steps onto the Eyre Highway.
Images From The Day
