Mount Lofty (mis)adventure

Almost accidentally, I got another hill-walk in this morning. Jo and I drove over to Mount Lofty and the Cleland Conservation Park. We had planned to have lunch at Utopia, a nice restaurant at the foot of the first falls, but we arrived a little early, so I booked a table for 1:30 pm and we took a short stroll up the trail to the second falls.

At this point, Jo reckoned the trail was getting too steep for her - and it was very hot - so she waited there whilst I explored a little higher up and further on. I got to a viewpoint at Eagle on the Hill then decided to take one of the other trails back, rather than just re-trace my steps. Therein began my troubles - the trails were all named but I didn't have a trail map and went the wrong way on what I thought was a trail that would safely take me back to Jo and the restaurant in plenty of time for our lunch booking.

I walked and walked, never seeing another soul and the trails were becoming hikes, and I was only wearing flip-flops (or thongs as they call them here). Eventually, I could see below me where I needed to get to but there was now a gorge between us and the way down was fenced off anyway with signs warning of feral animals in that area.

I had no option but to walk on - and on. Eventually, I came across a Land Rover track and walked down it. Halfway down, and thinking it couldn't be far now, blow me, but a Land Rover appeared behind me. "G'day mate!" I asked whether this track would lead me back to Utopia or not and he replied "eventually" - "in about 3 or 4 kms. - uphill again!" I flashed him a pleading look and asked him which way he was going and he said, "sure, mate - jump in". He told me he'd worked there for 5 years and only ever been on the track where he picked me up once before. "Nobody ever goes there, mate!"

What a saviour - I got back to Jo about an hour and a half later than originally planned and just before she was preparing to send out the search parties, thinking I had either fallen or had a heart attack or something.

In the end, MapMyWalk shows I covered a distance of 12 kms, but the last 3 were in a Land Rover so I guess they don't count? Here's the stats - http://www.mapmywalk.com/workout/1341354009

Now the photos:

2nd (small) falls

Found this at the wrong time

At Eagle on the Hill with the city of Adelaide in the background

Decision point

1st falls