Day 17: Tintaldra to Walwa

There’s something incredibly satisfying about a clean slate and an empty fridge. Our day began early with showers, breakfast, and the wonderful feeling of finishing off all our leftovers—less waste and lighter backpacks for the journey ahead.

By 7:20 AM, we set off on our hike towards Walwa, sticking to the Murray River Road. Along the way, we were treated to the sight of some sculptures and reserves.

Hiking on tarmac was far more taxing than unsealed paths.

After seven hours of steady walking, we arrived in Walwa at 2:30 PM. A refreshing sprite and iced tea at the general store. There, we met two people, Kevin and Barbs, who had spotted us hiking earlier and were curious about our adventure. Kevin, being a kayaker, shared his own ambitions of exploring sections of the Murray River—a lovely exchange of stories and dreams.

We then continued on for another 1.1 km, reaching the Walwa camping ground. We stayed at a cabin and Heidi offered us a ride into Walwa which we declined as we had sufficient supplies. People were very helpful to us and genuinely curious about our hike.

For dinner Cy’s cooked pesto pasta—a relief to shed that 500g pasta from my backpack! The day’s annoyances, like my poor Optus service (none) compared to Cy’s reliable Telstra connection, were small bumps in an otherwise lovely day.

An early night for us as we had another big day of hiking in front of us.

Arriving at Walwa

Feeling scrutinised