Easter Sunday (Day 12): into Collie

A bit of rain overnight, but I’ll be able to dry the tent in Collie today - as in spread it out in my hotel room so it doesn’t get too civilised in there. 

It was a 21km walk today from Harris Dam campsite into Collie. So a distance I now do before lunch

My camp mate from last night, Phil, left a little before me. We had an interesting conversation last night about treating the water from the rain water tanks at the camp sites. He said that “real end-to-Enders” would laugh at me for treating my drinking water. Well, you don’t have to have a PhD in biology to assume that it’s not only “your daily dose of tannins” and “a bit of extra protein” (ie wrigglers) in that water? Anyway, I’d rather get laughed at than spending my holiday sh... in the bushes. So filtering or chlorine tablets it is for me... 

(By the way, it usually tastes fine!)

When I looked at the map, I thought I might cut off a bit of the walk into town by following the road, but once I got there, I decided that the trail was definitely preferable 😃

😅

Once I got to Collie (including a 3km trek from the trail into town), I found a lovely coffee van, had a coffee and a veggie focaccia- food that’s not mushy is always a highlight when coming into town! 

I did my laundry and showered (once again, I found some left over shampoo- and Birger confirmed this evening that my hair looks much better than yesterday!), unpacked all my stuff, sorted, dried my tent, etc. 

By the time I walked over to the visitor centre that holds my resupply box with all my lovely dehydrated food - it was closed. S$&@... they don’t open again until 10am tomorrow, a little late considering I’m planning to cover 30+km. 

I sent them a message, hoping someone might be able to just get me my box - but I guess if you work at the Collie Visitor Information, you don’t really check emails on Easter Sunday afternoon. Anyway, when I got back to the Colliefields Hotel, and told the owner about my dilemma, she just went “well, what’s the problem? I can pick it up tomorrow and meet you in the afternoon up the road”. Wow, these people are so amazingly nice and friendly!!!  

So, I went and got some fresh groceries and repacked, had a chat with Birger and went to the local pub for dinner. “Do you have a wine list?” “Do you want red or white?” “White” “oh, that’ll be an SSB then”. Ok. 

So fish & chips with a glass of SSB with the bar tender singing along to Jimmy Barnes it is for Easter Sunday dinner.