Once again, most of the Dipidydoo crew are back on the road; no planes this time, as we’re just across the border in South Australia.  We left Captain K at home so he could keep an eye on Ian (though there seems to be some partying going on amongst my bear collection, and the Captain was last seen sound asleep).  Again, we’ve been joined by Pam and Peter, our travel companions in New Zealand.

The occasion is the Australian Easter 3 Day competition, in the Murraylands area.  South  Australia is one of my favourite places for orienteering – the terrain is always open, the weather is always nice, and the food is always a cut above everyone else’s.  And so far, it has proven to be thus.

We set off on Thursday for the long, unexciting drive along the Western Highway, where the only “highlight” is the Big Koala at Dadswells Bridge.  There is some excitement when you cross the border and the time goes back half an hour – the jokes about that have been done to death, so I won’t add to them. We had no contraband fruit either.

We’re staying in Tailem Bend, a service town for the Murray River and the railway – Ilze says the train comes through at 3am, but I haven’t heard it.  The house is brand new and very spacious. 

Good Friday is the “prologue”, generally a sprint or otherwise short event, to get everyone in the right frame of mind.  It’s a very social day as everyone catches up with friends and rivals from interstate, not seen for 6 months or more (in my case its been 2 years since my last major carnival, as we were overseas this time last year).  The venue was a high school in the Adelaide Hills.  With plenty of time, we took the scenic route, which involved a car ferry to get across the Murray.  These small vehicle carriers operate on a cable system at various places, to get people across the river in places where no bridges exist.  We had a short wait, watching a flock of corellas wheeling overhead, screeching and squawking.  Then it was a very quick “cruise”, and on to back roads through South Australian countryside.

After leaving the mallee scrub and the wheat fields behind, we started seeing stands of river red gums, then vineyards, dotted with the mellow sandstone cottages that are so distinctively South Australian.  We drove through Strathalbyn and other smaller towns, before joining the freeway into Adelaide.  Just before it plummets downhill, we turned off into the “posh” part of the hills, and on to the school.

By the time the public races started at 2pm, it was HOT – well over 30 degrees.  I was on the shortest course, which was pretty simple – 18 controls in 1.4 km, so there was one almost on every corner.  I had no trouble with it, and was done in 18 minutes.  The next course up was over 3 km, and went up a big hill into bushland for a couple of butterfly loops, then back down again into the school.  With 176 people on this course, they really should have had another, shorter option, which would have shortened the start window – it was 4.30pm by the time Pete finished.  None of us mispunched, which is the most important thing at a multi day event.