Hiking in Waite
Time to channel the long lost hiker in me.
After spending days in my new home unpacking and questioning why I hoard so many things (seriously, I still have the free sticky notes and information cards from O’Week 2020), I decided to reach out to my friend and ask her if she wanted to catch up.
Hurrah! She was down for it and asked if I was up for a morning hike at Waite Conservation Reserve. Albeit being a bit nervous after hearing the word “hike”, I said yes anyway because I was in dire need of human interaction (especially with a familiar face!) and to get out of my cave.
So, I woke up early that morning, gave myself a pep talk (you can do it, you used to hike a lot, just don’t puke in the bushes, etc. etc.), put on my shoes and headed off to meet her at South Plympton where she picked me up to drive us to our spot. The weather was a good indicator that we were going to have a good hike ahead of us – not too hot, a tad bit windy and clear blue skies.
After spending ages driving up and down the Waite campus road trying to look for a parking spot, we finally stumbled into one and made our way to the entrance of the reserve. To our surprise, we spotted a little koala (or maybe it was a drop bear?) running in our direction before swiftly climbing up a gum tree to sleep. In my two years here in Adelaide, I’ve never seen a koala in the wild before so that was an exciting and magical experience for me!
We waved goodbye to the koala and moved forth for the hike. I was assured by my friend that the hike was going to be easy. You know, just easy trails and flat terrains. Bear in mind, none of us have been here before so you can imagine how shocked we were to see very steep and rocky terrain at the head of the trail. So, I heaved and huffed until we reached the first lookout point. I was constantly telling myself not to puke and pass out throughout the whole ordeal – and I didn’t, yay me!
If you wish to hike up Waite Loop which is the trail we did, just know that the challenging bit is only at the start. After making it to the first lookout point, the trail began to flatten, and it was a relatively easy walk after that. The reserve itself was stunning! It was so refreshing to be surrounded by an abundance of Australian flora and tall trees. And to be serenaded by the sounds of singing birds instead of the traffic was an absolute treat. Talk about a much-needed change in scenery! No doubt that mother nature does heal the soul. We also spotted some kangaroos (seven to be exact) along the trail. Again, I was so thrilled by how up close the wildlife were with us. Oh, and to top it off, we found the famous insta-worthy swing which offers uninterrupted views of the Adelaide skyline.
To say the least, I had an incredible day! It was exactly what I needed – to connect with friends and mother nature – before I start uni again next week. Which reminds me, if you're keen, the Adelaide University Mountain Club is having an International Student Evening Hike on the 3rd of March!