Sitting on the mini-bus from Alice Springs out to Redbank Gorge – I’m walking the trail west to east starting at section 12 -and staring at the imposing peaks and ranges that comprise the West MacDonnell National Park; I wonder what the next 17 days will bring. Already it’s had surprises. Continue reading
I always find the first morning the hardest, the body adjusting to the heavy pack, trying to accommodate its new companion with every stride. I chose this walk, because I little choice! My preferred option of the Fraser Island Great Walk, along with all the other great walks in SE Qld and many national parks, were partly closed. Still recovering from the damage inflicted from a remnant cyclone on Australia Day weekend. Continue reading
Preparations for the intended Yuraygir Coastal Walk were not exactly textbook:
8 days prior – remembered that existing hiking shoes were all but expired, so purchased replacement pair.
7 days prior – given that I had not walked with a heavy pack for nearly 5 months, embarked on a ‘training’ walk after work. In doing so, am attacked by a dog & due to the resulting injury to the left calf, am barely able to walk for two days. Not confident I can commence the walk. So much for breaking in the new shoes.
2 days prior – I’m groomsman at a mate’s wedding – you know how that ends.
1 day prior – NRL grand final with the boys – you know how that ends. Continue reading
It’s Friday night and with the car swap logistics completed at Aratula, our group of eight commence the drive in the dark to Spicers Gap. Cattle sleeping on the road, almost prematurely ended our excursion before it began. Obstacles aside, we reach Spicers Gap and set up camp. A 7 AM start beckoning in the morning. Continue reading
A multi day hike in a SE Qld summer held little appeal, I needed somewhere with a cooler climate. So when an invite came to attend a mates 40th birthday in St Kilda, the idea to extend the trip and include a visit to the Victorian high country was born. Continue reading
Earlier this year I spent a week in Perth with my eldest daughter. It was a wonderful opportunity to spend time together, exploring a place neither of us had seen, and I realised that I’d never done anything similar with either of my parents.
Around the same time Dad mentioned he was planning a 5-6 week trip to Central Australia, but was lamenting the difficulty in finding someone to accompany him. My time living in Western Qld had given me a taste for the outback, but I had always been hungry to see more. Dad had the vehicle prepared, had done all the necessary pre-trip prep work (maps, permits, equipment etc). All I had to do was organise time off work and show up! The father and son trip was born!
We stopped for a rest beside the trail. The constant presence of the leeches and their vast numbers was taking its toll. For two days my annoyance had been continually building like a slowly inflating balloon, and things were about to go ‘pop’. I looked at Mike sitting on a rock in front of me wondering how he could appear so calm; surely it was bothering him too? With that thought I grabbed the utility knife from my pack and with a firm but shaky grip on the handle, I thrust it in a downwards motion…. Continue reading