Adam, Leigh and the Trees

Day 3: Helena Campsite to Beraking Campsite

Daily distance hiked: 20km
Cumulative distance hiked: 52km

The BOM had forecast up to 40mm of rain today so Alice and Jack sensibly got up and away early to get a few km’s in before the heavens opened. Awake on account of their early morning stirring I decided to following suit. I farewelled my new hut friend Elise, disarming and personable, I really enjoyed her company and made sure to get her details. By 7am I was back out on the trail.

It was a pretty walk this morning through fields of endless wildflowers and big stands of white and red gums. I’d set out early with the intention of getting a decent number of km’s in before the rain hit but there was too many photo opportunities, I could’t just power through.

The closer I hiked to Waalegh Campsite (the mid point of day) the closer the storm front appeared. I was less than 1km from Waalegh when it started to spit, I threw my poncho back on, booked it and made it to the shelter just as the storm stared throwing big chunks of ice down . Jeff arrived just behind me, we sat out the storm together gloating about our good timing and eating lunch.

The storm was quite intense so I decided to settle in with a hot chocolate and my book when all of a sudden it cleared. Jeff had reception so he checked his weather app, according to the BOM we had a 1.5hr window before the next front was due so we made a break for it.

It drizzled on and off during the walk to Beraking Campsite but we had escaped the worst of the rain. It was pretty despite being damp, purple and yellow orchids amongst big fields of white wildflowers. It was an easy 8km of walking so we arrived fairly early in the afternoon. Plenty of time for drying out gear, reading and with no excuse, getting my physio exercises done.

Jeff once again cut timber and made a fire which we all used to dry our gear. How he managed to get it going with dripping wet wood was beyond me but I was incredibly thankful. I had managed to get through a couple chapters of my book that afternoon so I used the pages to stoke the fire, lightening my pack a little more.

After a lovely first few days on trail tonight was to be the final night our little tramily would be together. I really enjoyed their company and felt sad that we would be going our separate ways.

After dinner another storm front rolled through bringing with it cooler temperatures. Earlier today I was contemplating whether I had packed an excessive amount of warm gear but that night I was very thankful to have it with me.

Day 4: Beraking Campsite to Brookton Campsite

Daily distance hiked: 22.8km
Cumulative distance hiked: 74km

Our new little tramily farewelled each other this morning, Alice and Jack were hopping off trail for a night to attend a job interview and Jeff was planning to single hut to Mt Dale Campsite. All lovely people, their company around camp was comforting during my first few nights on the track. I was sad to be saying goodbye.

The rain was off and on today. Nothing like yesterday’s dramatic hail storm but passing clouds and showers keeping me on my toes, constantly taking my poncho on and off again.

The first half of the 14km hike Mt Dale Campsite was pleasant, gentle walking. I enjoyed the WA bush-scape as I walked, spotting a family of roos and plenty of black cockatoos.

The climbing started just a few km’s out from the summit of Mt Dale. I was enamored by the towering wattle trees siding a river just before the climb, dripping in flower they were spectacular! I found the climb to be steady but manageable, I was motivated to keep moving by the multitude of ant nests along the trail.

The bush changed as I climbed and eventually flattened out into gum forest before the peak. I saw a couple of new species of flowers today and unlocked a new orchid. I even broke out the tripod for the first time on trail.

Jeff and I arrived at the summit of Mt Dale at around the same time. I met his lovely wife and father who were there to resupply him.

I can struggle to ask for help but in the spirit of personal growth I forced myself to ask Jeff’s wife if she would mind taking my rubbish out for me. It might seem like a small thing to most but for me it felt uncomfortable. It was like the universe was rewarding me for being open because not only was Jeffs wife more than happy to take my rubbish, she offered me home made cake! With my pack a little cleaner and lighter I continued the gentle 3km into Mt Dale Campsite feeling grateful.

I stopped at Mt Dale Campsite for lunch. It couldn’t have been better timed, the heavens opened not long after my arrival so I stayed a little longer enjoying a coffee amongst the towering Xanthorrhoeas.

Once the rain slowed I set out on the gentle 8km stretch through to Brookton Campsite. It showered on and off but I managed to stay fairly dry. I felt grateful that my rain gear was keeping me dry and that I would be enjoying full water tanks and blooming wildflowers further down the track. As the rain began to clear the sun shone through the trees once more. The foliage looked absolutely magical in the afternoon light, it was a true glimmer moment.

As I neared Brookton Campsite I had mixed feelings, somewhat excited by the prospect of my first solo night but nervous as the camp is only 2km from a major highway. I had heard that this campsite had issues with car campers in the past and was worried about running into partiers or worse.

Brookton shelter is a beautiful rammed earth structure set in an open forest, not quite as pretty as my lunch spot at Mt Dale Campsite but a lovely setting. I arrived to find the shelter empty and was just settling in, doing some housekeeping when to my surprise and delight, Jeff appeared around the corner! I was so happy to have the opportunity to enjoy his company for one more night and relieved that I wasn’t going to be spending the evening alone after all.

Unfortunately there was no fire tonight. Jeff tried gathering wood and kindling but the rain would not relent, it was far too wet. I warmed myself sans fire by enjoying a cup of soup and settled into my evening routine.

Day 5: Brookton Campsite to Monadnocks Campsite

Daily distance hiked: 28km
Cumulative distance hiked: 102km

I didn’t sleep all that well last night, waking up in the early morning for a wee. I don’t think Jeff did either, we had a 2am chat about the loud birds that were keeping him awake before I went back to sleep. I slept with my beanie pulled down over my eyes and could see the sun just starting to shine through when I lifted my mask 7am. I discovered Jeff was already up and cooking breakfast. It was the 2nd morning in a row that I’d slept through people packing up around me.

Today would be my biggest day of walking yet so to allow myself plenty of time I packed up quickly, had breaky and bid Jeff farewell. It was a fairly gentle 11km through to Canning Campsite. I encountered my first highway crossing of the track and large sections of badly burnt, struggling bushland. This section was no where near as pretty as the last few days.

I met 2 women at Canning Campsite, NoBo section hikers who were just finishing up lunch. It was nice meeting other women out on the trail. I was pleasantly surprised when Jeff came walking into the campsite not long after me. His original plan was to have an easy morning and spend the night at Canning but all good plans are there to be broken. My double hut day had inspired him and he decided to walk through to Monadnocks with me.

We departed Canning at the same time, walking together on and off during the afternoon. It was a big day, 28km and over 600m of elevation. I felt ready to relax by the end of it.

Monadnocks was busy by the time Jeff and I arrived. A group of 3 older hikers from Rockhampton had picked up a nervous solo Perth local and they were very spread out and a little reluctant to make room. The trio from Rockhampton in particular had made it clear they were not expecting anyone else in the shelter. The vibe was very different to what it had been with Alice and Jack. The group from Rockhampton were the type who compare gear and question other peoples choices. I enjoyed the opportunity to chat but felt content in my decision to hike solo, knowing I wasn’t bound to spend time with anyone in particular.

Day 6: Monadnocks Campsite to Nerang Campsite

Daily distance hiked: 27km
Cumulative distance hiked: 129km

My frazzled hip had been holding up well until I hiked a big 28km day yesterday. It ached as I head out on trail this morning and continued to do so for most of the day. With a 33k day planned for tomorrow and a 29k day the following day I was feeling anxious. Should I have got a trail angel to bring me a food drop? Should I have taken the first section slower? Will it impact my prospects for finishing the track?

The somewhat chaotic trio from Rockhampton were up before first light this morning. Concerned about getting the 27km day they had planned for themselves finished before sunset they started before sunrise. It didn’t make a heap of sense to me because in doing so they had guaranteed they would be walking part of the day in darkness. Awoken by the ruckus it was a bit of a “if you can’t beat them join them” situation. I started getting ready and ended up saying what would be my final farewell to Jeff just after 7am.

It was a cold start to the morning through a She-oak forest which gradually began to open up as I climbed my way to Mt Cuthbert. In the end I was thankful for the early wake up because the views from the summit were spectacular. The valley below was full of cloud, the sun hadn’t had a chance to burn it off and it felt like I was overlooking an ocean.

Cuthbert was the first of 3 climbs for the day. The second was Mt Vincent. The trail traversed a saddle between the two peaks making for an easy climb to Vincent. I didn’t stay at the summit for long, the views were limited and the trio for Rockhampton trip were using it for a snack break. Not soon after saying hello to them Lyndsay, the older gentleman of the trio began criticising Mel, the solo hiker who they had adopted until that morning. It wasn’t energy I wanted to be around so I hiked on quickly in an effort to create some distance.

The trail dropped to road level and wound its way to Mt Cooke Campsite where I stopped for lunch and 30 minutes of solitude before the Rockhampton trio caught up. I fueled myself for the climb to Mt Cooke, offloaded some unwanted snacks to Lyndsay, dutifully knocked out my physio exercises and started the climb to the summit of Mt Cooke.

The climbing was mostly over in one go. It was super pretty through an epic boulder field. I felt like I had been transported back to the pre-historic era, half expecting a dinosaur to come meandering past.

The trail wound along the top for a while before veering off into a gum forest. It started spitting rain so I donned my poncho. The rain remained that way for the afternoon, on again off again. I walked through a huge flock of red tail black cockatoos, admiring them as they simultaneously screeched at me as and chomped away on honkey nuts.

Up until that point Lyndsay had been in my head, I was stewing about the rude comments he had made about his former hiking companion as well as the comments he had made about me (and my shorts) that morning. His constant criticism of others and negative energy had got under my skin. He was in stark contrast to everyone else I had met on the trail. The screeching of the cockatoos brought be back into a state of presence and made me remember why I was on the track in the first place. I had reminded myself to not let him get to me, to hike at my own pace even if that meant running into him again that day. I enjoyed the rest of the walk to Nerang Campsite wildlife spotting and taking photos. I saw loads of wallabies, birds and even my first echidna of the track.

Nerang Campsite is nestled in an idyllic setting on a small creek. Sharing the hut with the trio from Rockhampton I kept to myself for most of the evening, reading my book, eating my radix dinner and listening to the frogs croaking. Slightly concerned about the state of my hip and the big day ahead of me tomorrow I took a couple of anti inflammatories before going to sleep and crossed my fingers.