Take It Easy

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Though I’ve been to Sheepyard Flat I can't remember doing anything here, so today is my chance. Davons Flat is only a short walk from where I will be picked up tomorrow, so I have the whole day to rest and explore.

Though there are some good day hikes from here I want to give my feet a break so take just a short walk along the river to Frys Hut. The hut is impressive and would have been a comfortable place to live. Fred Fly built it in the 1940s and it was his home until his death in 1971. On the way I pass a large chimney, a legacy of the gold rush years in this valley. The gold rush here was short lived and a financial failure for just about all the companies that invested. The chimney is all that remains of a smelting works that was built in 1884 but lasted only a few years before it was decommissioned. Behind the chimney there was also once one of the largest water wheels (63ft) ever built in Australia. With the sunny weather this is a very pleasant place to spend the day and the birdlife is plentiful, especially the parrots (or are they Rosellas?)

I've enjoyed these 6 days away, even if it did not go quite as planned. I calculate I have hiked just over 90km carrying a full pack of between 15 and 18kg so this has been good exercise. I was expecting the hike to be hard, but I was still surprised at just how poor the track was in some places and how little water there is in late Summer. I wonder how many people walk the AAWT each year. Certainly, the whole AAWT is a major undertaking, but I would have expected a few more people might do something similar to me and spend a few days hiking a section of it. I enjoyed the challenges of hiking solo in what is quite wild country. I've learnt a few lessons, but most things went as planned, next time I do something like this I'll try to pack lighter and be able to carry another litre of water. My food was about right and some of it quite tasty. The only food I didn't like was my drink powder intended as substitute orange juice as this was just horrible.

Tomorrow I'm back to civilisation. A shower, a shave and a cold beer will all go down well.

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