Page 8 of gillg Travel Blog Posts


Oceania » Australia » Western Australia » Perth July 3rd 2016

So, what did I take? The following list (I have a fantastic spreadsheet but I can't work out how to cut/paste into this blog- nothing I try will work with the formatting, so..... I have very laboriously retyped everything). My original spreadsheet has all of the weights/totals/subtotals and links to the products. Below is just a list of items. The spreadsheet was a work of art- lots of colour coding.... There's a couple of snaps of the list with weights - suboptimal pics I know! What worked? I have star rated and made a few comments. I had a lot of confidence in what I had packed and on the whole was really pleased. I actually had a light fleece zip jacket added into my gear at Pemberton I think but sneakily I managed to offload ... read more
Bagged
Packed
Dodgy Pics Of List

Oceania » Australia » Western Australia » Albany July 2nd 2016

I tried to take a photo at the beginning and end of each day. Missed a few, some as I got in late (dark), a couple because? i have no idea! Weight loss pics were good- after 8 weeks there was zero overhang and hip belt done up to the max but I can't see too much change in the face. Proves undoubtedly that the aging face definitely settles as the day goes on.... read more
Day 1 Hewett's Hill
Day 2 AM
Day 2 PM

Oceania » Australia » Western Australia » Albany July 1st 2016

Day 58 July 1 2016 12.5km The sun is out. Last day. Pack up my soggy tent. Polish off the very last ziploc bag of oats and we thank our hut buddies of the last few days. After my initial disappointment they were such great company- like a comedy duo, really glad I "womaned" up and got over that very insignificant disappointment. Lesson learnt- be prepared to move your goalposts, adjust your expectations, etc. Good lesson. Quickly we are in the Torndirrup National Park. Very typical trails, shrubs, bushes, bird calls and views that have been a constant for this southern section. The walking is easy, if not a little warm! I guess most people at this stage of a hike get a little endorphin rush and the last few km's feels a bit like a ... read more
Show On The Road
Scenic Lookout
Boardwalk

Oceania » Australia » Western Australia » Albany June 30th 2016

Day 57 Mutton Bird to Sandpatch 12.1km, (08:15 to 14:45 with 2 long breaks and 2 big detours) Another stunning moonrise and wake up to a clear sky. Up at 06:30 but we have a quiet and slow prep to get ready for the second last day. Suboptimal sunrise- ah the problems of first world hiking... The food rations have diminished a lot to the point that I will walk in to Albany with nothing left over, not even my emergency packet of Mie Goreng. Kind of wishing the trail mix I left in Denmark was not in Denmark but in my food bag! The wind turbines come into view almost immediately and are to stay with us for much of the day. Hit the turbines and dramatic coastal views at the 1/2 hr mark. Interestingly ... read more
Magpie
Grasmere Wind Farm

Oceania » Australia » Western Australia » Torbay June 29th 2016

Day 56 Torbay to Muttonbird 12.4km (and a bit) 7km of beach walking today including a potentially big stream and the Torbay Inlet (seasonally opened up recently by either the Water Corp or the Denmark Council). According to the tide charts high tide is at 08:00, we are on schedule for a bit after that (not much after though). It's a sunny, gusty day as Meg and I head out. A pattern has emerged- we go then Pete and Phil an hour later, we get into camp and then they appear an hour later. Works well. We are on the beach pretty quickly, sand's not too bad. The sky and sea distract us from the extra workload. Reach the first of the streams- very manageable. The second one not so much. If this one's so massive ... read more
Cosy Corner Beach Outlook
Onto The Beach

Oceania » Australia » Western Australia » Albany June 26th 2016

Day 53 Denmark to Nullaki 11km Slow start to the morning- with such a short day ahead there is no need to hurry. Indulge in a decent breakfast at the Blue Wren- the kitchen being really well set up we have eggs on toast and yoghurt before making a couple of days worth of lunches and redistributing the food/repacking the pack. Last good coffee (for only a very a few days :( ) at The Bibbulmun Cafe before Mark drops us around the Wilson Inlet to reconnect with the track ($50), there used to be a boat but not anymore, so the options available to us were to walk or catch a taxi. The walking is pretty wet at times as the tide is high and the track inundated. Very scenic wide body of water with ... read more
Looks Like We're On The Right Track
Jetties
Small Non-Sleeping Hut

Oceania » Australia » Western Australia » Denmark June 19th 2016

Day 46 - 52 Walpole to Denmark (Semi-amusing cut and paste from my Facebook page version; long winded day-by-day version follows below plus lots and lots of photos) Walpole to Denmark via Peaceful Bay, aka Section 7 and a bit (of 8- eek), encompassing the karri, sheoak and giant tingle forests, the Frankland River, Conspicuous Cliffs, scaling and falling off Mt Hallowell, various inlets (open and closed creating another long track diversion), whales (!!!!), 74 kangaroos in 1 day, 100 000 sand hills (mostly going uphill), pristine white beaches and kilometre after kilometre after kilometre of rugged coastline. And 1 snake. Quite a different experience on this part of my trek, mainly due to one factor- my trekking party has doubled - one of my oldest and dearest friends, @Meg Pike, has joined me. And... at ... read more
Coalmine Beach
Giant Red Tingle

Oceania » Australia » Western Australia » Walpole June 17th 2016

Day 44 and 45 Mt Clare Shelter to Walpole and a Rest Day 10.4km (!!! even shorter day!!!!) Another late start with a super short walk into Walpole. I hang around the shelter as it steadily rains. My gas canister ran out on the final boil this morning- not bad- 8 days for the 230g can used only for boiling. In terms of my food supplies I am down to 1 Moroccan beef (surprise, surprise- seriously, it would only be used for a dire, dire emergency and maybe not even then!), my oats for this breaky and a piece of vac packed fruit cake and some trail mix for morning tea. Knowing that I will be in Walpole around lunch time this has worked out very well. My pack weight is feeling good and light-ish as ... read more
Civilisation

Oceania » Australia » Western Australia » Walpole June 16th 2016

Day 43 Long Point Shelter to Mt Clare Shelter 13.6km (!!! short day!!!!) A 4 hr walk today, getting in to Mt Clare at just after 1:30. Wrote this diary entry at 6pm inside my sleeping bag, inside my tent, inside the shelter in a storm. The day started kind of badly after a really, really bad sleep. One of the group from last night had gone to bed at 6pm, the reason for this I guess was that he liked to get up at 4am and spend 2 hours getting ready for his day. Flossing, brushing, breakfasting, crinkling, unzipping, crinkling, packing, zipping, crinkling... we heard every single thing... really frustrating. Anyway, such is life on the track, each to their own, etc- I just wish he'd camped and gotten up at 4am and spent 2 ... read more
Little Cove View Point
Little Cove View Point
Little Cove View Point

Oceania » Australia » Western Australia » Walpole June 15th 2016

Day 42 Woolbales Shelter to Long Point Shelter 18.5km A very mixed terrain day that took 5:45 hrs of walking and 1 hr and 15 minutes of assorted breaks. Best bits the slippery granite rocks where I took a long early break the big boulder granite rocks dotted throughout the morning last bits of wading through water the last bit of karri forest- beautiful the beach with the sand under my bare feet walking into the sea (only up to my knees - it wasn't that hot!) the sky being blue the absence of rain Not best bits being temporarily lost- at the end of the karri forest was a massive overturned tree (like really massive), I went off track to get around it and completely lost the trail. I thought I'd head through the tree ... read more
Little Bit Of Water
Granite Rocks




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