Gill Goes... Trekking The Bibbulmun Track End to End... Mt Dale Shelter

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Day 4

Happy Mothers Day

Beraking Shelter to Mt Dale Shelter

11.6 km

Today was going to be an easy one at only 11.6 km. The decision to have such a short day today was made largely due to the next shelter - Brookton, still being closed after the 2015 bushfires and Canning (the one after) having a diversion in place for prescribed burning.

After a fairly wakeful night (the youngest child staying in the hut was really sick with a sore throat and fever- poor little thing) I set off late but in very good spirits after my most favourite breakfast to date (banana porridge with cinnamon and pecans). My body was feeling very good this morning- could I be getting my trail rhythm together already? Fingers crossed.

I had three big highlights today:

1. Experiencing a major black cockatoo gathering- initially there were lots of faraway calls but then, seriously, for over 20 minutes I sat amongst a huge number of them perched up in the trees creating the most incredible cacophony of sound and movement. I think it was my highlight to date actually- it was fantastic. Plus the air was full of pine tree scent and it was windy, just a really nice experience. Very Zen.

2. After arriving at Mt Dale shelter a group of girls arrived- one of them looked a little bit familiar- turns out she was- a fellow nurse called Lill, someone I hadn't seen for about 30 years. A real blast from the past and great company to have lunch with. They packed out my trash too- bonus!

3. I got to have my first solo night. I was very excited. It was so dark and so still and so quiet. And.... there was an owl up near the toilet. Perfect end to the day.



Impressions of the day

Lots of new flowering plants and vegetation, recently harvested pine plantation with large tracts of red clay scarring, some of the trail markers were easy to miss, the Mt Dale Circuit trail is worth doing- excellent views up on Mt Dale, not much bird activity at camp in the afternoon until all of a sudden the wrens came out at 1600

Body assessment- all good!

Total people seen for the day -2 day walkers (mother and son presumably having a "Happy Mothers Day" outing, the 3 lunch companions and that is it!

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Photos

Ready For The Day
Feeling very good this morning

Pine Plantation
Fantastic colour contrast

Wildflowers
Lots of evidence of old burn offs and new vegetation

Kingia Australis
Looks like a grass tree but is not, the Kingia is a Dasypogonaceae, extremely slow growing- grows 1.5cm a year, can live for hundereds of years, can have up to 100 flower stems

Mt Dale Shelter
In super early after less than a half day walk. The shelter is a "Deep South" design, sleeping 12

Scarlet Bracket Fungus
Pycnoporus coccineus, usually attached to rotted wood, can grow up to 150mm wide, a decomposer, possibly used for mouth ulcers/oral thrush in Aboriginal medicine

My Very Own Campfire
The first one that I have actually made this trip! The fire pits are found at all campsites up to Mt Chance in the Southern Section (with the exception of Yourdamung and Blackwood in the Northern Section). You have to be aware of fire bans for the summer season- absolutely no issue in May and June!

Dark
Very dark