(Note: I left a review of the trail and commented on the issue - and the map has now been updated on AllTrails. Well done, team!)
Notes
(Note: I bought a big old bum bag from an op shop a day or two after the walk - more on that in future posts!)
City edgelands, bush tranquility and flight paths. Dan and I had a few days in Melbourne cat sitting (and house sitting) for friends a few weeks ago. I thought we should make the most of it and get in a long walk somewhere a bit different. Not wanting to stomp out the entire distance on sealed tracks, I turned from the old faithfuls of the riverside and creekside trails. I checked AllTrails for routes in the area of around 20km, and one popped up that included a loop of Woodlands Historic Park. This seemed perfect, as it started a 25 minute drive from where we were staying and we’d only been to the park for a few short visits before. As the temperature was meant to get to 30 degrees by mid afternoon, we tried to get an early start. I wouldn’t say we failed, exactly. After feeding the cats, going to the supermarket for snacks and driving up to Willowbrook Reserve, we began walking at 7:50am. The sun had just risen on the way up, and we got some lovely pink clouds. (Red in the morning, shepherd’s warning... might mean rain?) It was a nice, cool start along the Moonee Ponds Creek, snaking through suburbia on the manicured Moonee Ponds Bike Path. There’s been a lot of work done on the surrounds, with lots of new trees planted in the maybe 15 years since I was last here! We saw a wallaby across the creek, and a cat hiding behind a prickly pear. Dan wondered if a couple of birds we saw might have been kestrels - they were definitely birds of prey. Following the GPS track from All Trails (downloaded into Gaia, which I have found a better app for navigation), we entered a kind of uncared-for, creek-flat, ex-quarry wasteland. We had not really been expecting to end up ranging through grasslands on rough vehicle trails, but so be it. However, faithfully following this well-reviewed route, we popped up onto a vehicle track with a “no trespassing in this area” sign. What? Yep, this was definitely where the route was marked. Hmm. We backtracked a bit and scrambled up a hill/escarpment/old slag heap and followed what looked to be dirt bike trails up towards the bike path. Overhead, a string of planes came in to land at Tullamarine. It was pretty cool. The dirt bike trails ended at a large dam, and we picked our way around the perimeter and popped out once again on the Moonee Ponds Creek trail. When I went back and looked at the reviews on AllTrails, most of the reviewers don’t seem to have actually walked the route at all - they’re all just giving 5 stars and saying how much they like Woodlands Historic Park. Helpful. (Note: I left a review of the trail and commented on the issue - and the map has now been updated on AllTrails. Well done, team!) Our first adventure of the day over, we passed into Woodlands and made our way up to Gellibrand Hill. On the way, we spotted some kangaroos in the paddocks beyond the fence. By "some kangaroos", I mean 60 or 70. There were some big old beefy bruisers, ones with joeys poking out of their pouches, and heaps of tweenage looking ones that were too big for the pouch but still not full sized. On the hill itself we saw more roos and a couple of wallabies that we startled (and who startled us as they sprang away into the shrubs). We took a break on Gellibrand Hill, sitting on one of the granite outcrops to eat a bar and admire the view - from the Dandenong Ranges in the east to the city and Westgate Bridge in the south and around to the You Yangs. When we finished our break and crested the rise we could see the Macedon Ranges capped with cloud, and a few long sweeps of rain coming in from the west. It also started raining on us - just a light drizzle. (Red in the morning!) So much for 30 degrees, we thought. Coming off the hill, on our friend Emily’s recommendation, we took a bit of a detour of the marked route and instead went into the bandicoot reserve area. In 1988 a small population of Eastern Barred Bandicoots were released in the enclosure, helping keep these wee critters from becoming extinct. This was a really lovely area, which felt kind of secluded and quiet - despite the planes taking off not too far away. I got kind of obsessed with the trees here. There are wonderful old eucalypts with amazing bark patterns, enormous bendy branches and squiggly twigs. There are trees with boughs that dip out towards the ground, enclosing patches of inviting looking grass underneath, (But beware! Many of these trees drop limbs without warning!) There are dead trees that twist up to spiky crowns of bare, white branches. There are mother trees that, without their surroundings being grazed to the earth by livestock, have encircled themselves with children saplings. There are places in the park where it seems every tree is different. And we walked through a monoculture plantation, where the repetition of trunks and bark patches and colours seemed almost like a magic eye puzzle. We stopped a few times, after the light drizzle had passed. Once on the grassy hillside above the homestead, where we realised just how much this place seemed like the Australian version of a National Trust country house and deer park - only with kangaroos, instead. I guess that’s the colonial instinct to recreate the mother country at work in both the initial development and the drive to preserve it. (Incidentally, there’s a friends group you can join if you’re interested.) We also stopped at the Somerton Road picnic area right at the north of the park, where a bunch of glossy little ravens were hanging around looking for leftover food and shaking down the trees for fruit and grubs. And then we stopped for a proper break at the cafe (how civilised!) where I took my shoes off and we shared a highly-peppered veggie pasty and a bottle of lemonade. The weather was still quite nice - it felt like about 23 degrees and there was a little breeze. Speaking of my shoes, I was wearing my beloved Altra Lone Peak 4.5s. I got them about a fortnight before the first lockdown in February 2019. The day before this walk, I’d gone to Running Warehouse and bought a pair of the new Lone Peak 6s, but I thought I’d take the 4.5s out for a farewell hike. I’d worn down the tread fairly significantly, and the upper was not in good shape. A couple of hours into this hike, the threadbare section on the outside of my right foot completely gave way, and I had to walk the rest of the day with a big hole in the side of my shoe. I wonder if they’d had a chat to the 6s as they sat together overnight and decided they were ready to pass the baton on. The Lone Peak 6 seems like a similar fit overall - I’m not sure if the 2-3mm narrower toe box might just be because I’ve squished the 4.5s wider than they started - but my main gripe is that the shop only had the most boring colourway available in my size. As I’m probably going to need to change to new shoes sometime on the Heysen Trail, I might get another pair of Lone Peaks online - and if I can, I’ll get the extremely bright yellowy ones! Lunch was at about the 16km mark, and we were getting pretty tired. After our nice break, we hopped back onto the Moonee Ponds Bike Path and vowed to take every short cut we could on the way back to the car. We were pretty confident we’d still have walked over 20km. The sun came out, so we found a patch of shade and re-applied sunscreen. The lizards also came out with the sun - we loved spotting a little jacky lizard beside the path! Soon enough, we were heading out of Woodlands at the same place we entered, following the trail south (not into the weird ex-quarry!). After the cool, overcast morning, the sun blazing down was a bit of a shock to the system. We stopped a few times in shady spots, followed a couple of good shortcuts and a couple that didn’t work out quite so well (sorry, Dan!), ate another bar, drank the rest of our water… and 1 hour and 45 minutes after lunch we were back at the car. For those of you playing along, yes, it was almost exactly 7km. Notes Just a reminder, this section is about my fitness and other considerations for a long walk later this year. If you’re not interested in that, please skip over it! I was definitely achy after this walk, but I think I recovered more quickly than last time. It was varied enough in terrain and surface to save my feet - but I did opt to walk on the grass beside the path for a few kilometres. The blister under my toe didn’t really reemerge - I kind of have a callus there now, so I hope that stays and stops any further blistering. I stretched a little bit during the walk and a little bit afterwards. Dan gave my feet a rub in the evening, so they were all good the next day. (Thanks, Dan!) Gear-wise, I didn’t take my trekking poles on this walk. I noticed that without them I tend to grab onto the shoulder straps of my bag or tuck my hands in. Also, I get a lot more distracted by the way my pack fits, how tense/loose each strap is, where it’s sitting on my hips. It’s kind of irritating! So maybe using the poles all the time has other benefits than just saving my knees. I put my audio recorder in my bumbag, to have it handy. I took a couple of recordings which I probably wouldn’t have done otherwise. I think a bigger bag will definitely be good. I can’t believe I am soon going to own TWO bum bags. I don’t care what the fashion houses told you in 2020, they are extremely dorky. (Note: I bought a big old bum bag from an op shop a day or two after the walk - more on that in future posts!) We completed just under 23km in 7 hours, and I reckon we were probably stopped for a bit under an hour for our main breaks, which puts us at 23km in a little over 6 hours, or slightly under our 4kph standard. The jump from 15ish to 20ish kilometres is partly psychological. It’s not so difficult for me to walk 15km before lunch (we did that on this walk, in fact), but a 20km walk I have to think of as being more of an all-day affair. Once I get more in the headspace of walking all day, I think the move to 25km and then 30km might be a little easier. (I mean, 25km would only have been another half an hour or so on this walk.) I’ve also been thinking about how much water I drink when walking. On this day I walked 23km - on relatively easy terrain, in slightly warm weather - with 1 litre of water and half a bottle of fizzy drink. However, I did have a good drink before I started and another big one after I finished. This is good to know when walking long distances between water sources/tanks so I have enough to drink (and a little spare) but don’t end up carrying loads more than I need. Water is heavy! Woodlands Historic Park and the Moonee Ponds Creek are in Wurundjeri Country. Sovereignty was never ceded and this always was, and always will be, Aboriginal land.
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A walk through varied bushland in Providence Ponds Flora and Fauna Reserve, with sandy soils, wetlands and lots of wildlife. Our first attempted walk in March was a washout - early on, we met a flooded creek crossing that was a little too hairy for us (waterfalls, rapids and rocks included), so we abandoned the hike in favour of clambering up and down a few shorter hillside paths, then completing a side trail that was more of a gently flowing stream. We had fun and got absolutely soaked, but we only walked about 4km. We’ll try that track another time. A couple of days later, after the rain had passed, we went to Providence Ponds Flora and Fauna Reserve for what we hoped would be a better shot at getting 20km under our shoes. The forecast said possible showers, but once we’d found somewhere to park, we crossed the Princes Highway under bright skies. It wasn’t warm, though, and I was stoked for a dry, cool day - the best weather for walking, in my opinion. After a little detour (false start!), we made our way onto the correct path and followed it without issue all the way north to the railway line. The track was often grey sand, which was soft to walk on and afforded us the opportunity to do some vicarious wildlife watching. We spotted lots of kangaroo and wallaby prints as well as fox and possibly feral cat tracks. There were some mysterious lines that looked like something small burrowing just under the surface of the sand. And later there were emu tracks, too. I guess I’m burying the lede here, because we also saw two emus, a few wallabies and a small mob of kangaroos. The ants had been very busy building their tiny iron age hill fortresses, and we also walked through a few clouds of butterflies. We spotted and heard heaps of birds apart from the emus: choughs, magpies, currawongs, butcherbirds, wattlebirds, two cockies (who absolutely screamed the bush down when they saw us), rosellas, wrens, flycatchers, fantails and loads of other twitchy, chirpy little things. Of course, with the eponymous ponds, there were loads of frogs. The whole walk, once we got away from the highway, was an aural treat. One of my favourite things about this walk was how the bush changed as we walked from one small rise to the next, from banksias to widely spaced stringybarks to views of low-lying heath and marsh. Later, on the northern and eastern stretches, we walked through red gums (I think) and stands of box, and around what might be permanent water completely hidden below bright green reeds. It’s a lot of variety for such a small area, and I’m already looking forward to heading back for another walk and showing other people. When I mentioned to my folks that I was planning a walk at Providence Ponds, they said they'd heard that this was the site of a massacre of Indigenous people. I can’t find any mention of this when searching online for Providence Ponds or Perry River plus various keywords. (Peter Gardner mentions the Perry River in his notes, but that massacre site is down near the Avon. There’s also a novel called Providence Ponds which is supposedly fictionalised but which "includes hostile encounters with Aboriginal people" - I haven’t read it.) This doesn’t mean that Indigenous people weren’t killed here. What I can say is (a) the landscapes we walked through looked like they would have been excellent for living, with water nearby and park-like forest for hunting, so I can easily believe that Brayakaulung/Gunaikurnai people would have gathered and spent time there; and (b) if one wishes to avoid walking through any sites of genocidal violence towards and dispossession of Indigenous people, then one must avoid walking anywhere in so-called Australia - not merely at sites of known massacres. The fact is that all the walks, all the journeys, all the living that I do here is done on Country that has been stolen from others. The rail line formed the northern border of our walk, though the reserve continues on the other side. We saw a maintenance vehicle heading along the lines (a ute on those rail wheel things), followed soon after by a little digger, also zipping along the train track. No train, though! We didn’t encounter any other vehicles, apart from on the highway, but we did see fairly fresh dirt bike tracks (explicitly prohibited according to the signs), which we followed most of the way. Heading south on the eastern edge of the reserve, we walked alongside farmland. Then we hit water. Now, we’d skirted a few road-width puddles, but this was a bit more than that and would have required some over-the-knee wading. We recalled seeing a track earlier on that wasn’t marked on the map, so we thought we’d retrace our steps and take our chances on that. This turned out to be a good decision, and I think the unmarked track is basically the road that everyone uses here - it was slashed, and those ever-present dirt bike tracks led the way. We passed some bee hives and another pond full of frog song, then found a nice spot for lunch. As always, I felt a little sluggish after lunch, but a few mozzies and a disinclination to catch Japanese encephalitis got me going quickly enough. We’d got the hang of the boundary track, now, and when we saw another unmarked road leading off it, we knew that a little further on we’d find the official route underwater. Soon enough we found ourselves back almost to the highway, then alarming a mob of kangaroos on a road that skirted around a long lake (possibly the eponymous ponds), and then on the very sandy access track below the power line. Back at the car, Dan decided to rest, but I knew I needed to get another couple of kilometres in to reach my quota. I ditched my pack and did a quick 15 minutes one way, then turned around and came back. It was enjoyable, but it seemed to me that the landscape north of the highway is a little more interesting! Notes The track was often sandy - sometimes extremely so! Mostly it was pretty nice on the feet, but sometimes it meant working a little harder to push forward. Overall, though, with the small undulations, it didn’t feel too difficult. After taking the pack off and leaving it in the car, the last couple of kilometres were easy. That blister appeared again, though interestingly it didn’t hurt until I started walking without my pack. Perhaps this is because my foot works differently without the added weight. I was extremely achy all afternoon after this walk. It’s the first one of the year where I really felt like I’d done a big walk. I forgot to massage my feet, so they were a bit sore in the morning. In fact, everything was a bit sore in the morning - lower back, thighs just above knees, feet and ankles. Two days later, the main memory in my body was tightness and tenderness in my calves - I stretched them out, but I probably need to get a massage at some point. I also had some residual achiness in my forearms from using the trekking poles the whole way. In terms of equipment, I’ve been trialling carrying my phone and a few bits in a bumbag (I know, highly fashionable), which works OK. I am going to try to find a bigger bumbag with some kind of waterproofing. I’d like to be able to carry my phone and audio recorder (and sunnies case and a snack) that way for easy access. When the phone’s in my pocket it gets wet in rain, when my audio recorder is in my bag, I can’t always be bothered stopping to get it out, so I miss things. On this walk, I managed just under 20km in about 5 hours and 45 minutes. This included a break for lunch, and a few stops to regroup and make decisions about what to do with various detours, so I make that a little under 4km per hour while walking. I don’t go out to try and walk at this pace - it just happens! This will be a great place to come back to with a fully loaded pack and/or to do some even longer walks. There’s enough variety in terrain, surface and scenery to keep me occupied without requiring too much navigation or decision-making (now I know how to avoid the flooded bits). This walk is on Brayakaulung (GunaiKurnai) Country. Sovereignty was never ceded and this always was, and always will be, Aboriginal land. Bikes, birds, bats and butterflies on the Gippsland Plains Rail Trail. It felt like February was ending before I fully got into the swing of it, and I realised I had to get the skates on if I wanted to get my fourth walk in! I mapped out a few routes in the area, but in the end I went for the close, easy option: another bit of the Gippsland Plains Rail Trail. Yep, that makes three of my four February walks on rail trails! It ended up being a family adventure. Mum came with us to Tinamba, leaving her car at Maffra, and walked the first half back to Maffra with us. Meanwhile, Dad cycled to Maffra as well, meaning we all got to have morning tea together at The Pickle Pot. Then my folks did some shopping and took Dad’s bike home in the boot of their car, while Dan and I turned around and walked the 8-point-something kilometres back to Tinamba. There’s not much to say about the trail itself. It’s mostly flat and straight, the surface is hard-packed crushed gravel and the grass is encroaching a bit (we did see someone on their ride-on mower clearing up the sides when we were on the way back). It’s quite exposed apart from the last kilometre into Maffra. We saw a lot of people out and about: several solo cyclists, a couple of pairs, a group of 5 cycle tourists with stuffed panniers, a handful of joggers and a few dog walkers closer to town. The fog was intense in the morning, with many spiderwebs glittering with dew. It rose into fluffy clouds or got burnt off by the sun soon after we started, but it was lovely to have the early light illuminating everything and to watch the clouds lifting off the paddocks, trees and distant hills. On the way back, we got blasted by the sun, so we were happy that a few of those little clouds remained to give occasional relief. We saw lots of creatures. Birds included fantails, ibis, magpies, mudlarks, punky (crested) pigeons, noisy miners and so on. There were lots of yellow winged grasshoppers that make a clicking sound (we also saw heaps of these at the fire tower on our previous walk), dragonflies, bees and different butterflies. One cool sight was a butterfly with red and yellow spots under its wing laying eggs on a leaf by the path. We also heard lots of frogs - especially in the morning near Tinamba. I couldn’t tell you what species they all were, though. Less of a highlight, but having more of an impact on our walk (and probably our speedy times), were the bloody flies! Yuck. But the main excitement, animal-wise, was a colony of flying foxes (bats) just over the river from Maffra. We’d driven past multiple times and never noticed them, but they were pretty unmissable while walking under their roost trees - what a racket! View of the Wirn wirndook Yeerung - "song of the male emu wren" or "song of the male fairy wren" - (Macalister River) on the entry to Maffra. Maffra is a nice little town, and we enjoyed having morning tea there with my folks. Not only was it fun to hear about Dad’s bike ride and have a little debrief with Mum about the first half of the walk, it was good to sit in a comfortable chair, let our legs and feet rest for half an hour, and engage some different muscles. The riverside walks and parks in Maffra are always lovely to stroll in, too. We were pretty ready for a snack and a cold drink when we got back to Tinamba, and the general store provided both - including some great potato cakes! Notes After the hills of our last walk, this was dead easy. We walked each way in under 2 hours, probably in part because whenever we stopped the flies would swarm us! Aside from a couple of dips down to creeks and so on, the path is flat (walkers’ flat - it’s slightly uphill on the Tinamba end if you’re cycling). My legs were fine afterwards, my lower back appreciated the rest in Maffra, and my feet were a bit achy from the repetitive, flat walking. I gave myself a bit of a foot rub in the afternoon and stretched out my calves to make sure I didn’t have too many issues the following day. The second right toe blister didn’t make a reappearance (I don’t get it!), though the toe itself was a bit achy. All in all, February has been good for getting my distances over 15km, and I’m pleased that I’m able to get that distance knocked out before lunch. March is for ~20km walks, and I know that these take a bit more preparation, as they almost always involve lunch on the trail. I’ll also be starting to add in some overnight walks in the next couple of months (probably shorter distances to start with) to get into the swing of things with my Tarptent and so on. This walk moves through Brayakaulung (Gunaikurnai) Country. As with all of so-called Australia, this always was, and always will be, Aboriginal land. I wanted hills. I got them. As the season tilts ever so slightly towards autumn, we’re getting some lovely, crisp mornings. The daytime temperatures are still getting up into the high-20s/low-30s, though, so we decided if we wanted to do a harder walk in the hills we would have to leave early. We drove up through Briagolong as the sun was rising and arrived at Blue Pool carpark at about 7:15am. We’ve been for a couple of walks here. A few days before we did a two hour loop with our friend Ross up to the Peregrine Lookout, down to McKinnons Point and back to Blue Pool along the Freestone Creek Walking Track. We started this day’s hike along the walking track, enjoying the quiet valley and the single-file walking. Soon, though, we popped out and onto Froam Road. We’d be following these back roads for the rest of the walk. Things started easily enough in the cool morning air, with the sun picking up a slight mist and sending shafts of light through the trees. We turned down Bonus Spur Track, which tipped us back down to creek level before starting the climb up. And up. Our destination, and the main landmark of this walk, was visible at times through the trees: the Mount Moornapa Fire Tower. I guess the key is in the name: “mount” (although Australia will call just about any hill a “mount”). This section nevertheless climbs steadily, ascending about 400m in 3km. Throw in the rising humidity and by the time we reached the top we were drenched in sweat. We stopped at the fire tower to admire the views of the surrounding hills. We could pick out Ben Crauchan and to the left we figured out Mount Hedrick and maybe Pearson Point. To the north of Old Benjamin, Gable End is pretty unmistakable, and the low angle sunlight helped us pick up the treeless Wellington Plains (Wikipedia currently has Mount Wellington labelled as Beef Wellington!). I sent a photo to Dad - who works up this tower - to ask about the little pimply protrusion to the right of that area and he later let me know it was Cromwell Knob. (I’m sorry that I only have the colonial names for these places.) After a snack and a rest in the shade, we set off again. In retrospect, I probably should have checked the distances more thoroughly - I thought the fire tower was just under half way around the loop, but it was only just over a third. We left Ten Mile Track (not ten miles long, as far as I know) for Three Bridges Road (may have more than three bridges). This road gave an occasional wild undulation and made us very glad we had our trekking poles. On this stretch we had our most exciting and amusing encounter - a big old goanna which, on eventually noticing we were there, took off at top speed through the scrubby growth beside the road. Other animals spotted included some lizards, a few black cockatoos (traditionally a sign of rain… and to be fair, it did rain the following day) and many other birds. We also heard a couple of lyrebirds. The next nice spot to stop came at the bottom of Three Bridges Road, where a little stream was running steadily across a washed-out ford and through a damp and almost rainforest-y gully. This might even have been the same creek we'd crossed earlier on Bonus Spur Track. If we’d been thinking ahead, we would have stopped here a bit longer to cool down. I did take the chance to splash my face and drench my hat in the cold water, though. So good! As the sun got higher and hotter, it became impossible to keep any sunscreen on us - it just sweated straight off. There wasn’t a huge amount of shade along some of these roads as there were fires a few years ago and there has been a lot of clearing alongside to create firebreaks. We ate a muesli bar and reminded ourselves to drink water at every intersection. Froam Road (again) to Cooks Road. Cooks Road (last glimpse of the fire tower) to Engine Road. The trees were closer on each side. Engine Road took us down a long spur through dry bush, and we continued down the spur on Hairs Track back to Freestone Creek Road. The last hour or so we were simply fantasising about the swim that was awaiting us at Blue Pool. When we hit Freestone Creek Road, a car pulled up alongside us and the first humans we’d seen for the whole walk asked us for directions to Blue Pool - I was pretty happy to inform them the carpark was about 100m away, just around the corner! We stripped off our stinky, sweaty clothes, changed into our swimming gear, gingerly made our way down to the water and jumped in. Oh, it was bliss! Notes The walk was about 15.5km, with >650m ascent. Including breaks, it took about 5hrs and 20mins. The main issue for me on this walk was the heat - the hills were big but manageable (with sticks we didn’t even fall over) and the distance was OK (just) for a full morning. If it had been a bit cooler, or overcast, I think we would have done the whole thing in closer to 5 hours. It's good to know that on extremely hilly terrain in hot weather my walking pace is closer to 3km per hour. At the end of the walk, after our swim, I felt like I could easily have walked another 5-10km over the rest of the afternoon if I’d needed to. Speaking of the swim… what an amazing way to end a walk on a warm day. It was so good to cool down and stretch out the body in a different way. I took the opportunity when we were drying off to give my feet a bit of a rub, too. The toe blister returned, argh! It was at around the 10-11km mark that I felt it starting up. I hadn’t taped it this time. The next day it didn’t feel too bad, though. In terms of aches and pains, my calves were quite tight (especially the right), but I stretched them during and after the walk and the next morning, and it wasn’t anything I didn’t expect after all that climbing. My knees were fine (thanks, trekking poles) and my feet were pretty good too. Just goes to show that sometimes a long flat walk is harder on the body than a walk with lots of ups and downs. This will be a great loop to come and do with a full pack later in my training and prep. I just hope it’s a bit cooler! This walk is on the unceded Country of the Brayakaulung (Gunaikurnai) People. I acknowledge their Elders, knowledge and claim to this area. This always was, and it always will be, Aboriginal land. Another rail trail! This time, a there and back walk along the Great Southern Rail Trail between Koonwarra and Meeniyan. Dan and I spent a few relaxing days in South Gippsland in early February, which gave us a chance to check out a section of the Great Southern Rail Trail. While most material will tell you this trail starts at Leongatha in the west and goes to Welshpool in the east, it is being extended on the other side of Leongatha and if you don’t mind a bit of a road cycle you can also hop on the Tarra Trail from Alberton to Port Albert or Yarram at the eastern end. As we were walking, we chose the 8km section between Koonwarra and Meeniyan, planning to walk one way, grab lunch, and then walk back. Which is exactly what we did. The End. Just kidding! At the Koonwarra end, there are currently major roadworks to realign the South Gippsland Highway. The rail trail passes under the new alignment at a couple of points, but we didn’t have any disruptions. While we didn’t have to wait, we did stop and take photos (along with most of the work team) of a crane lifting a digger down into the valley. We also had a quick convo with one of the workers who recommended we get our mid-way coffee at the bakery in Meeniyan. Most of the rail line itself was built in the 1890s, and was a key mode of transport of wood and dairy produce to Melbourne (or to ports and then on to Melbourne). The train had mixed goods and passenger service throughout much of its life. In later years it was kept open mainly by the need for commercial transport - superphosphate (fertiliser), the branch to Barry Beach that serviced the Bass Strait oil rigs, the sand mine (for glass production) and so on. Parts of the service, the line and its branches were discontinued or closed starting in the 1940s. Services to Leongatha itself stopped in the 1990s. The line apparently had a reputation as being a particularly scenic route, especially in the western parts - and it’s still a really nice trail. The path between Koonwarra and Meeniyan weaves around grassy hills, crosses the Tarwin River a number of times (sometimes on the old wooden trestles, sometimes on new bridges beside them), and snakes along beside the flats a bit above the floodplain. It was interesting to compare this to the Maffra-Stratford section of the Gippsland Plains Rail Trail from the week before. Although I’d like to show some kind of home-team loyalty, this is honestly a much nicer path! As well as having corners and therefore several changes of views, there’s a little more ascent and descent (even a couple of walkers’ uphills, as opposed to only cyclists’ uphills) and variety in surface. There’s also more shade under the mature trees on some sections. In Meeniyan, we checked out a few options for lunch (we’d come on Thursday when we knew most places were open) and ended up going with our road worker friend’s suggestion of Pandesal Bakery. We had some very fresh cheese and salad rolls (the freshness made up for them only having cheese, tomato, lettuce, onion and aioli - this wasn’t your massive milk bar salad sandwich!) and I had an excellent coffee. Meeniyan is a really interesting little town, as are most of the villages on this section of trail. We didn’t spend time mooching this time as we knew we had another two hours of walking to get back to the car, but it’s definitely worth a visit! Most of our walks this year have ended with a meal, and I’d kind of forgotten that it’s always hard to get going again after lunch. I tried to convince Dan to carry me, but no luck. We stopped a few times on the way back for mini breaks, but it took us a while to find a bench that was actually in the shade for a proper rest - I took my right shoe off and we ate muesli bars. Allegedly, it was only meant to be 21 degrees, but with 95% humidity and the afternoon sun starting to beat down it felt a lot warmer. There were lots of little birds out on the return walk. We saw heaps of wrens, a few red browed finches, an eastern (yellow breasted) robin, a rufous whistler (pleased I could identify this after our walk at Holey Plains), fantails and even something that may have been a goldfinch - as well as the usual bigger birds, such as magpies, wattle birds, a shrike thrush, wood ducks (aka maned ducks), a heron and crimson rosellas. There were a few I couldn’t identify and I didn’t get a good enough look at them to check later, but that just means more birds to find out about another time. We hobbled back to the carpark and I was very thankful for a sink with a good tap so I could wash my face and drink water until I could feel my cells starting to unwrinkle and rehydrate! Notes In terms of speed and distance, we were just edging over 2 hours for the eight-point-something kilometres each way, spot on for my 4km per hour standard. We didn’t have big packs, and it was easy walking. At one point I thought it might have been useful to bring my sticks, just to give my feet a bit of a break. I’ll need to remember to take them on more walks! My feet hurt. That second toe on my right foot has never really recovered from bashing it on a brick a few months ago and I should probably get it checked out as Dr Google seems to think the options are either a fracture or arthritis. I also didn’t tape my toe, but I didn’t get a blister. Dan kindly rubbed my feet that night and the next day I was fine. (I always get surprised when a foot massage makes that much difference, even though it consistently does! I need to build a foot rub into my post-walk schedule… Dan???) There was slightly (and I do mean slightly) more variation in this trail, and I did a few minimal stretches for my legs and back. This seemed to keep me pretty pain free. My lack of energy in the second half of the walk was probably mostly because I slept really poorly the night before. Not even the coffee at lunch really helped when all I wanted to do was lie down in the shade and have a sleep. (And I probably would have, if we’d found a good bench earlier on!) This walk is at least in part on the unceded Country of the Bunurong People. The rail trail also traverses the unceded Country of the Brataualung (Gunaikurnai) People. This always was and always will be Aboriginal land. A walk along the Gippsland Plains Rail Trail from Maffra to Stratford. Mural at the Stratford end depicting the story of Borun the pelican and Tuk the musk duck among other things. The calendar flipped to February, and that could only mean one thing: 15km walks! The plan is to gradually increase my walking distances for the first few months of the year, before adding packweight and overnighters to the schedule as the weather cools down. And since our car had to go to the car doctor in Maffra, it seemed like a good opportunity to stretch my legs. It's taken a couple of weeks to get this up on the blog. Dan dropped me off near the Maffra (Macalister) Wetlands just after 8am, and I started with a quick stroll up to the loop in the northern section of the reserve, then back around the boardwalk. There were loads of birds out and about early in the morning, including some extremely cute juvenile fantails that would have been darting in and out of the reeds and rushes if they could fly well enough to dart. A person went past on a fat wheeled bike and responded to my standard greeting and how are you with a big smile and, “Don’t make no difference if I complain, it really doesn’t.” OK, then. I headed back down the river and met Dan in Island Reserve, the park out the back of the main street. (Why is it called Island Reserve? Old aerial photos seem to show it might have had an oxbow lake there, possibly…). Dan had bought some tasty buns and a coffee for me, so we sat and had our breakfast in the slowly emerging sun. The weather was almost perfect for a walk - a bit overcast, a bit cool, a slight breeze. Quite different from most of January’s outings, and (other than the humidity) a relief after the heat of the last week. It wasn’t the first time we’d walked this section of trail. Since we’ve been back we’ve walked once from Stratford to Maffra and once from half way along back into Stratford. Probably because of this, we didn’t stop that often to read the information boards and signs. However, we did make note as we passed various landmarks - the spot where the old Briagolong line (1889-1952) used to branch off, the entrance to Powerscourt (homestead built circa 1859), Powerscourt Siding (built 1914 to help bring sugar beet to the factory in Maffra and the weighbridge later used to weigh flax for the flax factory), Beet Road (also related to the sugar beet industry). Another reason we didn’t stop that much was because of the bloody flies! We haven’t had much trouble with flies since we’ve been back - unlike on some other trips - but they were out in force on this walk. We tried to talk them into transferring to some local cows, and even a passing jogger. We wished for a stiff breeze to blow them away over the paddocks. I put on sunnies and tucked a hanky in my hat to try to keep them off my skin. And we spent many kilometres hitting ourselves in the face with leafy twigs. In the end, what sent them packing was a short, sharp shower of rain. Arriving back in Stratford, we noted the progress on the rail trail path that curves under the bridge (getting ready for the concrete to be laid). Stratford is the eastern terminus of the trail - it runs all the way from Traralgon, so one day I hope to walk and/or ride the whole thing! We had a little rest stop at Apex Park, then followed the path under the new and old rail bridges and up onto the street. It would be great if they could use the old bridge for the rail trail - it’s had trains on it up to a year or so ago, so surely it could be made into a bike/walking bridge? A short street walk and a hop across the tracks took us to the station.To be sure I walked the full 15km, we took the long way home. In the afternoon, my dad gave Dan a lift back to Maffra to pick up our freshly repaired, fully serviced and thoroughly cleaned (!) car. Notes I walked just under 16km in a little under 4 hours - we arrived home at about 12pm, right in time for lunch (Mum made garlic bread - yum!). That’s pretty much spot on for speed, no doubt helped along by the cool weather, familiar route and irritating flies. The day before, we’d headed back to Mount Hedrick with my folks for a short (4km) but much steeper walk. I’d carried my backpack with a couple of thermoses, food and raincoat and I really noticed how much impact that had - from balance on the boulders to the strain of extra weight on steep climbs. In comparison, this was an easy walk. I taped my toe for this walk (and the previous day's walk), but I'm not sure it helped. My blister remained though it didn't seem any worse. I still had a sore toe the next day. But the main issue was, once again, the lack of variety. I stretched my legs a couple of times along the walk, but my knees noticed the repetitive work and my calves were very tight afterwards. My feet and lower legs were achy for a couple of days. Overall, though, the switch up to a slightly longer walk went well. I’m feeling a bit fitter than a month ago, which is a good sign! This walk is on the Country of the Brayakaulung (Gunaikurnai) people. Sovereignty was never ceded and this always was, and always will be, Aboriginal land. Sometimes instead of going somewhere else to do a walk, you just need to step out your front door. I recently calculated that, depending on how many little detours I added in, a walk from my folks’ place around Stratford to the Knob Reserve (heh), around the Knob (heh) and back would be about 10km. So, one overcast, relatively cool and humid January morning Dan and I set off. We let my parents know that if they wanted to bring us morning tea halfway through, we wouldn’t mind that at all! We did have a backup plan, though - we first went to the IGA and got a selection of muesli bars. We’re not going to be caught without snacks again! Walking through towns is a good opportunity to put lots of things in your eyes. There’s always heaps to look at - houses and buildings and fences, different plants in gardens, pets and other animals, various bits of signage and public art. Stratford actually promotes an “art trail” around town, mainly by the river, and we followed part of it on this walk. A lot of it is (perhaps unsurprisingly) Shakespeare related. We took a detour to see the three witches, a cool bit of sculpture beside a lookout where the view is otherwise in the process of disappearing behind growing trees. Along here, we also saw someone kayaking down the river - mostly just floating downstream, really. One day I’d like to do that. Not all the streets in town have sealed footpaths, so we spent a lot of time walking on the road or on the nature strips. This was actually quite nice underfoot, sometimes, with springy grass to soften our steps. And at the Knob the paths are all unsealed. Bonus. The Knob Reserve has been a gathering place since pre-invasion times. We noticed two scar trees in the reserve on this visit. After colonisation, the reserve was used as a police horse holding area, and later it became a public reserve. A couple of years ago the reserve ceased to be jointly managed by Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation and Parks Victoria and was handed over in its entirety to GLaWAC. As you stroll around you will see new signage and other objects, and some work on a few of the paths. I’m grateful as always to be permitted to share and enjoy these places. Mum and Dad did meet us with morning tea! It was delicious and I forgot to take photos. Oh well. After they left us, we popped up to the lookout at the top of the Knob. From here you get a great view of a sweeping curve of the Dooyeedang (Avon River) with a few rooftops of Stratford behind - and beyond the plains, the blue hills of the Avon Wilderness and the Alps. A photo of the view is at the top of this post. One of the most iconic peaks in this area is that of Ben Cruachan - pronounced a bit like "crow-can" or "croakin'". Benjamin, as I like to call him. (I’m guessing it’s named after Ben Cruachan in Scotland, and I’m not sure what the hill’s name is in the local Indigenous language.) One day we’ll get up there for a look - though probably not using this extremely unhelpful listing from Parks Victoria. The sun came out just as we were having morning tea and it got pretty warm as we headed back, meandering through the residential streets of Stratford. We mostly avoided the new build suburb, both because it’s a bit ugly and because there’s very little shade. We dropped into the oval and stood in the shade of some trees watching magpies digging up bugs in the grass under the sprinklers. Later we also had a little rest on the sheltered benches in the skate park (it’s nice to be back in a country where shade is provided!) enjoying the occasional cool breeze. After a final few blocks of detour, we headed home. Notes I mapped this walk out after we got home, and in the end we walked about 12.5km. It didn’t really feel like we walked that far. Maybe because it was pretty flat, maybe because we had an excellent morning tea in the middle, maybe because we had lots of things to look at. I was noticeably less sore in the foot/leg department than previous walks, which is great. Not so great: return of the pinch blister! I wonder if it happens more when it’s hot and I’m sweaty? Or if I sometimes walk in a particular way without realising? I Just don’t know. I am going to put tape on the shopping list - I’ve never used it before, so it’s going to be a bit of an experiment. I already know that plasters just fall off my toes, though, so I need something else. Other than that, I noticed sore hips/lower back post-walk, which I’m chalking up once again to the lack of variation. I should have done a few minutes of stretching when we were halfway through. It doesn’t take long, so why do I always forget or put it off? The neverending struggle. Woe! This walk is on the Country of the Brayakaulung (Gunaikurnai) people, and takes in a site of significance for the Gunaikurnai tribes more generally. Sovereignty was never ceded and this always was, and always will be, Aboriginal land. The day after my walk in Bairnsdale, off we went for another hike! This time, the whole crew came along to explore Holey Plains State Park. I wasn’t expecting to do another walk so soon, but Dan and my parents had agreed to go the night before (when I went to bed so early after the previous walk!), and I’m not one to turn down such an adventure. The weather was partly cloudy when we started at about midday and the temperature was still in the low 20s. It definitely got warmer as the afternoon wore on, though! Holey Plains was so named for the crab or yabby holes down on the flats near the creek, but this part of the park actually covers a range of gentle hills. We set out on Long Swamp Track through an almost coastal ecosystem - grey sandy soil, banksias galore, reeds and rushes and other grasses in the swamp and through the bush. A fire came through here a few years ago, and you can really see the effects. There are a lot of burnt tree trunks and dead trees amongst the bracken, some larger eucalypts with epicormic growth, a few small eucalypt saplings and huge numbers of baby banksias. That probably makes sense, as many banksia species not only survive fire, but need it for their seedpods to open. More delightful (at least to me!) than the trees were the copious pretty wildflowers. There were so many delicate little purple flowers, along with yellows, pinks and whites. I was constantly catching up to the others, then falling behind to take photos. There were hardly any birds - though we did see a rufous whistler and heard a shrike thrush - but while looking down, we noticed tracks of a horse (shod) and what we thought might be goanna (monitor lizard), as well as plenty of wombat poo and a few possible emu tracks. We also found one particularly big spider, which Mum almost walked straight into - the worst person in the group for this to happen to, as she hates spiders! This was a walk we’d been thinking about doing for a while, although after the Mt Hedrick incident we weren’t sure if we could trust the map! The trail was listed on the map as about 3.4km each way (3.5 according to AllTrails, 3.2 according to the signage). We decided to go south to north, planning to stop at the picnic area on Holey Hill, do a loop of the Banksia Forest Walk, then head back. When we got to the northern end, the loop walk was not signposted and not even remotely visible on the ground. I guess the map was made before the fire came through, and presumably the fire wiped out the walk - and possibly the banksia forest - and the powers that be have not reinstated it. I really wanted to get my 10km in, so I walked about 1km one way down Holey Hill Track and back before lunch (with Dan) and then down to the junction of Seldom Seen Track after lunch (with Mum). We appreciated having the picnic lunch with us this time! We ate leftover pizza and some chocolates, then headed back down Holey Hill, past the swamp and back to the car. Just before we finished, we saw a goanna (aka monitor lizard)! It was so delicate, very small for a lace monitor, with pretty markings on its body and legs. It seemed pretty chill, climbing up a burnt tree trunk, having a yawn and then (we think) eating a few ants. So cool! I wasn’t sure I’d made my 10km yet (though later mapping showed that I had), so I suggested we do a loop of Harrier Swamp, marked on the map. We drove there and found the site complete with the promised camping area, picnic bench, fire pits and drop toilet… but the walk was closed due to fire damage. Those fires have a lot to answer for. At least this little detour gave us a chance to enjoy the view to the north from the hill on Wildflower Track. This was a very nice spot to visit, and I think we might come back to do some walks using the quiet roads in the park. Notes Just a reminder, this section is about my fitness as part of preparing for a long walk later this year. If you’re not interested in that, please skip over it! I walked 10-11km including the extra sections at lunch, but I didn’t really time things. It took us a bit over an hour to do the first 3.5km and I imagine we were a bit speedier on the way back as it was downhill and we didn’t stop as often. The path and roads were sandy, the undergrowth slightly infringing on the track in places and causing a few little scratches. Not really gaiter-worthy, though. Most of the walk was over gentle ascents and descents, apart from the last short stretch up to the top of Holey Hill. It was good to do >10km walks two days in a row, to see how my body held up. I was less sore after this second walk than after the one in Bairnsdale, which was good. I can feel my calves starting to develop, which means I probably need to start doing some squats or something to get my glutes working and even things up in my legs (I have been told that uneven development can cause or exacerbate knee issues). Any suggestions for non-squat alternatives? I don't like squats so I never do them. My right calf is tighter than my left, too, so I concentrated on stretching that out after. My feet were, as usual, a little sore - but nothing lasting. No blister under that pesky right toe, either - yay! I have had a slightly achy neck and shoulders after the last couple of walks. I think this may be from only having a shoulder bag to carry - I don’t have a good daypack, and the very average one that I do have is still in a box on a ship somewhere. I swap from side to side with the shoulder bag, but it's not perfect. I should probably invest in a decent small pack for shorter day walks. This walk is on the borders of Brataualung and Brayakaulung (Gunaikurnai) Country. Sovereignty was never ceded and this always was, and always will be, Aboriginal land. It was a relatively cool, overcast Monday morning when my parents went to Bairnsdale to pick up some supplies (a particular type of flour, some horse poo, the usual). I didn’t get a chance to do a long walk last week, so I hitched a ride with them with the intention of notching up another 10km along the paths beside the Wy-Yung (Mitchell River). My folks dropped me at Howitt Park and I started by taking my favourite route down the hill: the big slide! It’s not quite as fun as it was when I was a kid - no metal surface to burn my legs on the way down, no risk of flying off the side - but it was still an adventure. I lost half the contents of my bag on the way down, and a small child coming down next helpfully picked everything up for me. Thanks, kid. I set off at a good clip along the north bank of the river, knowing that it would be a flat walk and wanting to get some speed into my training after the last couple of slow goers. Dan stayed home, so it was just me, the butterflies, a juvenile silvereye . . . and hundreds of mega bats, aka fruit bats, aka flying foxes! So much for not stopping. I constantly paused to listen to the bat chat and look at the furry little faces hanging from the trees around the path. The signs say this is a “colony of national significance” which “forms a vital link in a chain of camps between Brisbane and Adelaide.” The main part of the colony was on the opposite bank, but occasionally a few would fly across to join the smaller (but not insignificant) groups in the trees surrounding me. I'd decided not to bring my camera, just the phone, and now I regretted not being able to get some good shots! Hardly anyone else was using the path at the start of my walk. I saw one jogger just before Lind Bridge, at about the same time the first drop of sweat rolled down my buttcrack (despite the clouds and low-20s temperatures, it was pretty humid). When I passed under the bridge I met a handful of people from the Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation who were spraying weeds, clearing grass with ride on and push mowers and trimming some harder to reach spots with whipper snippers (strimmers). It was good to see folks looking after the area. West (upstream) of Lind Bridge on the north side of the river, the trail is much less made. It feels more countryside-ish on the outskirts of town. From the map, I expected the path to end after about a kilometre. Sure enough, I ran out of dirt footpad then continued on a grassy path until it became completely overgrown. I turned back towards the bridge, spotting a few cheeky rabbits on the way. On the other bank, I saw a group of what looked like teenagers on a DofE excursion (not really a thing in Australia) - big packs and slow walking. I wondered what they were doing and if I’d see them when I headed up the other side of the river. After crossing Lind Bridge I once again turned upstream, this time on the opposite bank. A boat sped past and disappeared around a corner. I watched a tractor ploughing the dark brown soil on the river flats. Cockies, magpies, flycatchers, ibis and willie wagtails kept me company. I passed the end of Webbs Road, then a stockyard and then, as I arrived at Picnic Point, I caught up to the group of walkers I’d seen earlier. They were a group of teenagers at a summer camp, who had walked down the river the day before, camped overnight, and had just arrived back at their transport. Their leader said they were about to have a dip in the river and a bite of lunch, then they’d head off. It sounded like a good adventure, and most of them looked suitably fed up. Although I often came to Bairnsdale as a kid, I don’t ever remember visiting Picnic Point. In the old days, people used to come up in a boat from the Port of Bairnsdale to, you guessed it, have a picnic. It’s a small reserve in a bend of the river with a few paths to explore. I went as far upstream as I could, over a very small creek, to the road and back. Then I climbed the little hill where I found a covered bench to stop for a while and eat a lot of chocolate! Instead of retracing my steps along the river, I walked back down to the bridge along Webbs Road. It was nice to get a different perspective and the road was unsealed all the way, which made for easy walking. Only one ute came past, so I didn’t have to spend my time jumping out of the way. There is so much feral fennel flowering at the moment. Although it’s not native, the bees seem to enjoy it, and in combination with what I think are purple verbena/vervain and chicory (also not native), it made for a pretty roadside. I had walked further than I’d intended and was running a little behind schedule, so I picked up the pace back towards town on the south side of the river. I hadn’t recorded the bats earlier, thinking that I’d wait until I was under the main colony, but when I reached that area I found that the walking track was diverted around it and up onto the street. I suppose it’s fair enough, but it did mean that I couldn’t get the recording I wanted!
I didn’t make it all the way back to Howitt Park, in the end. Mum and Dad met me on Mitchell Port Road so they got to have a look at the bats, too. They brought hot cross buns, which were a much-appreciated snack. Just as we were finishing up, it started to rain. On the way home, my folks got both a bag of horse poo and a bag of alpaca poo. Fancy. Notes In the end, I walked just over 11.5km in just under 2 hours and 45 minutes, including stopping for rests and to record and photograph bats. This is almost exactly the 4 kilometres per hour that I usually estimate as my walking speed. I was a little surprised that I wasn’t quicker. Maybe I’ll come back and do this walk again and try to beat my time! The surface was pretty nice for walking as it was almost entirely gravel, with a bit of grass and only a very small amount of sealed path. The weather was pretty decent for walking, too, though a few percent less humidity would have been better. Later in the day, I had quite sore feet and a little bit of an achy lower back, again because there wasn’t a lot of variety in ascent/descent. It was all better the next morning. The blister under my second right toe has healed up and I didn’t get it this time. I wonder if the callus forming there will prevent this from recurring? I am still getting some pain in that toe more generally, which hasn’t improved over the last couple of months, but hasn’t got worse. I guess I’ll just keep an eye on it. I was extremely tired after this walk, which might be due to other things, but it’s probably worth remembering to do a bit more prep in this regard as the walks get longer - proper meals beforehand and some scroggin to take along (any excuse for scroggin, really). It was fun to walk by myself for the first time in a while. I do enjoy walking with other people, but there’s something very satisfying about being able to (and needing to!) do all the regulation for myself - when to stop, when to speed up, which way to go, when to drink, when to eat. It’s also really relaxing to have some time alone with nature. This walk is on the Country of the Brabralung (Gunaikurnai) people. The name of the river, Wy-Yung, is the word for spoonbill. Wy Yung is also the name of a suburb of Bairnsdale. This always was, and always will be, Aboriginal land. So much for easing into things… This 3 hour stroll accidentally turned into a 5½ hour hike, in which we saw a little more of the bush than we intended! After a week of rain, rain and more rain, it was time for an outing. Dan and I were meant to be visiting a friend on Saturday but, due to complicated Covid things, we had to postpone. (Don’t worry, we’re fine for now - in fact we got our third doses this week!) Instead, we brought my folks along for a walk at Mount Hedrick in the Avon Wilderness Park. Well, I say we brought them along, but really Dad drove us up there in “the big car” in case the roads were a bit crappy after all the rain. We had what looked like a 3-4 hour window before it was going to storm, so we started the walk earlyish - around 8:30am. I’ve been trying to find my way around AllTrails. It seems to work OK for me on the browser, but I can’t log into the app. Anyway, I saw a couple of routes on there, but decided to make my own approx 10km loop based on data from AllTrails and from the info sheet from a Victorian Government website (which I now realise is from 2004, when DELWP was the DSE). On paper the walk looked pretty simple, and I just assumed that it would be a well marked trail. However, we missed a turn-off, which was not signposted, and ended up taking a bit of a detour on a path that was not marked on any of the maps. Although we were all fine in the end, it did add a couple of kilometres and a pretty steep - but spectacular - ascent to the top of Mount Hedrick. Rather than doing a full description, here’s a list of things we discussed towards the end of the walk - things that went well vs things to learn from. Good things
Things to learn
Notes The walk ended up being approximately 12 kilometres long, with just under 500 metres of ascent, and it took us 5½ hours. We did go very slowly up the steep side of Mount Hedrick and other slopes, making sure my 70 year old (!) parents were doing OK! As well as the ups and downs, the surface of the trail included sandy gravel road, paths with lots of loose former river stones (ankle breakers), sections of slightly overgrown track, a few blowdowns to negotiate, and some fairly easy rock scrambling. The temperatures were in the mid-20s, and it was very humid. The variety meant that although this walk was a lot more strenuous than last week’s, I didn’t have the same kinds of aches to contend with. Although I forgot to buy tape for my second right toe, I only got a small blister. Once again, I forgot to wear my sunglasses (even after I went back to get them!), but it was fine on the headache front - possibly because the path itself was often in shade or covered in leaves, rather than bright and reflective. I should remember to bring the poles for hikes like this - could have been quite handy on some of the uneven surfaces and hills. Other than that, just the usual residual achiness of feet, ankles and calves. In fact, the next day, I can really feel that my lower leg muscles have done a lot of ankle stabilising - ow! I would definitely do parts of this walk again with friends. It could also be a good training walk with a loaded pack - maybe even doing a double loop of the original plan when I’ve worked up to that. This walk is on the Country of the Brayakaulung (Gunaikurnai) people. Their sovereignty was never ceded and this always was and always will be Aboriginal land. It’s 2022 and we are now living in Australia! We’ve done a bit of exploring, but none of it has yet appeared on the blog, so it’s time I put something down in writing (and pictures). Dan and I usually go out for a walk on the 1st of January - start the year as you intend to go on, etc, etc. We’re currently staying with my folks in Gippsland (Gunaikurnai country), and convinced my mum to come along, too (my dad was at work, fire spotting in the hills.) One catch… the forecast was for 38 degrees! Instead of postponing, we headed out very early to try and beat the heat. We drove to the Sale Wetlands (aka Sale Common and the Sale Game Refuge, among other things) and started walking not too long after sunrise. The low light came streaming through the trees and helpfully highlighted the many, many spider webs across the path. Our count of creature sightings started early, with swans (black, of course - we’re in Australia!) and cygnets, a spoonbill hunting, a few rabbits and cows, crested pigeons, magpies, a swamp wallaby, wattle birds, magpie larks and herons. A pelican also flew overhead - our first sighting since we got here! Mum and I tasted some berries which we thought might have been midgen (midyin) berries but which our post-walk research tells us were probably coastal beard-heath (aka native currant). One for future foraging! Unfortunately, big stretches of the wetlands boardwalk are currently closed due to flood damage, so we weren’t able to go out over the water. Instead we skirted the northern edge of the reserve along a gravel street, then went south on Flooding Creek Trail. The trail was a dirt and grassy vehicle-width track for most of the way. It was very pleasant walking through the trees, with views out over the swamp. (Well, it was pleasant apart from the constant spider webs on legs and arms, in hair and mouths!) Dan and I first read about this walk when we stopped off at the swing bridge at the southern end of the loop a few weeks before. At that time there had been a lot of rain and we thought the path that follows Flooding Creek might have been, well, flooded. Turns out, it definitely would have been at that point - probably at least knee deep in places - but luckily we only encountered a few muddy patches to negotiate. We saw plenty more swans and cygnets, ducks and ducklings, an egret, moorhens, swamphens and at least two types of cormorant. In the trees, we saw crimson rosellas, rainbow lorikeets, red-browed finches, blue wrens and other little birds. We heard - and eventually saw - kookaburras and butcherbirds, grey shrike thrushes and noisy miners. I recorded some frogs (I assume!) that sound like someone chopping wood or hitting a post with a mallet. By the time we met the Dartyowan (La Trobe River), it was past 8am and getting warm. We turned west on the road to the swing bridge, past some lovely old trees. We crossed the bridge (it was due to open later in the day, but we weren’t going to stick around for 6 hours in the heat!), looked at the bark canoe sculpture and made use of the picnic benches for a rest and a stretch. Not too far from the bridge we spotted two kingfishers! Here the loop turns back towards Sale. Because the boardwalks are closed, we followed the bike trail that shadows the highway (I think it might have even been the old highway at some point?). Along this stretch we found some big colonies of spiders in the shrubs, walked through two huge swarms of dragonflies, noticed a few different butterflies and moths, helped a brilliantly shiny stag beetle across the path and watched three huge birds - we are pretty it was a family of white bellied sea eagles - riding the thermals above us. By now it was pretty hot in the sun, and the whining, buzzing sound of insects and crickets started to rise up from the grass (and stands of feral fennel!) to surround us. An unexpected gravel path took us on a little detour alongside the river and through what used to be a flood-prone caravan park. This stretch is planted out with non-native and non-indigenous species, including oak, ash, poplar, fruit trees and kurrajong, but the area also has many eucalypts and paperbarks. Before we headed back to the car we waved to a boat that sped past downstream and watched a couple of grey currawongs and a pretty little grey fantail. It was about 30 degrees by the time we got home. My dad called us from the top of his fire tower as we walked in the door to let us know that we’d got out just in time, as there was a fire near the common! Luckily, there was plenty of water around to put it out with… Notes As well as being our New Years Day walk, this marked the start of my training for a longer trip I’m hoping to do later this year, Covid and lockdowns permitting. The plan is to walk the Heysen Trail in South Australia from north to south, starting in August. The trail will take about two months to complete, depending on how many kilometres I walk a day and how many rest days I need to have. I’m starting from low-ish walking levels (for me), so I’m building up slowly - starting with weekly ~10km walks in January and gradually increasing to more hardcore overnighters later in the year. When I blog these walks, I’m going to keep a record of a few bits of physical fitness at the end - feel free to skip the section after these photos if that isn’t your thing. We completed the loop in almost exactly three and a half hours including rest stops and taking lots of photos, and I estimate we walked a bit over 11km. It was almost entirely flat, with surfaces ranging from grass and loose gravel to dirt road and sealed path. The lack of variation in ascent/descent meant I got quite a sore lower back - mitigated slightly by stretching. I have been having trouble with a pinch blister under the second toe on my right foot, and this appeared towards the end of the walk. I might need to try taping this toe (and its neighbour) in future. Other than that, just some the usual slightly sore feet. My right knee didn’t play up, but I need to remember to stretch out my calves more regularly, especially early on, to avoid knee issues and next-day tightness. Also, note to self: wear your sunglasses to avoid headaches later in the day! This walk is on the Country of the Brayakaulung (Gunaikurnai) people. Their sovereignty was never ceded and this always was and always will be Aboriginal land. Here are three projects I’ve been involved with as a volunteer over the last couple of years, focused on preserving and expanding the use of the UK’s amazing rights of way network. Slow Ways In February 2020, I headed up to London and joined dozens of volunteers helping Dan Raven-Ellison kick off the Slow Ways project. The idea behind this project at the start was to use the current OS rights of way map as well as Google street view/satellite imagery, local knowledge and Open Street Map to find walkable, direct routes between as many UK cities, towns and villages as possible. Eventually, we’d end up with a spiderweb-y network of routes linking these towns or hubs, with most of those hubs offering some combination of public transport links, accommodation, grocery shops and/or eateries. The mapping started on that day, just pre-lockdown, and many volunteers continued over the following months, creating potential routes and offering opinions on different hubs and paths. Should this route go over the hill (shorter) or around it (more accessible)? Should we make this place a hub town to break up a load of longer sections, even though there’s no rail link? (I argued for Alfriston being a hub during that first workshop and was told no… but I see that in the end the route wranglers agreed with me!) Should this route take the scenic footpath (longer, quieter) or the roadside pavement (more direct)? What about if the direct route is walking on the shoulder of a busy road? What’s safer in the city during the day or night - a main road, a back street or a park? Is there really a path here, or does it just look like that on the satellite imagery? It was quite interesting to be part of this process, even though we were having to work online and remotely due to Covid, rather than in the smaller regional meetups originally envisaged. Eventually, these routes would be walked, reviewed and improved on. People could use them to plan walking trips by plugging in two locations (e.g. Bristol and Birmingham) and finding a verified route between those places. These routes which would be broken into full- or half-day sections, each section usually ending, as noted, with transport links and/or accommodation. Slow Ways is now in the route checking stage. Each section will eventually be surveyed by a volunteer trained by the Slow Ways team and reviewed by at least three volunteer walkers. The idea here is to give users an idea of what to expect, any problem areas, accessibility (e.g. for people on wheels) and points of interest along the way. This stage can also flag up unwalkable routes (e.g. footpaths that have been diverted, landscape changes) and people can propose alternatives (e.g. easier, more direct, more pleasant). Once three people have reviewed a route, the route is verified and listed with a tick on a blue snail. And so, when you are the third person to review a route, you have bagged a snail. To add a bit of competitive fun, Slow Ways has got us using the hashtag #SnailBagging. A few weeks ago, I went out for my first review walk (and dragged Dan along with me). In the process, I managed to be the 3rd person to walk and review the route, bagging my first snail! The photos in this section have been from that walk. It was a lovely morning out, and as the route was only 5km long, we walked it both ways! It was interesting to walk the route with different things in mind, enjoying the facilities along the way (there was some good play equipment - always an important part of a walk for me, haha!) looking for accessibility issues (e.g. places where there are no lowered kerbs for road crossings, gates that cyclists or prams/buggies might not fit through, muddy or flooded areas) and thinking about whether the route could be more direct or easier. All in all, a good walk - and I felt like I was doing something for the greater good, too! Don't Lose Your Way While the public rights of way network in the UK is fantastic, it was hard won and is being continuously fought for. Lots of paths that are in use are not actually on the “definitive map” (drawn up by local authorities post-WW2), which means that our right to walk on them in the future might be revoked. That hasn’t necessarily been a huge issue in the past, because people (usually local Ramblers groups) have been able to add those paths to the definitive map as rights of way if they’re shown on old maps or it can be proved that they’ve been in use. However, after January 2026, paths will no longer be able to be added to this map based on historic evidence, meaning that many public rights of way may be lost forever. This deadline has been looming for some time, and Ramblers groups have been busy trying to find and claim as many paths as they can. But usually these groups comprise a few volunteers for quite a large area, and many paths are likely to slip through the net. So the Ramblers launched the Don’t Lose Your Way project. In the first stage of this project, thousands of volunteers logged on to a website that allowed easy comparison between the current definitive (OS) map and older maps. I was one of those volunteers, and I found it really interesting looking at 1km x 1km grid squares on the map, checking where paths (probably!) used to be and where they are (or aren’t!) now. One key place to check was along parish boundaries, where a path might be cut off arbitrarily because one place listed it on their map in the 1950s, but the neighbouring council did not. Where we found what looked like missing paths, we’d trace them onto the map and submit them to the database. This process turned up almost fifty thousand miles of potential lost ways! Now, having mapped so many paths, the next step of the project is to start sorting them out. This is also being done online by volunteers. Which paths are higher or lower priority? Which “lost” paths fix obvious dead ends or create good links in the current path network? Which routes assist with access to sites of interest and open access land? Which are “non-starters” because they have been completely built over? Which ones have been accidentally traced on a current right of way or another map feature like a county boundary? This sorting will help the Don’t Lose Your Way team decide which paths to focus on when it comes to doing further research and putting in claims for the paths. I’ve been spending a bit of time going through the online map and categorising routes. Some of the categorisations have been pretty easy and clear (routes that I know from personal use, ways that give access to otherwise isolated bits of open access land, paths that are now under reservoirs, or paths that have clearly just been diverted around a field are good examples) while others are more difficult (it’s hard to decide if a particular path should be a “high” or “medium” priority if I don’t know an area well or at all). But generally I’ve found it quite a soothing way to spend a quiet hour of down time - while also making a small contribution to a wonderful cultural asset that has given me so much joy over the years. Sussex Diamond Way The Sussex Diamond Way is a 60 mile, waymarked path in East Sussex, running from Heathfield in the east to Midhurst in the west. The route was created by the Sussex Ramblers in 1995 to mark their 60th anniversary (hence 60 miles) and it takes in some of the varied, picturesque local landscapes - kind of like the low weald equivalent to the High Weald Landscape Trail. Twenty five years after the route’s creation, it was time to refresh the path with a full survey and new markers to guide walkers on their way. The Sussex Ramblers put out a call in 2020 for volunteers to help waymark sections of the route. I’ve wanted to do some of this kind of volunteering for a while (I’ve also previously been a local footpath secretary for a nearby parish, and done quite a few other bits of Ramblers volunteering), so of course I said yes. I was slow to start and complete the actual waymarking what with the winter lockdown, cruddy weather and intense busy-ness at work and with life in general. However, starting in spring I managed to go out with Dan on a few different weekends and evenings to walk our section. We also went to do some waymarking in Ashdown Forest, before realising it wasn’t our patch and it had already been well marked out. We walked quite slowly, making sure every written direction was correct - going both ways - and affixing the markers to fingerposts and marker posts (and only those posts - not to gates, stiles and other path furniture, which belong to the landowners rather than the council). It was also surprisingly tiring, especially when affixing markers higher than my shoulders over and over again. (Thanks for your help, Dan!) I’d seen a couple of markers for this path over the years, and noticed it on lists of long distance paths in Sussex, but I’d never purposefully gone out to walk any of it. More fool me - it’s a really beautiful trail. Just in our short stretch, we found broadleaf woodlands full of bird life, farm tracks with friendly sheep, art and sculptures in gardens, meadows churning with butterflies, a viaduct and bridleways along quiet back lanes. And further west, of course, the path goes through Ashdown Forest, which is always high on the list for visitors to the area. If we had been staying in East Sussex for longer, I would definitely have added this to the list of trails to walk in full. Oh well, something to do when we come back to the UK! If you’d like to get involved, you can check out Slow Ways here and Don’t Lose Your Way here. I also highly encourage UK walkers to join the Ramblers - those paths don’t open, maintain, fight for and walk themselves! Facing another locked-down birthday, my friend Erin Kyan decided to hold a postal zine fair for his party! Erin sent out two templates for aspiring zinesters to use, then he and his partner printed and folded many, many, many zines to send out to friends. My parcel is waiting in Australia - I'm looking forward to seeing all the hard copy zines when we get back there in a couple of months. In the meantime, I'm enjoying the digital versions. Erin also had a live stream to go through all the zines, but it was at 3am UK time, so I had to watch it the following day. I made a zine for the party! I'd just been on a wonderful three-day walk with my friend Gemma over the South Downs, meandering slowly from Brighton to Eastbourne. We aimed to take it easy and really soak up the atmosphere, only walking about 12km/7.5mi per day. Our main preparation seemed to be bringing way more food than we needed. It was delicious, and we weren't carrying camping gear, so I'm not complaining! One thing I'd wanted to do on the walk was to make some art along the way, so I took my sketchbook and a pen and did some contour drawings. In the technique I like to use, you look at the subject of your drawing but not at the paper while you use one continuous line to draw what is in front of you. It's a fun way to make you slow down and really look at whatever is in front of you, and the results are often kind of surprising. My sketchbook is square and the zine format is oblong, so these are crops of photos of the images. Usually I spend about 5-10minutes on each drawing, so it's not a huge time commitment when walking or travelling in general. It often takes me a couple of drawings to get into the swing of things - and some scenes are trickier than others. Anyway, the walk was fun and making the little zine was fun, and Erin's idea for a postal zine fair for his birthday was super fun! I just thought I'd share something I've been up to in addition to packing up our lives and getting ready to move to the other side of the world! One of the things I enjoyed on this trip was crossing over with so many of our other outings and adventures, like walking the Sussex Ouse Valley Way, sleeping on the South Downs after a thunderstorm and, although not the same bit of the South Downs, carrying on the idea of enjoying slow walks. It was a fitting and slightly bittersweet goodbye to an area I have learnt and loved and feel really connected to. Well, here it is: possibly the gear-nerdiest thing I’ll ever buy. The Tarptent ProTrail Li. Yeah, I spent that much on an ultralight tent. This will eventually be a comprehensive review, as I didn’t find too many when I was researching. (NB: Here's a thread from Australian owners, which might be useful to others considering this tent.) I will add to the review (and add more pics) as I spend more time with/in the tent. If you have questions that I don’t cover here, feel free to leave a comment and I’ll try to answer it. What I won’t do is give my own weight measurements, as I don’t have a sensitive scale. If you’re wanting the specs, they are on the Tarptent website. In brief, the tent weighs a bit over 450g, not including stakes, extra cords, etc. Pre-ProTrail Li life Before I get into the realities of the shelter, I thought I'd share some of the considerations and concerns I had before getting the tent. For other people thinking about it (or a similar tent), I hope this might help. Also, I thought a lot about it, and what's the point of all that agonising if I don't record it?! Do I really need another shelter? There’s a reason I didn't buy a 1 person tent sooner. Between the two of us we already have:
Why this tent? I wanted something:
I also wanted to try something in Dyneema (aka DCF, aka Cuben Fibre). Dyneema has really taken off in the USA with hikers and in the cottage industry of ultralight gear as it is super lightweight, tough and extremely waterproof. It doesn’t sag in the rain, which is one of my pet peeves with pretty much every shelter I’ve used, and it doesn’t wet through. For ages, I’ve been looking at all the Zpacks tents on hiking YouTube and pondering the pros and cons of designs. The Duplex is kind of a classic, and I thought I might eventually go for that. I held off because it was so expensive and because Zpacks customer service has an … uneven … reputation, which is not something I wanted to deal with if I was having issues with a tent while in another country. And then I heard whispers that Tarptent was now doing Dyneema versions of their tents. I headed over to their website and the ProTrail Li (ProTrail = the design, Li = Dyneema version) immediately caught my eye. I’d been saying to Dan that what I wanted was “basically a tarp with bugproofing”, and this seemed to be it. Considerations Because the ProTrail Li is a relatively new tent and lots of people have been in lockdown since it came out, there aren’t that many detailed, longer-term user reviews. I specifically sought out critical reviews to help me understand the issues I might encounter. It’s an extremely expensive tent (for me), so I wanted to be sure. Here are the things people mentioned and/or that I specifically worried about, which you might want to consider when making your decision.
With all that in mind, I spent another week or two agonising over whether I should press the ‘order’ button... ProTrail Li: first (and second) impressions Obviously, I bought the tent. And then I sat back to wait. I used the cheaper shipping option, expecting it to take a couple of months to get to me. But in the end, it took less than 2 weeks! I immediately set it up on the lawn. The next day, having mulled over some of the issues I encountered, I tried again. A few thoughts on unboxing and pitching...
On the features and feel of the tent...
All in all, this was a successful start. I was pleased with my research, which had let me know what kinds of issues to expect (e.g. the wind, needing to practice/fiddle to get a really good pitch), and had given me a good idea of any limitations of the shelter. As I said, one of my main concerns had been about width/space, especially at the narrow end, but that seemed fine. I enjoyed being in the tent, and it felt like just what I wanted - a tarp with a bit of extra protection. I look forward to seeing how it goes when I’m using it for real! Life with the ProTrail LiFIRST OVERNIGHT TRIP As promised - an update! My first overnight (technically 2 overnights) with the Tarptent ProTrail Li was in June 2021 at a well maintained campsite beside the River Rother. The weather was hot and dry during the day (good for swimming!) and very damp overnight (lots of atmospheric mist - no rain). There was a little breeze when I was setting up and very little wind after that. We were camping with friends and had the car, so I only had my sleeping gear and a few bits and pieces in the tent. I achieved a good pitch, as I had plenty of time to work on it, the ground was flat and the grass was short. I pitched with the low end into the wind (by holding the foot end of the tent and letting it blow in the direction it wanted). Having practiced pitching another couple of times after my initial post, I have decided that extending the front pole to around 130cm (rather than the 125cm recommended) helps make the bathtub floor a little more tub-like. I used the front guy-out and a couple of the side ones due to the breeze when pitching, but I probably didn’t need the side ones. I think using the front one helps get a tauter ridgeline. The combo of campsite location and weather meant that there was condensation inside and outside the tent before I even got into it. However, the tent is wide enough that this wasn’t an issue for me or my sleeping bag - I didn’t really brush up on the inside very much. This was a concern of mine, so I’m pleased with the outcome. There was not enough condensation to drip down the inside, so I’m still not sure how well the mesh would work. The tent dried off very quickly in the warmth once the sun was out. SECOND OVERNIGHT TRIP My second overnight was the following weekend when I went on a D of E practice expedition with some students and teachers at my workplace. The weather forecast was for heavy rain and thunder all afternoon and evening, but in reality we only had a couple of hours of solid rain at the end of the walk and when we were first in camp. There was barely any wind. The campsite had longer, slightly tufty grass and was beside some sort of waterway (we could hear it) and nature reserve at the foot of the South Downs. I left my wet shoes and bag in the enormous foyer of one of the other tents (could have fit my ProTrail Li in that foyer at least twice over!), but had my sleeping gear, food and clothes in with me. (Also, I carried the tent in my bag for the hike during the second outing, standing it lengthways in my pack - not sure if I'd get it to fit horizontally without a bit more time/energy/patience when rolling it up!) My pitch wasn’t as good this time, probably because it was drizzling and getting dark, and the campsite wasn’t as level. I used my new (birthday) trekking poles, and I think I might need to extend the shorter one a bit to get a better pitch as it’s a few centimetres shorter than my old ones when collapsed. I used the front guy out and also staked the front two extra guy outs for good measure (again, probably didn’t need them). While it wasn’t the best looking pitch, it did the trick. I didn’t get wet and I was relatively comfortable. I also used the clip above the door to hang my torch as I was getting ready for bed, which worked well. The only reason I didn’t scamper off into the luxury of one of the bigger tents on offer was that I wanted to test the ProTrail Li in the wet. In the end there was only a brief shower overnight. I did notice that (with my dodgy pitching), some water ran off the outer then ran along the mesh before dripping down, but it didn’t come inside. With more things in the tent and long grass distorting the floor I was more prone to pushing down the sides of the bathtub, which is something to keep an eye on in future. We didn’t have the time (or the weather) for me to leave the tent up to dry out, so I had to pack it wet. When I took it out at home, the tent bag had lots of water in it - but none had got into my bag... the tent bag is also made of DCF and living up to its waterproof reputation! So, I've now had the tent out in damp and rainy conditions and it's been fine. I keep forgetting that I'm used to a tarp and so most of the issues I'm encountering (e.g. making sure not to wriggle around too much and end up on wet grass) aren't new. Anyway, so far, so good. TWO NIGHTS IN THE BUSH My first Australian outing in the Tarptent ProTrail Li was at the start of March 2022, at a bush campground on Wurundjeri Country near Kinglake, Victoria. The first night was warm, still and muggy. The second night had very heavy rain almost all the way through, but was also quite still.
It was a lovely, relaxing camp with friends, and the tent kept me relatively dry and comfortable. I think I’ve said before, but the Tarptent Protrail Li is easy to pitch, but it’s difficult to pitch really well. We were in a sheltered site and there was no wind to speak of. In rainy and windy conditions, it might have been a very different story! Heysen TrailI walked (most of!) the Heysen Trail in August and September 2022. I was out there for over 50 days, and spent 14 nights in my tent. (Other nights were spent in huts, shelters, cabins, pubs, a hostel, a B&B and an Airbnb.) What went well:
What didn’t go so well:
I initially bought the ProTrail Li with this trip in mind. So, was it worth the expense? I carried the tent for the whole walk and only used it for a quarter of the nights. On the one hand, it was definitely worth it, because I would have resented lugging a much heavier tent around and only using it one night in four. On the other hand, maybe I would have camped more if I’d had a tent that was roomier, more comfortable, easier to pitch/freestanding, sturdier and/or double walled. We endured some pretty shitty weather for a lot of the walk, and I had a lot of anxiety about shelter. I altered my course a few times and spent a lot more money on accommodation than I expected due to this. Perhaps if I’d had a different tent, this wouldn’t have been such a concern. But ultimately, the tent worked and I didn’t have any disasters. I loved seeing it set up as I cooked dinner on the few peaceful evenings I enjoyed. Home! Another way of asking the question: when I do the Heysen Trail again, will I take a different tent? Haha. When? Again? Don’t make me laugh! Honestly, having some familiarity with the trail, and with the activity of walking for 6 weeks, would make it such a different experience. (It’s comparable to doing a PhD, in that only doing a PhD could truly prepare you for what’s in store.) Having an idea of what to expect, and now knowing that the ProTrail Li can hold up to quite a bit of weather, I’d probably feel a lot more comfortable overall. But I wouldn’t mind trying out other tents… I guess I’ll have to plan more long walks so I can justify the cost! Final comments Let’s talk about the factors I considered before buying the tent as well as the things I noticed in my first few pitches, and give a short update on them with the perspective of longer-term use.
This will likely be the last update I post for this review until/unless I decide to get another tent, as I don’t think I’ll have much more to say on the matter. I hope that this in-depth review has been helpful if you’re thinking about a new tent and are considering the Tarptent ProTrail Li. I do review things, occasionally, and will always make it clear when something has been provided to me for free or at a discount for review purposes. This tent was definitely not provided for free or at a discount (other than the Blem discount available to any purchaser when in stock).
Well, that pandemic certainly happened and is continuing to happen. I had great plans to post here every month, but that fell by the wayside. Here are some things I've done this year.
Audio
Craft
I decided in January that I'd try to do a bit of crochet this year... now it is out of control! Having not done anything other than granny squares and a couple of other amateurish attempts at furnishings in the past, I ended up learning a bunch of new stitches, joining some workshops (pre-lockdown), learning how to read a pattern, learning Tunisian crochet and making:
Art
During the proper lockdown (the first one), I had a daily drawing session with a friend in Melbourne via Zoom. This meant that every morning I would sit down and draw for about half an hour before I had to log in to work. This was probably the nicest thing to come out of lockdown. I really saw an improvement in my drawings over the 5-ish months of practicing every day, and I had a lot of fun doing it. Since then, we still do weekend sessions. The things this short daily practice really helped with were overcoming the fear of the blank page, overcoming the need for perfection, and allowing experimentation. Things that never change: not knowing what to draw! It was also really, really nice to have a low-key social element every day.
Sea swimming
As summer kicked in, we wanted to make the most of our proximity to the beach so we drove down whenever the weather was good. I bobbed around and floated and played in the breakers and did somersaults in the water. We usually went early in the morning, before work, to avoid any crowds - but to be honest, people were pretty good at keeping distanced. A couple of times our friend met us and we spent longer on the beach and got chips for lunch. Good times. My final sea swim was in September on the way home from work (schools are open again now), during golden hour as the setting sun lit up the white cliffs at Birling Gap. That was probably my stand-out visual memory of the year - it's when I took the pic at the start of this post!
Travel
Misc
All things considered, with the exception of the fear and grief of the fires in Gippsland at the start of the year, 2020 has not been terrible for me. Nobody close to us has died of the virus, which is kind of astonishing given that 1 in 1000 people in the UK have died of "Covid-involved" causes (that's 1 in 1000 people, not 1 in 1000 deaths). Dan and I are very lucky that we have both kept our jobs and that lockdown life doesn't affect us too badly. It was actually quite nice not having to go to work during the first lockdown (we saved a lot of petrol money and 2hrs a day on the commute!). Apart from not being able to go on our two planned international holidays, it's mostly just been a case of just not seeing many friends/family in person, not going to restaurants and not doing our monthly group walks. But as I say, we're the lucky ones, especially given the complete ethical failure of the UK government to care for its population.
I hope you have managed to have as good a year as possible given the circumstances. Here's to a better 2021.
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July 2022
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