Bibbulmun Track: Part 5 Possum Springs to Collie – delirium strikes – end to end thruhike
Day 18. (In Noongar language) Kaya koorda. Kaya moorditj koorda - Hello strong solid friends. It is day 18 and we are moorditj - strong and solid - walking in kambarang (the season) in Noongar boodja (land / country of the Noongar people) 6 a.m after yesterday's cool morning and stonking (hot) afternoon, we like these early starts. Let's see how we go Yourdamung here we come! Definitely in the land of the white flower at the moment There's a rave of white wildflowers! Once again, though, it looks like we're walking along a flat road, flat trail. I'll see if...
(panting with exertion) That didn't really look like it was going up, either, did it? Had a little railway formation to head along and now we're on a nice little climb for a warm up About 18 and a half km or so to Yourdamong campsite I hope that's how you pronounce it! I don't know why I'm doing this to camera piece walking up the hill! I should be using the sticks And, anyway, it won't be so hot today maybe, I think it's getting to 25 or 26. But there is a surprise at camp for us... There's, uh, there's no toilet, apparently! It's full! It's been full for a couple of weeks, or a month. So, yeah, on we go... On on! (music plays) Look at the colours here - the ochre of the track, purple and white rave of flowers, black and green of the trees, and blue sky. All the glossy new growth! (Creaky and crunchy hiking sounds and chatter) Oh, bye honey! There she goes! Gorgeous yellow kind of everlastings Howie and Bob are way up ahead. I just had my encounter, my experience of seeing the kangaroo. It was lovely - didn't seem too bothered
Take a look at this. I love the way this is so glossy - shining in the light Must move on! FLIES! Check 'em out. The flies, they're all over the camera! There's one now! Ha ha. FLIES! (music plays) Look at this fella here He's had a hard life - this one that's bent over Time to get the brollies out - get a bit of shade Heading in towards camp pretty soon - well, another few km This fire landscape is pretty dramatic. You can just see the destruction. But
every, single tree... well, maybe every second then... ...it's coming back, and coming back, coming back. If you want to muse on the cycles of life It's quite the place to think about death and dying, isn't it? That which dies, is renewed again and again, in this bush and the old stuff... gives harbour to the new... feeds it...
brings it on. So, what initially looks devastating... is really part of the cycle - a continuing, living cycle. I'll tell you what else is living... the FLIES! They're really alive here Tell me what you don't like, Howie. Well, first of all, I just sneezed with the fly net on! And the reason i've got a flynet on, is because of all these flies.
So, I just went for a whiz, over there in the bush. Having a look around, (ha ha) enjoying the scenery... (laughing) I looked down. It's not when fun when you look down and you see a fly on.. on your wang!! Ha ha! Honestly! On your wang! All right, well, we're going to go over there Where that Waugal (the track marker) goes. There's probably some flies over there! I reckon there might be a couple Aw, an impossibly cute hiker! And this breeze, I tell you, is a balm for the soul! You can still see these flowers wiggling and waving in the breeze So improbable! They just seem too delicate for this place This place is rugged, and in parts, well, like this, it's desolate. Oh, the shade! So grateful for small things - shade, delicate flowers, a log to sit on A log to sit on in the shade with a cool breeze - I'll tell you, that's something! Hang on, we've got to have a quick look at this, because there's some cowslip orchids there, just hiding away Boom badaboom! Yes, so it's the name of the game: be grateful for small comforts, be grateful for... colour... and the wind... and the shade... grateful for shelter and water...
I haven't found a way to be grateful for this, though... Look at them FLIES! Oh flies! (Image shows campmates - Ludo, Matthew, Kyria, Howie, Kath, Bob, Mathieu & Kazuyo) (music plays) Hi, good morning. Morning of day 19. Going from Yourdamung camp to Harris. We survived the no toilet Yourdamung camp, which apparently has been out - it's had no toilet for almost a year now! Yourdamung! (Kath corrects Howie's pronunciation) Quite a busy little campsite that one. There was us and Bob, Mathieu and Kaza
and then a few coming through for a... they're on a three-day hike. Kyria, Matthew and ...F@#! (Ludo!) Ludo!! l thought I was going to remember everyone's name there Nice easy day today, I think. It's going to be about 14km. Last hut before we get into Collie and we'll have a day off there and a resupply. A bit overcast which makes for good walking. Should only... I think it's getting up to about 23 (degrees) today. Really nice easy day. In fact, when you walk through these she-oaks and walk on the she-oak pine needles...
lovely! Cool! Oh well, see you later! Kaya koorda - hello friends. It's day 19. And blessed be - what a lovely day for... Fewer flies, an overcast sky and a forest through which to walk today! Slept in until 5 30. Those who know me well, will realise how ridiculous that sounds, when normally I stay awake until two! But it's different here on trail, in nature, living on her time! So softly, softly we move towards Harris. It's only about 14 kilometres, so we will be able to collect ourselves in camp - maybe even play some cards . (music plays) Surely by now, our camp friends from the previous night - Kyria and Matthew and Ludo - Hi! - have found what we like to call a rave of trigger plants, and have done the appropriate dance because the other name for these trigger plants -in our vernacular - is 'Big Pants, Happy Hands' - 'Big Pants, Happy Hands' - Big Pants, Happy Hands' - 'Big Pants, Happy Hands' Inspired by the Mighty Boosh Everybody do this - 'Big Pants, Happy Hands'! and they would also have done this... They would have.. which one? Oh let's go for a big one. Big one over here. Okay
so they would also have tested its trigger. Now, you can see here... Firstly on the outside, we can see the big pants, and up here the happy hands but, in the crotch of the pant, one can see the trigger So i'm gonna go and touch it here, and oh boom boom! Up went the trigger! I hope you saw that We'll zoom in on that. Do another one here? Yeah, hold on. This one here. Again big pants and the trigger is in the crotch. You might want to come above it. I'm gonna... oh the wind! Boop! Trigger! It's spring here in Mordor (music plays) So we're at Harris Dam and this is the track out to the toilet They're usually away from the camp a little bit, and the hut, which is good. But this one in particular it's got a great little track. Little signs let you know you're on the right way
and walk between the two trees, up past the big fallen log pass the big burnt out stump and just in case you thought you were on the wrong path, another marker, just to let you know all's good. You keep going and keep going and there she is the throne room! (music plays) Morning on day 20 and breakfast -crackers, coffee, and a peanut butter. (Bob) What more could you want? Morning on day, day 20. It's a big day today, yeah. Walking into Collie and get to have a
have a zero (day off) tomorrow. Get to have a shower tonight. Maybe two! Hit the 300km yesterday - 300 kilometres by the time we got to Harris Dam campsite last night. Um what else? Something else - Got our first little bit of rain last night. Tent held up well It's made everything nice and fresh this morning. Yeah, just the the smell out here is brilliant!
Packed away a wet tent, but that's all good - we'll get to dry it out in the hotel room Kaya koorda, hello friends! Good morning and we've stumbled upon fairyland. Take a look here Fairy folk and you can see where someone's left a little message (beautiful bird song) There's a swan asleep! (music plays) Bridge! 'Hiking: The Musical'! It's 'Town Day' Gonna get a shower (on town day), we're gonna get a feed (on town day) we're gonna find a laundry (on town day) get everything we need on town day - town day! - town day! - town day! How about you, Bob? gonna check my socials (on town day) gonna make some calls (on town day) gonna drink some cold beer (on town day) and something that rhymes with calls on town day - town day! - town day! - town day! How about you, Kaz? gonna fix my feet up (on town day) gonna buy some tape (on town day) gonna get some new socks (on town day) and something that rhymes with tape! (dissolves into laughter) Gonna call my mother (mother) tell her it's been rough (so rough) I am sick of couscous (couscous) and ramen's not enough (no no) will she send some money or give me a pep talk cause when I've had a few beers I'll know it's time to walk and I'll be ready! 'cause we'll have town day - town day - di-di-da-da-dadah - town day - ba-da-ba-da-dah - town day - da-da-da-da-da-dah - on town day - town day (repeat and fade!) Just heading along this track for about another kilometre and then Bob's support team apparently are gonna be there and we're gonna jump aboard and get a quick little ride into Collie. It's just a few km that we're knocking off. It's a road walk, anyway, so we're just... it's all good to ride into town, on town day! That hiker hunger, it's getting a bit much Mmmmmm. What are you thinking of? What am I thinking of? What kind of food? Definitely want some sort of eggs
Yeah, eggs. We think the place we're staying at actually does eggs benedict so uh eggs benedict with the side order of hollandaise sauce and a straw! (With heaps of veggies) Yeah, yeah we'll get veggies later Nice little double track to walk along to finish off today and then got a day off tomorrow. Do a bit of laundry, got a resupply box to pick up -resupply and... New shorts! New SD cards, because i'm just about out
A bit of shopping - more socks for Kath. I might buy some more chocolate and lollies ooh, ice cream - definitely getting an ice cream this time. I gave a pair of socks away that's right. Yeah, if you're wondering about the socks Okay see you later Hey! Getting our little cheat ride in with Bob's support crew - Brian and Judy there. You'll see them a bit later Look how fast we're going! Vrroooomm! Colliefields! Woop woop! Woop wooo! (Picture shows Kath, Mathieu, Kazuyo, Bob, Brian, Judy & Howie at a Chinese restaurant having a smashing feed!) Off to dinner on our rest day in Collie fire in the distance hopefully just a burn off we're not going that way, anyway, so lucky. That's where we came from
It is going to be a hot, hot day tomorrow. yeah going up to 34, so we're gonna head off early and then the next few days are going to be raining so it's a bit of a mixed bag. Should be good. Four days to Balingup Beautiful Balingup! Looking forward to that - love it - and we're just about to go out to dinner I think a table of 10, yes. Collecting a few folks around us and a delicious (hopefully delicious) Thai meal and I've got a new shirt that I picked up at the op shop to wear while doing the washing and I'm gonna keep it, actually, so you may see it more often. Cool - town shirt! Fancy!! We'll see you on the track tomorrow
2021-04-21 02:47
