- Start date: 26 June 2017
- Age When Completed: 28
- Direction Walked: North to South
General Comments
Excellent facilities and Track markings (for the most part - some of the markings were somewhat dubious but generally excellent).
Food/Supplies Comments
Dehydrated and vacuum sealed my own dinners, had cereals with powdered milk vacuum sealed for breakfasts. Bought salami and cheeses for lunches in Track towns. Had amazing meals and plenty of beers in all the towns.
Favourite Section
Karri forests and south coast.
Highlights
The karri forests, seeing 2 emus getting amorous in DRV, seeing the Southern Ocean, and almost getting swept out to sea while crossing a chest deep, very fast flowing Torbay inlet. Oh and the pub meals and copious beers in towns. And only sharing a shelter once (and only seeing 7 people on the Track) between Possum Springs and Albany. Having swims at the dam at Schafer campsite, the river at Dog Pool and a freshwater stream at Mandalay Beach were freezing but incredibly invigorating experiences!
Personal Reactions
The lack of people on the Track after Collie gave a fantastic sense of isolation and self-reliance. The north end of the Track had a couple of -5 degree nights and the weather was bloody awful on the south coast (lots of rain and hail) which made the sense of accomplishment even greater. I also lost 15kg, which is pretty good for 47 days!
Wildlife
Birds, emus, kangaroos, foxes, rabbits, angry cows, frogs, marron (some up to 8 inches in length, swimming in puddles on the Pingerup Plains) dolphins and a baby sea turtle.
Your Best Equipment
My Scarpa (SL Activ) boots (0 blisters for the whole trip despite having wet feet for days at a time), and hiking poles. Soto Windmaster stove and home-made pot cosy (made from car windscreen sun visor - that bubble wrap stuff inside silver foil) combo also deserve an honourable mention for making a 230g gas bottle last a full 10 days (only used 3.5 gas bottles for the whole trip).
Your Worst Equipment
The 1.6kg textbook on igneous and metamorphic petrology that I carried from Kalamunda to Sullivan Rock for some “light reading”
Advice for Others
A bag larger than 55 litres in not necessary. Pack light but make sure you have enough to be comfortable. Definitely carry spare bootlaces and small cable ties for repairs.