Ethan Robartson
- Start date: 22 June 2019
- Age When Completed: 19
- Direction Walked: North to South
- Others in Group:
Nelson Moore
General Comments
The serenity great. The huts picturesque. The nature astounding. The variety overwhelming. Soul crushing and soul rejuvenating - how it should be!
Food/Supplies Comments
Peanut butter and Oreo sandwiches are the way to go! Pick up a loaf of white-bread in town and thank us later.
Favourite Section
No favourite sections, but some favourite areas. I loved the huts at Beedelup, Rame Head, Blackwood and Dog Pool, their surrounding areas.
Highlights
- Rest-days with clear skies and warm fires
- Swimming in the freezing lakes
- Walking into the karri forests for the first time
- Touching the ocean again
- Waking up with a huntsman on my chest
- Getting to our last campsite after a full day of walking (24km) and realizing it was destroyed by a fire over a year ago.
Personal Reactions
Many tears and even more laughs. It was great to push and test my boundaries - physically and mentally - and I think I’m stronger for it now. I had much love for the simplicity to life the track offers.
Wildlife
Awesome small birds - fantails, splendid wrens and robins were our favourites. Great sea life, we saw several whales, a colony of seals, and even (very sadly) a beached orca. We found the quacking frogs hilarious. Some novel spotting, such as a hooded plovers, and a wedge-tailed eagle.
Your Best Equipment
$2 disposable ponchos. They kept us drier than our proper rain-jackets, and didn’t get too hot. They were also big enough to fit over our packs too, and if you take care of them they can last you the whole time.
Your Worst Equipment
My shoulders. I’d recommend investing in a good pair.
Advice for Others
Go at your own pace. Observe the life of the forest around you. Enjoy your food. Appreciate the track and those things at home we can take for granted.