Nick B
- Start date: 10 September 2020
- Age When Completed: 27
- Direction Walked: North to South
General Comments
Absolute blast - the quality of weather and scenery only beaten by the people you meet out there. We are unbelievably lucky to have this track in our backyard.
Food/Supplies Comments
Resupplied entirely in the track towns and no issues with this whatsoever. The pace I was walking meant no food drops were necessary.
Would happily do that again if needed, but seeing others with their own dehydrated meals made me jealous so will have to try that next time!
Favourite Section
Extremely difficult to answer, if I had to say it would probably be the last couple of days North of Pemberton, Beavis onwards.
That being said, not one section that I disliked the whole way.
Highlights
Hitting the coast at Mandalay Beach definitely stuck with me, after the days of wading between Gardner Campsite and Walpole it was heavenly to put my feet in the ocean. Also just reminded me how far I had walked from Kalamunda!
Personal Reactions
Less bad times than I anticipated, the mixture of good company and weather meant that I was enjoying myself in a way that I rarely do in my day to day life. Nothing like waking up every day with no other intention but to walk.
Bittersweet feelings in the last 100km or so, keen to see friends and family but disappointing for the walk to end so quickly.
Wildlife
Flowers obviously insane this time of year and made of some excellent scenery along the way. Glad I don’t suffer from hay-fever!
Plenty of friendly animals but the last section was dominated by snakes, snakes and more snakes! No issues here but needed to constantly be on the look out, especially with the sunny weather I had in the last couple of days into Albany.
Your Best Equipment
Altra Timp trail runners - lasted me the whole trail, no foot issues and the only blisters I ever got were after the long sections of wading in puddles.
Backpack: Atom Packs Prospector 50L - lightweight, comfortable and let barely any water in. Very happy with it and carried all of my gear with the huge food loads necessary when my appetite increased!
Your Worst Equipment
Have to say my sleeping pad, the pad itself is not bad, just too small for me. was too narrow and made for some restless nights tossing and turning. Investing in a bigger pad for next time!
Advice for Others
Do it! Prepare and do your research, but once you stop stressing about the more daunting aspects of long distance hiking and just get out there it all becomes much easier.
Try out your gear beforehand! Met and heard stories of many people having to drastically change what they carried realising how too much/little they had when they first started.