The Last Leg of the Track

Today I had a whole list of things to do; they are still on my list.  I have done next to nothing.  After returning from yet another get-away on Tuesday I had vowed to have a, 'day off' and until today without success.  There has been Mel's GP appointment and shopping on Wednesday. Our 38th wedding anniversary to celebrate yesterday.  Today Merv has gone to his day centre.  They are off to lunch in the hills and I am finally having my day-off.  I sat and watched a favourite movie.  I laughed, I cried, I enjoyed.  I went down and bought potting mix from a local store and did the washing.  I had a glass of Margaret River wine with my lunch and enjoyed the warm breeze outside while I indulged.  I didn't do any exercise, housework, extra shopping or emailing.  I am having a break!
I can't remember the last day I had a lazy day.  I have been constantly on the run.

Cape to Cape post & wildflowers

Merv went into respite Monday 20th October and I was away on the Thursday for the last leg of the Cape to Cape track.  I completed stage 1 of the trek in April 2013 and the second leg of the trek in April 2014.  It is 135kms long. Stage 3 overs approx. 60kms.  My training: On Tuesday I walked up and down 300 steps and on Monday afternoon and Wednesday morning I walked 6kms on our fabulous Perth sandy soft beaches.  The group hike begins 24 October until Sunday 26 October.  The private bus picked us up from Perth Thursday afternoon and drove us to the quaint country town of Margaret River.  Our group of eleven met together for dinner before heading out early the next morning for Gracetown, from where we walked to the mouth of Margaret River.  It was an easy day.  The weather was warm and we were presented with an ongoing abundant display of wildflowers.  The colours and variety were amazing.  We spied a bob tail lizard lazing in the sun just off the path and a 1.5m brown snake (poisonous) slithering across open grass near the Ellensbrook historic house. The day was pleasant but we were hoping our driver would confirm we could cross over the mouth of the Margaret River.  If not, it was a long walk back and an added 3kms on top.  I spoke to the driver by mobile phone while we sat and ate our lunch, he did not sound concerned and was adamant we would be able to cross without concern.

First day easy walking

Our view from the cliff tops

Before 4pm we reached the mouth of  Margaret River only to find the river flowing strongly and nowhere was it safe to cross.  We said little but we all knew we would not be crossing on foot.  One of the walkers spoke to a man in a canoe who was paddling to our side of the river.  He was happy to ferry us all across, which is exactly what he did!  He refused payment stating he had 'borrowed' the canoe to ferry his wife across as the river. The current had suddenly became stronger and like us had been stranded. We were all very grateful to be across safely and dry! My feet were sore after today but finishing the walk was my only priority.  I bandaged my sore toes ready for day 2. 


Being ferried across in the canoe 



The following day threatened rain and as usual I had a disposable rain coat tucked in my backpack.  As we were headed out of the magnificent Karri forest laden with wildflowers of every colour and type (even the donkey orchid was photographed) the heavens opened up the rain poured down!  Out came the raincoats and one man plucked an umbrella from his backpack!  We laughed and nicknamed him, 'Mr Poppins!'  I have never seen a hiker with a brolley before!  The Karri forest led us onto the beach and a 6.5kms walk to Hamelin Bay where we stopped for lunch before another short walk along the beach and back into the sand dunes before reaching our pick-up destination.

2nd day Karri forest walking

Day 2 - beginning our 6.5km beach trek

Our last full day began where we had finished and soon we were on the beach ready to tackle the huge rocks and goat track which ran above the jagged rocks below.  We could see the Leeuwin lighthouse in the distance and the book pointed out our goal today is getting to the lighthouse!  At this time it appeared as a matchstick in size. Most of the goats track was easy to access while other places we had to grab a tree branch and pull ourselves over or under to stay firmly on the track.  the book pointed out it is important to be fit to complete this section of the track.  I was hoping! The goats track was finally completed but we were not out of the 'woods' yet!  A large area of high rocks stood between us and the beach ahead.  We scrambled over them without incident (but not without fear on my part!)  This led us off the 7kms stretch of beach and into the sand dunes and a grassed area to sit and eat our lunchbox style lunches. 

Kangaroo Paw (WA flower emblem) growing wild in the bush

Just a couple of the amazing wildflowers seen

So many rocks and cliffs!

Keeping the lighthouse in view all day

As we trudged through the vegetation which dwarfed us in size and kept the view of the lighthouse from us we continued to enjoy the amazing wildflowers.  Today we saw our first banksias and a tiny birds flitting around the high bushes.  Finally we were on a dirt road and the lighthouse loomed ahead of us.  We signed the Cape to Cape book and headed for the end of the track while continuing to scramble over rocks and beach sand.  The track finishes before the lighthouse, which I wasn't aware of at the time. Finally we were there and we celebrated with a glass of champagne, a certificate of completion and dinner tonight in Margaret River.  I am still overawed at my achievement.  I am so glad I did the final leg of the track. 

More photos and story can be seen on our fundraising Facebook page:
 https://www.facebook.com/walkforhuntingtons

Also on the Travel With Me Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Travel-with-Me/325519741110

Celebrating the finish of the Cape to Cape track (at last!)

The Big Cram

Queensland has the Big Pineapple, New South Wales has the Big Banana and I had the, 'Big Cram!'
Four holidays of sorts crammed into two weeks and one holiday yet to come.  Just like the song, it sounded like a good idea at the time!

It started off well with the holiday to Pemberton with Mel.  Back to Perth late afternoon and at the airport the next day with my friend heading to
Adelaide.  I caught up with my brother and his wife while just there for one night and my friend caught up with an Aunty of hers.  The next day we boarded the Ghan, for a two and a half day train journey from Adelaide to Darwin.  It is a direct route into the heart and outback of Australia.  The Ghan was named after the Afghans who took their camels into the desert outback so many years ago before trains and cars were used. 

Breakfast option with nuts and cooked Quandong

Our journey was unlike any other holiday.  The train rattled and rolled while we sat in the lounge car drinking champagne and chatting to other passengers. We drank a lot of champagne! All our food and drinks were included in the cost of our train ticket.  At dinner time staff converted the lounge in our tiny cabin to a bed and pulled down the top bunk.  At breakfast the staff converted it back to a day lounge.  Each meal provided three choices, many of them with a flavour of the bush.  Kangaroo fillet, Quandong, wild mushroom, damper.  We spent most of our time on the tracks in the lounge car chatting and playing board games.  The landscape continued to change throughout the day.  Most of the time the vegetation was sparse and the river beds dry.  It is the end of the dry season in the north of Australia and the wet season is soon to come.  The train slowed as we crossed from South Australia to the Northern Territory.  Everyone crammed the window space snapping away with their cameras and smart phones. 

Beautiful Katherine Gorge

The Ghan stopped at both Alice Springs and later at Katherine.  A tour of each place was included in our ticket.  It was my first time at both places and I rejoiced in the opportunity to stop and explore.  It was 40 degrees in Alice Springs.  The heat was dry while in Katherine the humidity was high. I did the town tour in Alice and the Gorge tour in Katherine.  We were fortunate to see original rock art by local Aborigines.  The water levels were low and we walked from Gorge 1 to Gorge 2 before stepping onto the next boat and enjoying the coloured high walls of the gorges and marvel at the bird life.

All too soon our train journey was over as we came to a slow halt just outside Darwin.  It was an experience.  There was little space to stretch but for a couple of days I was happy to stretch my fingers instead of my arms!  It was a good way to do little and relax and let others run around after us.  The fun has just begun our Kakadu adventure is just around the corner! 

The 2 Ghan Engines, cars and many many carriages!

Holiday in Paradise

No matter how I look at it, it still spells, 'guilt.'  It's just the way we are. We didn't know Huntington's Disease was in the family when we had our children. They were born with their genes; there is nothing we can now change.
I had two weeks; a holiday for Mel and a holiday for me.  I want to make her life right but all I can offer her is; love, support and a three day holiday in a country town.



Mel at the Gloucester Tree

We planned our escape months in advance. Mel wanted to see the prolific wildflowers in the spring and we chose the little timber town of Pemberton, deep in Karri country, south west of Perth. We hear there are also Jarrah and Marri trees growing. They grow according to the soil type but it is mainly the giant lean Karri trees which surround us with awe.  Wildflowers poke up on the side of tracks and dazzle us in clumps of vivid colours throughout the bush.

 We use our free pensioner travel passes for our coach transport. It takes just about all day to reach the town and we are weary from sitting.  I need to walk and I inspire Mel to take a walk to the well-known Gloucester Tree, not so far from our accommodation. It is 4pm already,  we are staying in a renovated old picture theatre of the 1920's.  It is now a selection of self-contained apartments. We have the 'Lounge' suite.  It is weird to think people of yesterday once sat here watching flicks pre and post war.  There are old theatre chairs and photos of old movies to enhance the feel if he place.

Mel and I set off for the Gloucester Tree. I set my Map My Walk app a little after we begin and soon realise the tree is further than we had thought. We soldier on, it has now become an adventure. We reach the Bibbluman Track and enter into a, ‘Little Red Riding Hood’ fairy tale, we watch out for the wicked wolf! The trees tower on each side of us and a sprinkling of purple and orange wildflowers delight us. We inhale the dampness of the forest and I worry about the slight wheeze I can hear from Mel's chest. We laugh at the sign which says 1.5kms and imagine it is wrong. I don't tell Mel otherwise! 

Finally the tack ends in the car park of the Gloucester Tree. A mother is taking photos of her daughter climbing the tree to the lookout high in the branches.  Mel is happy to return the same way we came and we have completed just under 7kms. 

The next day the sun is bright and our expectations high. We spend most of the day in a 4WD on a wildflower tour.  We roar up huge white sand dunes, drive without a care along isolated beaches of the southern ocean and stop frequently to walk and delight in our native wildflowers. 

We marvel at the donkey orchids and much sought after flowers. Our group is mostly older but our day is very enjoyable.

On our final day we join eight others on the Donnelly River cruise. The young man drives an almost all glass boat. Fortunately the windows open enhancing the view and dissipating the building heat. A large bushfire went through the area about three years ago and many dead trees still line the river banks. Tour guide, Sean eagerly pointed out the new growth from regeneration.  The boat took us all the way to the southern ocean.  Only a large sandbank separated us from the roaring ocean.  We stopped at the sandbank for Sean's homemade apple and cinnamon muffins before heading back to the boat ramp.  Another delightful day in paradise.  We treated ourselves to healthy salad rolls for a late lunch at the old fashioned bakery and later country Indian for dinner.

Today we are back on the bus headed for home. Mel and I shared a magic time together.

Native Wildflowers