6 Foot Track, New South Wales, Australia - 44 Kilometers

Day 1 - 15 Kilometers                                                                                                      10/02/2013

   I left Sydney late and only reached Katoomba at 1:00. Before beginning however I needed to get a locator beacon from the police station which would make that day's hike even later than I hoped. With instructions, a map and if I needed it even a compass I marched bravely into the small town full of danger and excitement. Very soon after I got lost and ended up in a residential street full of play grounds and schools. Since I was planning to go, straight after I found the damn police station, into the great wild where you need experience at perky things like navigation I could not bring myself to ask for directions. Eventually I did find it, and a little worried that they would point blank tell me not to go I entered. I'd checked the weather and there were predicted thunderstorms for the next few nights, a large one tonight and I wasn't sure at one point they would stop people from walking- never mind a English girl by herself. The worried however were unfounded, a very nice officer showed me how to use it and handed it over telling me in a good natured manner that the second day would be the tough one and to enjoy.
  After the disastrous night on the Great Ocean Road I had invested in a rain cover for my bag as well as wrapping everything in it in plastic bags. I'd also, having looked at the weather forecast and predicted temperatures (around 10 degrees), bought a sleeping bag liner in the hope it would keep me warm.
  The hardest part of the navigation, like on previous hikes, was simply getting to the trail head. You're forced to walk along a very busy highway without a footpath. I kept on looking for a better route and finding dead ends. I tried both sides of the road before giving up and making my way alongside the freeway, only to be stopped and given a lift within a few meters by a charitable driver. They dropped me off at the trail head car park.
   The first two kilometers were wonderful. It was horribly steep and it left, within half an hour of jumping down half meter deep steps, my knees and calves literally shaking but there was a feel of wondering down the rabbit whole and it exited me.  You decened into the valley floor, crossing half a dozen small streams and battling through overgrown foliage before heading through into farm lands. I thought it would be a little more wilderness but a clearly marked path was also a relief.

  Still walking alongside a narrow path you enter a series of privately owned properties, kangaroos and wallabies everywhere. Across the fields I encountered two or three more snakes and found my ability to scan the ground instantly improve ten fold.

  This little beauty is a red belly black, a poisonous but not deadly variety and in large numbers in the valley's fields. It was here that I saw four snakes in as many miles.

  The views were dramatic, rolling hills with cliff faces but always broken up by clumps of trees and clouds. After a few more kilometers, and a road crossing, I entered the forest and the path followed alongside the river bed. The floods in Brisbane hadn't affected up here yet and the massive rocks in the river bed were visible, although the areas where the water did flow would have been too deep to cross. The rocks splitting the current up were massive, smooth pebbled- times a thousand in size.
  About 1.5 kilometers from the campsite there's a wire bridge, about fifteen or so meters wide made only to support one person at a time. A photograph doesn't do it justice. Its horrible high and when your crossing it with a heavy backpack it feels far from stable. I haven't a few of heights but I am sensible careful and nervous of been thrown off a wire bridge over massive rocks ten or so meters bellow.

   Crossing the bridge was a scary, giggling and talking to yourself fun but scary. It wobbled just enough for you to believe it could flip over, and half way across the other size takes a long time to reach.

  A tad shakily I climbed down the other side, already having decided that I would make my way from here to the campsite and not go back the way I came. The bridge is there for the when floods make the river crossing, a kilometer or so further down the path,  too dangerous and while this would not be the case I preferred not to cross the bridge again. Crossing the bridge also will help with navigation and is, all round, a better route.
  However, it was at this point that I realized that I'd left my hiking poles on the other side.
  About twenty minutes later I reached an old camp site, which was along the Cox River is on the wrong side. I assumed it was the actual one and dumping my stuff searched desperately for the toilet and water tank. The toilet was a set of four semi erect walls, and a metal sheet as a roof. The toilet paper was soggy and muddy, while the whole thing smelt awful. I reasoned that, since it was a free camp site, they hadn't maintained it. The truth it that the actual campsite involves you crossing the river and walking another hundred or so meters.

  Desperate to put my tent up before the storm hit I didn't search any longer and went straight to setting camp. It had been raining a little on and off for the last few hours and I'd spent most of it praying that it wouldn't pour till the shelter was up. Someone must have been listening since I had ten minutes of no rain, and only that before the storm hit and it tipped it down. I set the tent close enough to trees for it not to be the highest point, and not too far underneath that the branches would fall on me. I was at the bottom of the valley so I hoped I'd be given a little shelter from the winds.
  It was a wonderful spot to sleep, the river barely five meters from me and not a sole in sight. It did cause me a little worry, my ignorance causing me to imagine flash floods coming and sweeping me away. The storm was fierce and as I lay in my tent I spent the next half an hour counting the seconds between the lightning and thunder. By doing this I could tell it was coming nearer and as it left me behind. What helped to make the experience more exhilarating than horrible is that all my bedding was dry, and I was warm and comfortable- the plastic bags and rucksack cover proved good investments and it was a very different night than the one I spent on the Great Ocean Road.

Camp Site at Cox River

Day 2                                                                                                                                      11/02/2013

  I was told the second day would be 'hard' and by god that was not an understatement. I think it showed how this particular hike's attraction is only half the landscape and the other half is the physical challenge. It consists of 20 kilometers of a up hill climb, first taking on Mini Mini Saddle Range before taking on the larger slope which ascends into the Black Range and low lying clouds.
  I woke quite early and consulted the map, struggling to find the path out. I crossed the bridge and headed to what my compass promised me was west. It wasn't that long after though that I realised that it was pointing west no mater what direction I pointed the damn thing. I'd been climbing for about twenty minutes when I turned back, deciding that I had already passed far too many 'Do Not Enter' signs. I considered recrossing the river but before hand walked passed to where I'd crossed and went the opposite direction, just to check what the closed fence told me. I'd dismissed it as the wrong way since it was obviously locked The sign, facing the other way said in bit red writing 'WRONG WAY'. I'd crossed too far down the river.
  I climbed over the fence and was instantly in a very well furbished camp ground, with 6 Foot Track information boards. There was also a large and full water tank for me to refill my bladder. I'd filled it with river water but since it had things floating in it I'd put off drinking it till I absolutely had to. Filling it from the stream, actually, had been quite a challenge since the current wouldn't allow me to fill it up more than half way. It was a relief, however, to have a clean and full bladder before the climb starter. I could see the path curving away from the campsite, and knew it was just the beginning.

  The climb was hard but doable. What I was struggling with the most were the flies. There were hundreds of them, at least ten or so on my rucksack at any one moment, others continually landing on my face. I hated it it. Spent quite a while shouting and swipping at them but all in vain.
  I'd nearly reached the top of Mini Mini Saddle when I stooped in a fresh bit to get rid of them. I spread the toxic bug repellant on me and all over the rucksack but even before I'd put it back on my back it was once more covered. I must have put almost half the tube on but it seemed like the only way to get rid of them was to walk faster than I was physically able to.
  Sying I made to put my rucksack back on only to jump with fright as a voice behind me, belonging to a jogger, offered to help me on with it. I'd only paused to pick up the bug spray but it must have looked like I was struggling with the weight. He was nice enough, and we exchanged the usual niceties. His 'poor you' when I told him my destination didn't bode well, he said I'd completed the mini version of the rest of the days walk and since, me been a relatively new hiker, that had been the largest hill I'd tackled it didn't bode well.
 I'd left camp at half eight but partly because I'd got lost at the start of the day, and because I was walking up hill the entire way, it was already two o'clock and I'd only completed eight or so of the twenty kilometers. A slight decline before the second range allowed me a breather and got rid of another kilometer.
  The track here isn't a walking path but a, as suggested by the hikes name, a six foot wide track. Not exciting but consistent and smooth terrain with little cover for snakes or other dangers. Steep though, and unyielding. The glimpses pf the valley bellow were beautiful by mostly it was nothing but trees blocking the view and copper coloured dirt. The beauty of this day, I found, was mainly in the butterflied which were unnoticeable (also copper in colour) until they take flight a few feet away as you walk past.

The seconds day, if it had to be encapuslated in a word is exactly what everyone promised- hard. I think if I was in a gym, or near public transport, I'd be unable to push myself that hard. You need to be in a  place where there is no out. At no point was I scared I wouldn't make it but I dreaded to think of what state I'd be in for tomorrows walk.
    When I passed the distance sign post telling me I still had another ten kilometers I turned off Harry Potter and switched for Disney and other comfort. I also stopped and made myself a pot of mash, which in truth did a lot of good.
  Another five kilometers later I felt a small thrill as I began to pass through the lower clouds, as everything was covered in mist. This was around five o'clock and I was beginning to worry that I'd be forced to set up camp in the dark.  Luckily the land leveled up a little, still heading upwards but it allowed me to quicken slightly. Every time I paused I could feel the pain in my legs and bum, and was horrible away that tomorrow they'd be expecting a rest that would not be allowed.   Yet with all this complaining and panting when I reached camp I felt like I'd achieved something, and it was with joy that I set up camp and lounged about for a few hours before sleep. I reached camp around 6:30 making it well over 9 hours walk- another new achievement.

  Today there was no rain. The fog however was so thick that I could only see ten or so meters in from of me, and made everything drenched. the camp site is a lovely enclosed area, fitted with a large water tank, toilets (with no toilet paper) and a picnic area. While it was, once more, deserted of people it did hold numerous other inhabitant. There must have been five or six kangaroos and wallabies grazing and wondering round the place- a true Australian camping experience.

Day 3                                                                                                                                    12/02/2013

  I slept so well I didn't wake till 10:00 am. Since the bus left at two o'clock I attempted to get myself moving, the bus I was aiming for been the only one all day heading back to Katoomba. The map said it would take me four and a half hours to reach them, but once I packed up I only had about three hours and forty minutes.
  The few minutes it takes to leave the tent are always the worst. Once I was on the way the walk was easy. It was a little ruined by loggers, and entire sections go along the road. In fact it seemed very soon that the walk was over and, on this day in particular, it was a rather dull one. It wasn't long after that that a golden eagle swooped across the path in front of me. It happened so fast I didn't even have a chance to breath in- I verbally exhaled in completely and pure awe.The track was nearly six feet wide and it took up over half of it in length along. The wing span was much much larger. It had such grace and power that I was walking on clouds the rest of the day. The whole three days had been made worth it for that second alone.
  The next five or so kilometers were a steep decent to the caves below. The Jenolan Caves were pretty dramatic, large and surrounded by beautiful scenary but my elgs were done in and would not be persuaded to move another inch unless it was towards the bus.

The Great Ocean Road was over a 100km but I'd  felt absolutely fine, this one had left them shaking and a wobbly as jelly. That said, it was a wonderful completion of my travels around Australia, and I'd achieved both of my goals that I'd spent the last few months training for. The Six Foot Track wasn't as beautiful as I'd expected, not as wild and not even very enjoyable but totally unmissable.

Snake in the drain near the caves