Getting there is half the fun

Back from the South-Wet Coast

I'm glad to say that we started as a group of 6 and finished as a group of 6, and without using the sat phone! 9 days on the South coast of Tasmania was absolutely amazing: at times a wonderful trip, and at others a very trying. After puking on the bush plane flight in, we had 5 days of rain and storms. Numbers on the trail quickly diminished, and only later did we hear that there had been a Bushwalkers Warning alert and no flights were leaving the ground. The track was muddy, very muddy, with us sinking into our knees lots and occasionally up to the waist for the unlucky ones. I've never hiked in so much mud. There were also lots of river and stream crossings, so we always had wet feet. Putting on wet socks and boots in the morning was particularly fun. But it wasn't all hardship...we had a great time, saw lots of beautiful scenery and coastline, lots of native animals, and some cool people on the trail. We were to be out for 10 days, but completed the hike in 8 and left on the 9th day. The side trip we planned to climb a mountain was deemed impossible after we met 5 very tough men as they returned from 3 days in the bush attemping the summit. 2 days of which were spent wading up a very swollen lagoon as the bush is too think to crash through. So instead we enjoyed a couple easier days on the trail with good weather towards the end. Alastair was successful in catching 2 fish using a spear as he swam around the rocks beneath the surf. Crazy guy. He even carried a snorkel and flippers all week to do that. The fish was worth it though! Also, I'm glad to say the knee held up but complained a bit. 5 of us ended up with achilies pains, 3 of us really badly. So much it was very painful to walk on flat ground or up steep stuff. Janie and I walked the last 7km in thongs because the boots were too painful.

Now we're in the town of Hobart. Spent a day at the famous Salamanca market gorging after our hike. And we even ran into the 5 bushmen again there! The others returned to Melbourne so Janie, Tom and I took a tour of the Port Arthur prison today and will probably laze around tomorrow we we're pretty beat. So until we're back in Melbourne and can post pics, CHEERS as they say!

Posted by Evan at 2:32 AM