Walkers: Linda H, Helen A and Marg F.
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Report:
We had to convince our bus driver that it would be safe to drop us off at the turn off to Red Johanna. It is unfortunately not a designated V/Line stop, so it was inappropriate of us to assume he would do it. (I think it was the bribe of a cup of coffee that swayed him.)
We had a very relaxing drive down and as the rain was pelting the bus windows we all started to wonder what on earth we were doing. After we were dropped of the first thing we had to do was put our fly nets on, they were thick and disgusting. We had decided to stay at the public camping ground rather than pay $20 per site at the G.O.W. sites. After the arrival at Red Johanna we explored the beach where Sandra had her accident several weeks before. We were surprised to find that the water flowing out to the ocean was quite drinkable following the recent rains.
The next morning we headed inland and followed farmer’s fences for quite some time with the occasional view out over the cliffs towards the ocean. The track swung back to the cliffs and down to the sand. A short walk on the sand was followed by a steep climb (the only hard rated section on the whole G.O.W. track) then down through some gullies. The scenery was always stunning and occasionally quite breathtaking.
Along the way we met a statue offering us water, the owners of the property had placed a statue out the front with an ice cooler full of fresh water for walkers, what a lovely idea. We also met the driver of the G.O.W. shuttle bus who we nearly convinced that he should drop off some beer at Ryan’s Den for us, but at the last minute withdrew his offer. After arriving at Ryan’s Den we set up camp and had a cuppa under the 3 sided shelters, these shelters later proved to be invaluable for us, more about that later. I was extremely delighted with the rooms with a view; it was easy to spend a lot of time in them.
The next morning we headed off again, with fly nets. Not all that far along the track I unfortunately fell down a hole and twisted my ankle, we left the boot on for fear of my ankle swelling and then not being able to put it back on. Once the pain killers kicked in we were able to continue. A lot of time was spent walking (hobbling) on a gravel road which serviced a couple of dairy farms. At the decision point we decided to take the inland route, set up camp and then go back to Wreck Beach for a stroll. This inland route proved to be most uninteresting and we were all struggling with the hardness of the track. With sighs of relief the camp site finally came into view and we were quick to make our cuppas and relax. However, the sky started to loom grey overhead as we quickly set our tents up and moved into the shelter. Then the heavens opened. The wind blew fierce and rain just kept belting down. Any thought of a stroll back on the beach quickly left our heads. We eventually decided not to sleep in the tents as all the sites were awash with water flowing over them. We set up camp in the shelter with our sleeping bags on the bench seats. For a brief minute the wind and rain eased and we made a dash for our tents and hung them up around the shelters. Marg had hers hanging in and around the room with a view while Helen and I hung ours so they acted as a curtain around the opening. Amazingly enough we all had a great night’s sleep and none of us fell off the bench.
The next morning saw the rain still pelting down as we headed out on the last stretch. By this time my ankle was turning black and blue but Helen had it strapped so tight that I was able to manage with my boot on. We got to Princetown and went in for a late morning tea. I made the decision to call home and Irene arrived later in the morning. I offered for Helen and Marg to continue without me and we would pick them up at the end but I think the constant rain and wind had got to us all.
I learnt from this walk how easy it is for accidents to happen and how wonderful the Warrnambool Walkers are in times of need. Thank you Helen and Marg for supporting me when I was ready to give up, your encouragement and enthusiasm enabled me to find something within which overcame the pain and focus on the beauty around us. I can highly recommend this walk as those rooms with a view are something to be seen to be believed.
Linda
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