There’s just something about this walk – and location – that trips me up every time. Not literally, but I have tried twice now and failed to finish it both times. It’s in the Little Peninsula and Big Peninsula tunnels area.
First time was late Jan 2008 and it was hot. Climbed up and down the roller-coaster hills near the Little Peninsular tunnel. Only to find the track closed from there on. Worked out the way back to the car, without doing the roller-coaster again. But a bit later on, found I’d lost the map. Reached for the spare…and discovered it was back at home.
Remained calm and retraced my steps…finding the map on the side of the road. Just as a HUGE log truck came roaring toward it, threatening to hurl it into the creek. Just grabbed it in time.
Not quite out of trouble yet. Discovered room I was staying in had no fridge, a/c nor fly spray. So nowhere to store milk etc I’d brought for breakfast! They let me put it in their fridge downstairs. But a hot night spent with buzzing mosquitoes ensured.
Found out later that the walk was officially closed due to logging, but someone hadn’t updated the Parks Vic web site.
This time it was the roller-coaster hills being dangerously slippery. After gingerly finishing them, I decided it was too risky to push on with the exact route (as it returned via these hills again). This time, however, I used the map and worked out I could do most of the route and then ‘veer off’ down a road (c/f a track) and head back out the same way as during the Summer. Worked a treat.
Again the accommodation – but a different place – caused me grief. But partially my own fault. The room was BYO bedding. What a time to discover my 15 year old, K-Mart special sleeping bag doesn’t work when it’s really chilly. Woke up so cold it hurt. Now, some places provide a spare blanket just in case, but not this one. I had looked at a blanket just before leaving home and thought “nah, if I need one, they’ll have one…”
Got fully dressed and back in the bag. No real difference. Woke up about 10 more times, numbingly cold. Found out it had been 0c down at Coldstream that night, so I reckon it was below freezing in that room. There was an old, very noisy heater; it sounded like a 747 taking off and even I couldn’t sleep through that.
So Take 3 looms, probably this summer. I wonder what will happen this time.
<August 18th 2009>
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