Chriṣ

19.16km +718m -504m Horses were very close to camp when I woke up. A bit intimidating. I heard them neighing and when I looked, they were about 20 metres away. A few km into the walk, I decided to detour and check out Tin Mine falls. Rod saw the indistinct track and decided to continue to Cascade Hut, presumably anxious to secure the best campsite and lay claim to the tin of spam he heard was on...

17.9km +592m -517 Not a long day today: about 16km to Tin Mine Huts. A very foggy start. It would not have been a good day for climbing The Pilot, even if I were in the mood for it. Saw some horses, then some deer: Then some more horses; possibly a stallion, mare and foal, grazing on the path we were walking down. We also heard the helicopter not far off and the sound of rifle shots as they...

23.01km +975m -734m My pants no longer stay up by themselves. I’ve had to fashion a belt from a piece of cord. 21km to Cowombat Flat today and the VIC/NSW border. Rain last night and more rain forecast today. I’ve heard from southbound walkers that the cowombats are numerous and in their mating season at the moment and care must be taken. Right after leaving camp, the creek needs to be forded. In...

16.65km +735m -889m Lots of noises in the night. An angry possum went down one of my trees and up the other, then played Marco Polo with another possum for half an hour. Something big and grunty stomped around some distance away. They said I’d lose weight on this walk, but this is ridiculous! We had to walk quietly through the middle of the school kids’ tents since they were between us and the...

26.75km +643m -1132m Dawn comes early up on Johnny’s Top. So do the flies. I could get used to this coffee-from-the-hammock thing There is no track for a good latter part of the walk down to Buenba creek from Johnnie’s Top. There is the odd trail marker or pink ribbon, but little to suggest a trail between them. The creek itself is lovely. Walking along it is a pain in the arse. The ground is...

25.29km +1632m -566m Coffee from the hammock on a foggy morning. Macropods! Ahh, the good old 585 model. Shame about the axle problems that plagued it. We got honked at by a deer. It sounded like an angry Mac truck in heat. Morass creek (more-arse). Don’t drink the water here. I had my towel threaded through my shoulder strap loops and it must have got hooked on a branch while we were bush...

21.72km +859m -1519m Bloody chilly overnight. Nobody told me the alps would be cold. And while we’re on the topic, what’s with all these bloody mountains, I’d like to know? Something stumbled on my camp around midnight. Sounded like something large and bipedal heavily stomping up from the old gold town. It was either a yowie or a small wallaby. I’ll make for Taylor’s Crossing today. A fairly easy...

29.22km +1255m -1877m Passed a very pleasant night in Cleve Cole. Cut some firewood for the hut in the afternoon for lack of anything better to do, then had a merry little fire to warm the old stones. Seems to be shaping up to be a nice day. I’m tempted to detour to Howman’s Falls, but I’m vaguely considering making for the disappeared ghost town of Sunnyside, which would be a longish day on its...

23.3km +1083m -1014m It’s a bright clear morning, if a bit frosty. I’m going to do the Bogong loop, and probably finish up at Cleve Cole Hut. Rod is heading north across the Big River crossing and then around to Big River Saddle, so we’re parting ways for now. It’s a bitter parting, as neither of us feel the other pulled their weight collecting firewood yesterday, and Rod chose to spend the night...

18.45km +325m -307m Rod’s plan for the day was to head for the crossing of Big River, while I would take the side road towards an upstream crossing of the same river and do Mount Bogong tomorrow. Wallace’s Hut Wallace’s first attempt at a hut And then it started pissing down; cold, hard and sideways. We were both pretty wet before long, and getting cold, so we decided to head for Roper’s Hut...

25.1km +793m -830m Are you a horse? Yay or nay? Rod I did some foot maintenance before leaving. The entire soles of my feet are starting to callous up. Called into The General for one last delicious latte. I’m going to miss their food. Mt Feathertop I wonder why they call it that? Farewell Mt Hotham, you were lovely. Thank fuck, I’m back on walking tracks. Derrick Hut And I thought this was...