Day 4 – Petrel Point to Easby Ck

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Six degrees overnight and the humidity was extreme; even with the hammock’s superior airflow I wake to a tarp wet on both sides and my underquilt damp. A superlative sunrise gives way to clear skies and a docile ocean.

More beach walking, which should come as no surprise by this point.

After a few km, we leave the beach and attempt to follow an old track, but soon find ourselves fighting through dense scrub looking for a trail that isn’t there. Cutting across towards the ocean, we stumble onto the true track, which proves much more comfortable.

At the junction, Bruce, Daniel and I elect to do a short steep side trip to climb Rame Head, possibly with the best views we’ll get on the walk.

Then it’s down out of the scrub and more beach walking to Wingan Inlet. I suppose you could swim it if the tide was right. Greg says that fifteen years ago he walked this far with his partner and they immediately turned around and went back. Melinda once waded it at low tide.

But we brought a pack raft. It weighs 2kg and inflates to take up to two people with packs. It takes many trips, but Bruce eventually has us all on the far side, where we rest and have lunch.

Beyond is a pair of islands called the Skerries. Difficult to see with the naked eye, they’re covered in a couple of hundred fur seals. Zooming in on the phone I can kinda make them out.

The next beach over has a fresh water creek in it, and would make a decent camp if not for the dead seal fouling the water and stenching up the place.

We continue to the next beach and camp there for the night. There’s time for swimming, or to take the pack raft for a paddle up the creek.

I’m finally feeling relaxed and grateful to be out here. Weather makes a huge difference, but so does having time to transition into the outdoor frame of mind.

There is sand in everything.