Distance: 17.6km
Elevation: +430m -680m
Time: 8:20
Total Distance: 72.3km
Mary had a little clock
She swallowed it one day.
She took a dose of epsom salts
To pass the time away…
A lovely night at a surprisingly good campsite, especially since the wind died down finally. There was dew overnight and I hadn’t bothered to put the tarp up, so I woke up to a damp outer shell on my quilt, but it soon dried one the sun rose over the rolling plains and meandering creeks.
We walked up the ridge a ways, then Robyn and Scott split off; preferring not to summit Mt Jagungal, but instead taking an easier route skirting around it. Daniel, Inga and I continued upwards. Jagungal is the northernmost and easternmost peak above 2000m, and the last one as you travel north on the AAWT. Its shape is unmistakable from the high summits in Namadgi, and I’ve wanted to climb it for some time now.
The walk down to the weather station started out okay but quickly became a ridiculous scrub bash. By the time we made it out we were happy just to lie on the grass for a bit. Another 2km and we met back up with Scott and Robyn at O’Keefes hut. This is the one with lots of newspapers from the late 1930s plastered on the walls.
The rest of the day was on track, which made a nice change after the challenges of the last few days.
Mackays hut is one of only a few that have a verandah. Unfortunately the verandah’s floor is dirt and knobbly rocks, making it less appetising to sit under.
The rain started while we were all sitting in the rustic hut making dinner. Tomorrow we have a shortish day with sections of track and off-track walking and three huts to visit, which hopefully will coincide with any more rain that wants to fall.
