Behind the Blogger

I grew up in an environment where it was very hard not to develop a deep love for the outdoors. Home, where I spent the first 22 years of my life, backed onto a 571 ha State Forest. There wasn't a week go by that didn't involve bushwalking or a BMX ride through parts of it. It also made a handy shortcut on the days we had to make our own way to school.

My parents were avid campers and most school holidays would involve getting all 4 kids into the back of an 80 series Land Cruiser and finding a new camping spot in the tranquillity of the bush or heading to an old favourite. Beach spots, amongst other families to play with, seemed to happen often as well... I think that was Mum and Dads way of getting us out of their hair so they could have a holiday too! If it wasn't camping we were heading away to the lake for water skiing or off touring to one of Australia's many natural attractions. There wasn't such a thing as a 'stay at home' holiday.

As I grew so did my love for the outdoors. By my teenage years I had already begun doing many multi-day hikes trough the National Parks and Forests of South-East Queensland. When I was old enough I got into 4wding to explore even more. With the love of water and exploring new locations it didn't take much of a jump for me to get keen on Scuba diving. It quickly became another passion vying for time.

I started recording trip journals for some of the adventures, mostly as a memory and a way or organise photos. I never really enjoyed writing as a kid, much preferred building a camp fire or getting dirty, though now I like being able to go back and relive what I've done. The mistakes that turn into lessons, the highlights of trips going perfect to plan and the excitement finding that new direction when things don't.

If you're looking for ideas on where to go on your next adventure, or simply want to share in one of mine, read on!

For what I generally take on my local treks you can check out my pack list on the LighterPack website. I'll generally include a separate list for any significant trips.

Hiking - 2026 AAWT - Part 2 - Hotham to Benambra-Corryong Rd

Day 12.5

Finishing all the chores there was not much to do but keep warm behind a heated window. Nice and cozy in Asgaard, just a pity no other hikers (or anyone) to share a yarn with. Had to get rugged up for dinner. Braving the 200m stroll about the same time I would normally be reaching for the sleeping bag. 

Day 13

Awoke to a winter wonderland, which sounds great on paper but not when you're meant to be hiking. Cold slushy snow-ish rain. Fun. It did look pretty though.

Wind was pretty high as well with a "Feels Like" temperature of about -12°c (10°f) and it was set to last the entire day. All things considered Kingo and I thought another day, looking out from heated windows, probably wasn't a bad idea... As our first 2 days our weren't massive we could combine them instead.

The windy and slushy conditions lasted all day, so it was probably the right call. Zero days don't have a lot going on, when all your chores are done and there isn't any other hikers to shoot the breeze with. Still. The 200m walk to The Genny for lunch and dinner was cold enough, all rugged up, so heated spaces are coveted.

Day 14

Weather was looking /much/ better today. Still quite a bit of snow around, but not in a cloud/actively snowing, even a little sunshine. Temps were warmer and wind was slightly less. So Andrew and his parents picked me up just before 8 (driving up from Omeo) to take me the ~2km back to the track. 

Got started in some warmer layers but had to strip them off not too long after getting moving and climbing a few small hills. Plenty of slushy ice/snow on the ground but the trail follows Hotham Ski Resort management roads for a while so feet staying dry.

A few km on we turn off onto single track, which was more of a single stream. Snow melt flowing down the narrow path making it hard to avoid... So much for my dry socks... A few km later and we reached Derrick Hut for smoko. Two other hikers (out for a few days) were still packing up after spending the night. Their tent was leaking, which is why they were in the hut. Looking out the window the past 2 days even without a leaky tent, a hut with a warm fire sounds like a good idea...

From there is was down into a valley with the very scenic Dibbins Hut. An old log cabin... maybe in need of a bit of love and care. Mud from the gaps in the logs falling out, a few planks missing from the door... Even with a fire it would be a drafty. Great location though.

From there it was up the other side of the valley and onto the Bogong high plains. Navigation was pretty easy today, just follow the snow poles. We started at 1 this morning and will apparently reach over 1200 before they turn off and we keep going. 

The high plains just seemed to stretch on. Really beautiful walking, but the poles were like one of those ever expanding hallways in a horror movie. The more you walked, the further the poles seemed to stretch off into the distance. It didn't help that half the time the track was very water logged.

Still on the high plains the track got a little drier and we reached Cope Hut. It's only 500m from a parking lot and there was a trio already there when we arrived. We went to setup tents at the camping nearby and killed some time before dinner. 

We decided in the hut out of the wind was a good idea, but without getting the fire going the hut inside was still pretty cold, wind or no wind. Better out of it though I guess. With sun setting, and no sign of wind stopping, I quickly brushed my teeth then hopped straight into my sleeping bag.

Day 15

Awoke at sunrise to a murder of Crows "CAWing" being only 500m from parking must mean there is often a meal nearby for them. It was a very cold night a bit exposed to the wind, managing to sneak under the skirt of the tent. Frost lined the path on the way to the drop toilet.  

Back into my warm sleeping bag to eat breakfast, too cold to be outside the tent. Soon enough it was time to get rolling. A lot of frost already melted, but still plenty to see.

Fairly easy trail this morning single footpad until just past Wallace Hut. From there it was a very gentle downward slope on a management track for the Snowy Hydro Aquaduct. Well maintained and nice flowing crystal clear creek alongside. 

Soon we met a junction and started heading upstream. Though if it wasn't for the water trickling by the opposite direction I don't think I would have even noticed the climb.

We then turned off over a short bridge and got a bit of real climbing back in, up to more peatland area. Big open high plains expanse. Still following the snow poles from yesterday. Spectacular views. Warmer day, with mostly sunny sky above us, but the wind still had me wearing my rain jacket for a bit of protection from the cold. 

We reached a junction, AAWT to the right, Bogong (Vic Highest peak) loop off to the left. Saving a massive 9km of AAWT we took the left fork, adding a paltry extra 23km... It's about the same distance as doing Bogong as an out/back side trip from the other end of the detour. 

Soon after we met a few hikers doing the Bogong loop. The pair doing it over two days might even see us again at the summit tomorrow. From the high plains we weren't that far off the height of Bogong... But a huge valley, with Big River at the bottom was in our way (no matter which direction we took...)

Our day was starting to draw on so we made camp at the bottom of the valley on Big River. Smaller site but more than enough room for two and great water available. Completely protected from the wind, but a bit close to the creek so cool air might settle here overnight. 

Day 16

Waking up to a pretty dewey campsite. A little cool overnight but ok in my bag. I must have stirred a bit in the morning though as I brushed the side of my tent with my sleeping bag so it got a little damp. 

As we camped at the river the first task was a creek crossing. A few heading the other way talked about how it was pretty deep... it made it about 1/3rd up my shin... Anything below knee deep is golden. It was very cold though...

Luckily straight after the river it was onto climbing. Fairly gentle as all things go for the AAWT at first. About 1.5km later we turn up Quartz Ridge to kick up the elevation gain a little. I must be starting to get my trail legs/lungs because it didn't feel as bad as earlier similar climbing. 

I think I expected more Quartz at Quartz Knob, but there were some cool veins in the granite rocks. More up and as soon as we were out of the tree line the cold wind hit us. Very little places to hide until we reached the peak of My Bogong, highest mointain in Vic. An impressive rock cairn provided a modicum of shelter. 

Bit of cloud about but a view off in one diresction, which happened to be where we were heading. Along the ridge and exposed to the cold wind for a while yet.

It felt like a very long time before we started dropping down back under the tree line. Instantaneous relief from the wind as soon as we did. It wasn't too much further to Cleve Cole Hut and our camp for the night. Very fancy hut maintained by the Bogong Alpine Club. 

Lot of features shut off only for members use, but a nice wood stove and good walls to block the wind. A few people doing the Bogong loop so lots of company for dinner. Eight in total enjoying the warmth of the hut for our meal before all retreating to our tents to sleep. 

Day 17

Seemed like a brilliant start to the day from in the tent. I could see the orange glow of the sun shining on it. That was short lived, cloud closed in again and I think my tent was wetter by the time I had finished breakfast and was ready to pack up.

There isn't much else to do but roll up a wet tent and get going. We were quick to reach the turnoff for a side trip down to Howmans Falls. Looked like great falls from the top, but with the way they carved into the rock we couldn't see all of it from our vantage points.

Back to the track and it was only another short stint until we left the Bogong loop to rejoin the AAWT. Immediate difference in track definition, but still a fairly easy to follow footpad. Soon it was back to fallen trees and steep ascent/descent as we made our way over the Long Spur track. We even managed some (short lived) blue skies and views.

The Long Spur eventually turned into a seldom used 4WD track making the walking pretty easy and quick before joining a more substantial forestry road for a while. Then we turned off onto a foot track straight up the side of Mt Wills, 300m climb in just 1.5km. Which was only half way up. Thankfully the rest was a bit more gentle.

We found the fairly nice hut, with a main room and 2 bedrooms (some wooden bunks) and got the fire going. Tents still wet from the morning and cloud getting thicker by the minute we made the call to stay in the hut. When I went outside to relieve myself before bed I could barely see 5m through the cloud... I'll enjoy being out of the wind tonight. 

Day 18

Hut stayed a little warmer overnight but not wanting to deal with hot coals we put the last piece of wood on around 7pm. So by morning it was just 9°c inside. Better than a few degrees cooler outside and in the wind.. Though we actually had some blue sky... Off in the distance. 

The trail kicked off along the various summits of Mt Wills, passing some cool granite boulders. It was still a little windy and I was wearing my gloves, so a bit hard to take lots of pictures. 

The third peak held a Trig Point and also marked the start of some of our descent. Bigger day today, 27km with almost 2000m descent... The AAWT also managed to sneak in 800 odd meters of ascent in this stretch.

The single foot track eventually morphed into a 4WD track before putting us out onto Omeo Highway. Andrews parents are still in the area so they met us there with some trail magic. Fresh fruit and an amazing ham and salad roll, which I wolfed down immediately. Gatorade to rehydrate and then we were ready to be off again.

Before we started off again we met a brother waiting for his sister to finish her final section hike to complete the track. As we were chatting she arrived, with her husband who was hiking this section with her, so we were able to offer our congratulations as we set off. 

Lots more descent into Gil Creek, a fairly clear track with the odd blow down to navigate around and some very steep sections. Gil Creek has a small tent pad, probably a tight squeeze for 2 tents but great water. We had a quick stop but it's a little damp and leeches were about. 

A large tree had fallen onto the track at the crossing. So wet feet then pushing up the steep bank on the other side, through ferns, to rejoin the track. Which wasn't much easier than the ferns. Conner, who was at Mt Wills last night, described the entire stretch as 'clear'.

Clear to follow... I guess. But overgrown with scrub. It didn't help that this is where they squeezed more than half of that 800m of climb. Including a 0.5km stretch with ~150m climb. Very steep, pushing against scrub. Unable to effectivly use trekking poles as they kept getting caught up. I stopped a few times to admire the pretty mushrooms.

After the climb it was a lot more of the down. Mostly back on forestry roads, steep and loose gravel meant careful steps. Down down down down to Four Mile Creek. Then continuing on up and down, for what seemed like a very very long 5km, to eventually reach our camp at Taylors Crossing. Cool bridge. 

A pair of 4WDs turned up not long after us and setup on the opposite side of the river. Before anything else (any tents, swags or awnings) they got a huge fire going. It looked very warm... The sun was soon behind a hill and with the temperature dropping we quickly ate dinner and then headed for our sleeping bags.

Day 19

A planned short day today, only 10km with just under 500m climbing. Started out along a dirt road with cattle farms either side. Nice lush green grass this time of year, cattle must love it. A bit of the climb to begin but relativly gentle and flat meant we cruised along at just over 5kph, so the first 6km fell quickly.

After that it was off onto a single track and up a hill. Followed by a rather sloped trail along the side of the hill heading down. Hard walking as the slant of the trail made it difficult. The descent was very gradual so it took a long time to reach the creek. Great clear flow, but only another 2km to Benambra-Corryong Road where we had food drops to collect. A bit of a steep slog out of the creek but it quickly turned into a pleasant track with nice soft grass underfoot.

Andrews parents, Trevor and Barbara, met us once again with some fantastic fresh food and kept us company for a while to whitle away the afternoon. They were also able to take our food drop buckets away saving the return collection (which is a fair trip from Brisbane.....)

Hiking - 2026 AAWT - Part 1 Walhalla to Hotham

Day 1

My lovely in-laws were my first Track Angels helping me out with a lift up to Walhalla, the start of the AAWT, about 2.5 hours east of Melbourne CBD. Weren't in too much of a rush in the morning as I wasn't planning a long day, getting away not long after 9am. Fairly good roads heading out here and we arrived to enjoy a good bacon and egg roll at a cafe (have to get those last calories in!) With a full belly I said my goodbyes and set off to reach O'Sheas Mill Site for the night.

Sluggish pace to get going with a pack, and belly! full of food. Lucky its only about 14km to camp. 

Nice section of track, but as things "Thru-hiking" go, I already had a diversion. The Poverty Point bridge has been out of action for about 7 years so the official AAWT through this section that is along the eastern side of the Thompson river is closed and having hikers follow the western bank. They have actually recently started work on the bridge though, with expected completion mid this year. So spring hikers should be able to enjoy it when it's done. 

With the work though there is an additional detour straight up the valley. Very steep. Up and over. It was an ok track down the other side to camp where I met 4 car campers. Good fire and left over nachos offered made a good night. I stayed up for 1 round of cards before crashing to sleep.

Day  2

Victorian mountains really turned it up for today. Yesterday saw a little elevation gain, with ups and downs and a fairly easy grade it wasn't too strenuous (except the bridge bypass)... even with the full stomach from a pub meal! Today though had some decent climbing on the books. The plan was a 'short' ~20km to the Camp Saddle campsite... with ~1,350m (4,400ft) of elevation gain. To put that into perspective for a few readers;

• ~1,000m (~3,300 ft) more elevation gain than the Mt Kosciuszko tourist track
• ~470m (~1,540 ft) more if you skip the chair lift and start in Threadbo
• ~200m (~650 ft) more than Mt Barney in SEQ, 
• ~400m (~1,300 ft) more than the Appalachian 'Approach Trail' to Springer Mtn,
• ~1,000m (~3,300 ft) more than the climb out of Hauser Creek,
• ~250m (~820 ft) more than the climb out of Scissors Crossing and, 
• ~80m (260 ft) more than the Mount Whitney summit, from Crabtree Meadows. 
• (The last 3 being on the PCT.)

So, it's a pretty big day, especially with a mostly full food loadout. In the end I pushed a little further making it to Whitelaw hut, an additional ~6k and +200m of elevation gain. Just for funsies. Making it about 50m higher than the climb out of the Grand Canyon Bright Angel trail.

I was knackered. Getting into camp and collecting water just after 6. 

Day 3

Away fairly early headding mostly downhill to Stonarchs camp. Just before i reached it i came across a couple hiking that had camped a few ks past me. I stopped at the camp for a rest, 10km in, and they had a quick chat before continuing on. 

After a short stint on a forestry road the next 2k was a bit more scrubby and overgrown. Occasional blackberry vine scraping across my shins. After that it was back to forestry trails for the rest of the day.... A Vic parks ranger drove past and flagged me down and let me know they were setting up some planned burns, but our track not affected.  

Lots more forestry trails and down down down to Thomson river where i stopped for lunch. Seriously debating stopping here, when the couple, Matthew and Petrea, caught up. They were going to push on which gave me some motivarion. 

Immedietly felt like a mistake. 650m climb over 2.9km, on a gravel road. Steep. Up. Coupious amounts of skittle breaks were had. A bit of a rollercoaster up top and then about 600m back down in another 3km, steep, loose, gravel. Bit of slipping and sliding. Late into camp at 630pm. Tough day. The climbs are pretty tough but the massive descent every day definitely takes its toll too. There's not much call for flatter gradients apparently. 

Water at camp was a little more tricky, a 100m path through a creek bank chocked with blackberry bushes. Luckily it was well tradfiked and fairly clear. To top it off the creek bank was about 700mm high, vertical drop, so i had to jump down into the creek to collect... Lucky I was wearing my dirty socks... 

Day 4

Had about 2km of reprieve of flattish hiking following along the river to Red Jacket site before quickly turning up Mt Victor Spur for another 750m climb. It took a while. With many more skittle breaks. All in scrub so couldnt even stop and say you were admiring the view. At least the first 4km were on a track, not a road. From there it was back onto forestry roads and more up (broken by a little down) until i eventually reached Bobs hut. 

Its a private hut but they allow AAWT hikers to stay in poor weather and also use their tank for water. Very welcome site after the slog from the morning. I rested up inside and contemplated plans. I was scheduled for a 28km day, after 31 yesterday, which was feeling a little daunting after the climb (with more climb and another steep descent to come), so i took extra water to possibly dry camp along the way. 

Managed to get a small amount of service to call home and get some encouragement to push on as they were meeting me for a food drop the next day. Mustering all my will I kept going, heading off down another very very steep, very extreme, 4wd trail. Bits of guards, mud flaps and tyre littred the hill.  

Near on 6pm, about 2/3rds down this massive decline, a SouthBound hiker popped around a corner. Nathan, with a 17 day plan, was headding for Bobs hut, where i left after lunch... 4 hours ago. Quick transfer of info on water sources before I let him continue on. He already had his head torch ready.

Shortly after i arrived at the quite cramped Black River site. Two Andrews hiking together cheerfully greeted me and moved some gear to make space. Conversation with them lifted spirits but it wasnt long before I retreated to my tent.  

Day 5

Can you believe it? Another massive climb in the morning. 800m straight up Mt Shillinglaw in about 5k. Somewhere on that climb (after the first knoll) my phone decided to do a factory reset. Wiping all my pictures (hence none so far for the blog, save one others took when I was dropped off) but more importantly my primary navigation. 

Many people follow the Chapman Book, and i had origonally brought photocopies of his maps, but foolishly let the car campers on night one use them for much needed fire starter... woops...  

Luckily i had already studied the day and it was easy nav so i could easily and safely continue on to Rumpff Saddle. Over the hump of the mountain and it was back onto forestry roads. Stretched on for quite a while on a fairly main trunk but didnt see a single car considering it was Good Friday. Fuel prices might have scared a few off this weekend. 

I then turned onto a lesser logging road- but still fairly good condition. Some recent clearing work done by other campers. Meer moments from reaching the saddle my support crew drove up behind me making that last 10min fly as i knew i had some comforts ahead. 

When i reached camp Andrews were just setting up their tents, so I made sure they knew they were welcome to the fresh fruit as well. For which they were very thankful. I shared with them my phone dilemer and, as we seemed to share a similar daily pace, they offered to let me tag with them. The other option was to drive to the top of Mt Skene to try get service to reinstall necessary apps. 

With the campfire already going and clouds closing in, i didnt feel like leaving the warmth and told them I would love to take them up on their offer. They got to enjoy the fire and a few extra snags. I had one of the best steaks i've ever tasted and a really filling salad. Still tired from the longer days leading up to here I was in bed soon after. 

Day 6

Slower morning with the crew still here. A bit cold, and tents wet from the low cloud. Andrews up under the trees had condensation dropping off the leaves mimiking rain all night. Stoked the fire to get it going before getting tasty Bacon and Egg rolls for breakfast!

Sadly these luxuries wern't to last and we had to eventually set off. Leaving the others to enjoy the camp fire for the rest of the morning. Low cloud still about and back on 4wd tracks all day wasn't inspiring. Astonishingly... yet more climbing. Although and easier day with only 800 or so meters spread across 2 mountain peaks...

Pretty narly 4wd track, as evidenced by the gearbox left behind strapped to a stump, but we still saw 9 vehicles driving it. We climed over a massive downed gum tree, easy 1m in diameter before we reached them (going the other way) but they said they were well prepared with chainsaws and had already cleared some earlier. 

True to their word, the track was a lot clearer and fresh sawdust littered around quite a few logs. Would make for a long day for them... We eventually reached a helipad and took a sharp right down the hill. It was nice to be back on a foot track after all day on a 4wd track. Great big fern leaves leaning over the track, quite a few blow downs to navigate over... could have used those chainsaws...   We also saw 5 other hikers today. 3 heading south, from Tas, and a pair that were heading north but had decided the terrain wasnt for them and had turned back for a lift out from Rumpff Saddle. 

Made it to low saddle, setup tents then ventured the 800 "ish" meters down the road to a creek for water. Could hear a good flow, but not see any water until after a bit of scouting we found the source of the sound. Down a chest deep hole, under a 500mm over hang. Very awkward to collect. Then lugging it back to camp. Just on dark Anna from Adelaide rolled in to join us, high spirited and friendly. Headding south and doing big days. Shes almost done!

Day 7

You might have guessed it by now, but there was yet another big climb today... Mt McDonald. 2km along the 4wd track before shooting off up a spur on an interesting section of track. Razor ridge lining most of the way, folowing along the base of the rock slab. Still steep and hard going, but more enjoyable then the same steepness on a forestry road...

At the top of Mt McDonald i was also able to get reception and start sorting out my phone. I was able to get navigation back and my online itinery. Phew! Mt McDonald is also the first time, this entire hike, there has been a view. 

Along the top over the 3 main peaks of Mt McDonald were some really cool ridges with rock jutting out into the sky. Brilliant views remained for a while before we started to descend and it became scrubby again. 

The track down was a little harder to follow. Criss crossing over the razor back, seemingly at random, and pushing through scrub. Luckily there were plenty of handy rock cairns to lead the way. Some of these steep descents were still slowing me down. 

Out onto the Nobs track we got to a junction needing a decision. The 'easier' water source, 1.4km down a road but fairly gentle, was reportedly dry and the reliable, 2.5km and 400m drop, seemed very far away. Especially luggung it back up... at the end of a big days climb already...  

Luckily while contemplating our choices (which included just camping at the bottom and making tomorrow an even bigger day... ) some more 4wds rolled by and I was able to put on my charm and Yogi some water for us. They were happy to give us as much as we needed, champions! (Though maybe its also because i havent washed in 7 days and smelt like i needed it...) 

With water sorted it was only another few hundred meters to camp up on a knoll near the base of the Nobs. A great relaxing afternoon made even more interesting watching the rolling clouds come over the mountains from three different directions. Temperature rapidly dropped when they got close to us, so we were quick to huddle into our tents. 

Day 8

Just as it was time to begin packing it started raining... luckily by the time i had eaten breakfast in my tent it had stopped. Still some low cloud- and a wet tent to pack- but at least no rain to speak of. It also made for a nice sunrise, with the sillouet of todays route, across the range. 

Got stuck in with an easy 90m climb, most of the way, up the Nob, then 90m back down the left side without reaching the top. I dont think the AAWT has heard of countouring around hills...

Similar total climb to yesterday but spread across the Nobs, High Cone, Square Top and Mt Clear. Of the 4 Square Top and Mt Clear were the slightly longer climbs. Very stiff scrub encompasses the trail on the Square Top plateau, with the misty cloud and morning rain it also meant very wet legs and shoes. Quite scratchy on the shins as well. 

At lunch in the saddle before Mt Clear we finally saw some specs of blue sky, but they were short lived. Still enjoyed good views from Mt Clear before a very steep descent. From the base it was a short 3km to Chesters Yard for camp getting in fairly early arvo, were I still hiking solo i would have defenitely pushed on after collecting water. 

As luck would have it though I didn't because more low cloud came in and some light showers passed when I could safely hide in my warm tent. Later in the afternoon Matthew and Petrea also strolled up and we realised they had only camped a few k short of me each day since our shared night at Blue Jacket.

The rain did starve off long enough to cook dinner outside before the temperature once again quickly had us back in our tents.

Day 9

Heavy rain heard throughout the night didn't inspire confidence in the day ahead. It had mostly eased to light scattered showers by morning and when it was time to leave was just misty low cloud. So not as bad as the night would suggest. 

Along a closed off 4WD track for the first few km this morning. Long wet grass meant shoes were drenched again. Eventually we turned off onto the King Billy peaks. A plesant supprise as the climb up to the first peak had recently been worked on. All the stiff scrubby Bush brush cut back leaving a clear 0.5m track to follow. Still a steepish climb...

Low cloud was obscuring most of the views but occasionally a small break would let you see what we climb for. You follow along the top, drop into a shallow saddle where evidentially the track maintenence didn't reach, then climb peak 2. I got a good-ish view looking back.

Coming back off the other side were a few sections of large wet granite rocks we had to carefully traverse before becoming a much more gentle and plesant trail in amongst the ghost gums. 

The trail pass the junction at the base was much more defined as it now shared a route with the Buller Huts trail. You can see it gets much more use. After descending little more it was time for the next climb up Mt Magdala. The cloud dogging me as I made the final push to the summit closing in as I arrived...

Luckily, after donning the rain jacket to protect from wind, it was a short wait before skies were clearer and we could even see to Mt Buller itself. We went down off the peak to Hellfire Creek camp, a lot more sheltered, for lunch. Matthew and Petrea were there nursing a sore knee, after taking a lower bypass around both climbs. 

While at lunch another 6 rocked up doing the huts trail. Pushing for a long day and looking a little sore already. Eventually it was also time for us to press on up Mt Howitt. Long slog up, meeting a family resting mid way. They were camped at the Macallister Springs hut just the other side of Howitt as a base and doing some day walks. 

Nice prominent survey marker at the top of the mountain! I guess the view was ok too, we finally got lucky with the clouds. 

From there it wasn't long to drop down to a nice spring for clear mountain water. And shortly after for a small semi-sheltered campsite still on the back end of Howitt. Many take the 1.4km side trip to the hut site to camp (they even have a loo) from here, but how often can you camp on a mountain?

While semi-protected the wind still had a bit of chill and I found myself quickly reaching for layers. Not yet needing to put on everything I own (for colder nights ahead...) A bit of time to chill before dinner but hiding in the tents out of the wind before sunset. 

Day 10

Heard a few keen hikers sounding like they were heading for a Howitt sunrise. I thought it was pretty chilly in the morning wind so I had breakfast in my tent. They must have been rugged up! 

We got ready and set off over the Crosscut Saw, an absolutely amazing undulating ridge line. Often small sections only 1-2m wide and a 1000m drop either side. Impossible to capture the reality.

They continued up and down, but no huge climbs, for a while before eventually you start up Mt Buggery. Compared to other climbs we've done it wasn't too much. Down the other side and another climb, slighty longer, up Mt Speculation. Great spot for lunch and to look back over what we had done. 

From there it was only a few short k to the planned water source, a beautiful flowing creek at the aptly named Camp Creek. Loading up with 5, heavy, liters of water so we could dry camp. The plan was the nice, gently downward slope to Catherine saddle... Where we arrived at 2.

The next plan was over Mt Despair... Which certainly lived up to its name with 5kg extra on my back. Over and on in good time the next plan was a campsite listed closer to the Viking. It was a good track off Despair... For a while...

It became a slopey rocky overgrown scrub soon after. Branches holding you back every step, our pace slowed to about 1km per hour... The 'campsite' (if we ever saw the real one) looked as if you could barely fit half a tent. So no choice but to push on to Viking Saddle. 

Trees blown down everywhere. Must have clambered over, under or around more than a hundred (underestimating) trees. Slowing pace once more. The picture really doesn't do justice to the amount of trees we had to manage. 

We finally broke through to a surprisingly clear saddle around 530pm. At least 1.5 hours later than expected based on distance... Quick dinner as the sun was already behind a hill and wind starting to chill to the bone. It was good to push to here though, as there's a big climb in the morning and getting here after goong through what we just did would have made it all the harder. 

We also got a few weather updates and poor conditions for next 3 days being likely, it was good to have a few spare km in the bank.

Day 11

Proper rain through the night that seemed to continue through morning. A large tree fell down somewhere, probably over the trail. Camp looked fairly clear last arvo setting up, seems outside of where it looked like a long past fire had damaged leading to the sheer amount of fallen trees. 

Had a little window of just light shower to pack the tent away and get going. 360m climb in 1.1km up the famous Viking. Seemed to go ok in the morning, wouldn't want to deal with this after slogging through those trees the few k leading into the saddle... Track had very little in the way of obsticals ... Even the rain had stopped.

Then we reached the main attraction, The Chimney. A short maybe 3m vertical climb with limited space. Too thin for me and the pack, but a handy rope installed to tie it off then pull it up. 

Up top we were able to hide out of the wind and enjoy a small break. No sun to speak of, but at least no rain either. There was a nice few hundred meters along the ridge before a Steep steep steep down the other side. Rain started again, loose leaf litter, clay soil, slippery fun time... 

Up and down the Viking we averaged just under 1km per hour. Slow going. Rain settled in and walking through ferns dripping wet made me miss those fire trails I hated so much a few days ago. Those thoughts were answered when we hit Barry Saddle.

A recent fire affected the area here and they have recently bulldozed the track, fairly clear walking for a while before we shot off onto a dissued old 4wd track and back into ferns. Fire must have chased off all the other animals leaving only us stupid hikers as food for the leaches. They were loving this rain and also apparently my legs... 

We reached East Riley Rd tank around 3pm to grab water and start looking for a camp. There are many installed tanks in this stretch as its known as the "Dry Barrys" with unreliable or hard to reach water sources resulting in dehydrated hikers. Bit ironic that we've copped it with at least 25mm of rain... and more to come tomorrow.

As a result of the fire break work, pushing a bunch of trees over, it seems every flat spot had a tree pushed onto it or deep bulldozer tracks through it. Eventually we conceeded and setup on a flat, mostly clear, section right on the side of the fire track. Probably my worst 'campsite' ever. At least it was out of the wind... 

Still dreched I hopped into my tent, which was immediately warmer out of the wind. A quick wetwipe bath to get the mud and blood (from the leeches I got too late) off the legs before putting on thermals and getting bed stuff sorted. All kept dry by my packliner, but still some water in the tent as as result of me. 

Rain continued, so it was snacks for dinner (no need to cook in tent vestibule) Warm in my bag, but a long wait before bed time...

Day 12

Heavy absolutely pelting rain through the night at times. However again we lucked out, kind of, and only had to deal with misty showers in the morning. We packed up and set off with 3 plans, depending on what the day brought.

Continue on 5km to Selwyn Water tank, collect water, hike another 10 or so and look for a camp. Hike ~24 to the Twins Tank/Camping or push for Hotham @ ~29 k. With the wind still howling at Selwyn (a mountain I actually remember driving up on a 4wd trip many years ago) and not wanting to lug water to camp, we all determined Hotham was our best bet.

Not only a long distance today, but an absolute heck of a lot of elevation gain/loss. Following the crest of the Great Dividing Range were were up or down, with very little flat. The track follows on and off some 4wd tracks and with the thought of more leeches on the single over grown track we did continue on some of those clearer tracks. Adding a little distance but also reducing some climbing and mostly avoiding leeches. 

Impossible to find a spot out of the chilling wind to rest, what breaks we had were short lived. Too cold to stay put. Extra wear on the feet not being able to rest them, with wet socks, and motivated walking, I got my first hot spots of the trip. 

Around 515pm we made the final ascent over Mt St Bernard (which was an untypically gentle slope) and made it to the Great Alpine Road. Still technically another 7km of walking, mostly along the shoulder of a windy mountain road with warnings plastered everywhere about the slippery road surface....

Very luckily Kingo's parents were in the area as a bit of track support for them and was able to give us a lift into Hotham. Immediate relief getting in the car, out of the wind. They dropped me at Hotham, where I had accom booked, and continued down the mountain to Omeo where his parents were staying. 

I quickely changed into my absolute cleanest and warmest clothes, shoved the rest of my gear in the drying room, and waddled the short 200m in crocs to 'The General' for dinner. About 2 dozen other people in for dinner, tourists and some local workers. Couldn't spot any other hikers.

After a fantastic Parmi I grabbed some breakfast supplies and went back to Asgaard ski lodge to start sorting some gear. Pulled out contents of pack and sprawled them around the drying room, put electronics on charge, had a really great shower, then passed out in a super comfortable bed in a warm heated room. 

Day 13

Managed to sleep in to the very late 6am... Still kinda dark outside... But looking at the weather report happy to be wrapped in a blanket.

Bacon and eggs for breakfast before it was time for more chores. Laundry (after first pre washing socks) high on the list as well as resting with my feet up. Eventually I'll also have to grab my resupply package from the post office and sort food for the next stretch.

Limited resupply options at the very little store so I am very glad I sent a box here. (Some other hikers also venture into Falls Creek, a 14km return hike about 30k further on) for a larger town to resupply from. 

Probably head back to The General for dinner as well... Good to load up on calories when in town ;) Looking cold and windy for a few days, so might as well step out into it tomorrow... 

Hiking - 2025 09 - Point Pure (Main Range National Park)

Finally had a good free weekend to tick off a hike that's been on my to do list for a little while, Point Pure in the northern section of Main Range National Park.

The usual pre-hike preparation the day before, seemingly blowing the dust and brushing some cobwebs off some of my hiking gear. Second time used this year, shameful. I also decided to pre-soak my water filter as it probably dried out. My brother 3d printed me a new cap for the back end of my sawyer squeeze which came in handy to stop any dripping.

The hike starts from Glen Rock/Casuarina Camp Ground, about a 2 hour drive from home. We got away just on 7 and had a smooth run up and were away hiking by 920. The first 4km are along a very well maintained mixed use trail. Crossing Blackwell's Creek a few times. We could get across dry the first 3 but no chance for the 4th so ploughed on through. Fairly exposed at the start, pack sunscreen!

The fire trail ends and you have to push though about 400m of snake country (knee-waist high grass) before linking up with some old fence trails heading up Repeater Ridge. Fairly easy going along the fence line, barely a scant trace of wire but the majority of posts are still standing strong. The the track it's easy to follow. Still pretty exposed on the Ridge.

Eventually the 4wd track ends, and it appears like the fence gets a lot better, with the trail changing more into bush scrub. Good footpad still and a bit more shade, but the incline definitely makes you work. A few rocky sections that require a bit of effort, but I would stop short of calling it a scramble. One had a cute little green snake, trying to soak up some warmth. Eventually you top out on an unnamed peak, take a sharp left, and start heading down again. 

Steep stepping down almost straight away as you walk along some fairly thin Ridge lines. Made a little more hazardous as it began to rain on us. Littered with a few more rocky outcrops to navigate you roller-coaster along the Ridge for a while. Eventually you veer right, where we almost immediately lost the footpad. Unable to relocate it we traversed across the side of the hill, often a foot slipping on the wet grass.

My shoes were mostly dry after the creek crossing, during the climb, but wet grass has made them drenched once more. This section would have been a bit annoying in the dry, so pushing through wet grass certainly wasn't making it better... type 2 fun right...? It was very slow going, carefully placing each step as the grass was hiding many rocks, logs and washouts. I managed to hold my feet, a few times just barely, but my partner did slide about 1/2 a meter and with the slope needed some help up. At least the rain had eased up... 

Eventually we started to hear rushing water, so I knew we were almost through it. Sigh of relief as we spotted a crystal clear flowing creek, gushing with water. The Valley also opened up to great views as the skies finally parted and we actually saw the sun again. Not much longer to camp from here but we stopped to collect more water for the night and tomorrow. Even with pre-soaking the filter it had more of a drip than a flow... Good excuse for a rest I guess.

Like some magical barrier the other side of the creek was more open bush, with relatively short grass. Mush easier walking. Not far from the creek we startled a wild pig that shot off into the bush. Black as night. It wasn't much further until we were at camp. Fairly spacious, obvious signs of past hikers, including a fire ring, and a great view into the valley. With the damp ground from the earlier rain and the wind picking up the valley we were very quick to cool down. I threw on my thermal top and used my rain jacket to block the wind and my partner already had almost all of her layers on. 

We ventured the ~100m from camp to the tip of Point Pure to enjoy a late arvo tea and the view. Not long after we were visited by another little busy friend. A tiny little guy, very interested in the scotch bottle. Back to the tent briefly for me to change into the rest of me warmer clothes before making dinner, enjoying the last of the sun disappearing, some good colour after it dropped behind the mountains, but fairly short lived. Soon it was time to head to bed to slip into warm sleeping bags.   

Immediately discovered a decent, unfixable hole, on the seam of my hiking pillow. It has seen a lot of use though, but it's not something you want to discover at bed time. Looks like the old lightweight trick (not carrying a pillow, just using a bunched up puffy jumper) would have to do for tonight... The wind was pretty strong for the first half of the night, and was still howling during the first pee break, but dropped off some time before early morning. I had a fairly broken sleep with my lack of pillow, drifting in and out of sleep and readjusting the puffy-pillow all throughout the night. 

In the morning it was nice and calm with the sun shinning, so it started to warm up fairly quickly and the condensation on the tent quickly dried. Still a more casual pack up with the two of us, so it wasn't until 820am that we broke camp and begun the hike home. No trail immediately apparent from camp, but it was still nice open scrub with short grass and easy going. Navigation was fairly easy... there was a cliff to our right; Don't fall off it.  

It wasn't too long before the scrub got thicker. Faint traces of a footpad appearing suddenly under foot and then dissipating just as quickly back into overgrown scrub. Some evidence of past hikers were branches were snapped off and had already regrown. Choke points that funnel hikers onto a similar route (top of peaks, around bigger fallen trees) had more defined tracks, but even these lasted barely 10-20 meters before dissipating once again into the scrub. Mostly soft scrub though, not too hard on the bare shins. At a creek crossing we could see patches of stinging nettle, but easy to avoid. Along the exposed cliff line was a lot clearer and easier going. Still fairly slow though, navigating and passing through it all. Probably averaging just over 1.5 km /hr through this stretch.   

There was another good climb to get up and over a cliff line before linking up to a ridge. On the way up almost stepped on a decent sized Carpet Python enjoying a patch of sun. Only the 2nd snake we've seen this weekend.... but I'm not sure I'd want to think too hard about all the ones we didn't... 

After all that climbing it was time to head back down.... 600m drop over ~2.5km made for some pretty steep sections. Ground was fairly good, plenty of vegetation cover for the most part. Some of it had fairly loose dirt which lead to a few slips. Steep drops either side at a few points as well, so be careful with your feet placements, but safe enough as long as you take your time, and that we did...  

Just as you reach the creek at the bottom you run into thickets of Lantana. Fun! There is a goat trail that leads you right through a 100m gauntlet of it, then you double back along the dry rocky creek bed to almost where you started (+ down a ~2m drop off.) If I venture back again, I might drop to the creek a little earlier off to the right nearing the end of the ridge, as following the creek was a lot easier than pushing through the lantana. 

A little celebration as we made it back to the maintained shared use trail. Nice and wide, slashed grass, easy hiking. Still 9km back to the car though. Lots more criss-crossing over the creek. Some you can stay dry through, others not. Held a fairly steady 5km/hr pace most of the way, excluding the creek crossings/rock hopping, and back to the car with plenty of sunlight left. Though definitely a long day for just 15 km...  

Diving - 2025 08 - Moreton Island (Clean Up)

Trip Statistics;

• Dive Locations: Curtin Artificial Reef & The Pines
• Water Temp: 19-20°C
• Avg Depths: 10m (Pines) - 28m (Lady Norman)
• Boat Trips: 8
• Total club dives: 42
• Marine Debris Collected;
• 42kg of Lead Sinkers (Which we will recycle into Dive Weights)
• 2.7kg of Fishing Line
• 1.7kg of fishing hooks and lures
• 4.6kg of mixed materials
• 15m of rope
• 1 Dive weight belt

Heading back over to Moreton Island to complete another Marine Debris Clean Up trip. At the Club house the Wed before the trip we all met to arrange tanks, compressor, the boat etc so it was ready for the weekend. I had volunteered to drive Diver 1 over so I dropped my dry bag off with Gary then got to setting the boat.

Extra anchors for overnight mooring, some water, checking safety gear and ensuring pontoons were firm, mostly your standard pre-dive checks. Come Friday morning one of our buddies on the boat came down with a fever/headache which dropped us to 3. I called Coralie and roped her into bring a 4th so we could sneak in a dive pair, while still having a Skipper and Surface Watch on the surface. I don't think I've fully transitioned to a "Resort Diver" yet, but a few years ago I would have been pretty bummed missing out on a dive opportunity but when I got the news I was more "meh that's OK, I can just catch the next one", so I think the process has started. 

n.b. A resort Diver is one who strictly (or at least primarily) dives in nice warm tropical waters, with Dive guides who setup (and carry!) your gear. Not like us chumps that have to lug it up/down the beach and lift it onto the boat ourselves! A bit shaky to start with the Coast Guard Radio Hand taking a while to take our details, but then smooth sailing, near mirror surface conditions, to get over.

We threw some divers in at the Pines for a drift clean. Out going tide and running pretty hard, but easy to follow with the good conditions they came back with reports of lots of Grouper to see and quite a full bucket of rubbish.

Our turn to jump in, similar conditions, good vis, and we immediately saw a huge Grouper too. While cleaning up marine debris, mostly fishing waste, I stumbled upon a mostly buried dive belt. 6 x 3lb weights... more than I have ever intentionally dived with... short belt too (or maybe my waist is not-short...) So I awkwardly carried it for a bit before finding a way to clip it off and have it dangle. That much weight made buoyancy a bit more interesting. We also found what looked like a painters drop sheet along with the usual hooks, line and sinkers etc.

We were just setting the anchors before the rest of the crew (catching the barge over) arrived. SNR was quick to return to the beach ready for a dive as we awaited the rest of the crew to trickle down. 5 more dropped in for another drift but reports of much worse vis than the earlier dives, as the tide had changed to an incoming now. Still Grouper and Turtles about to see though.

Back on the beach in time for sunset drinks and to see a pod of dolphins cruise by. It wasn't long before a shower beckoned for me so I headed up and then met everyone around the fire. Soon it was dinner, a fantastic meal from "Castaways", then back to the fire. 

Around the fire was another group who joined us. They were quite excitable and engaging... and possibly a little drunk. They were determined to kick on with most divers turning in for bed before 9ish... asking if they were allowed to burn the rest of the wood we brought for the three nights... thankfully they didn't. 

A few were up at sunrise and I wasn't too far behind them to check on the boat. Still floating, good enough, so I went back to Castaways for breakfast (experts at catering for divers!!) After having our fill it was time to head to the beach. Craig collected the boat and brought it to shore for us all to load up. As I started to put on my cold, and still very wet, wetsuit I may have started to fantasise about the life of a resort diver....

We headed for Curtin Artificial reef to find a platoon of fishing boats. Luckily there was some space, near the dry dock, we could call our own. Everyone was super ready (first time ever!) when we launched so we found ourselves a bit too early waiting for the slack tide. Even when we jumped in there was a bit of current. It did turn slack towards the end of the dive though, and not long into the dive it was pretty mild anyway. 

Back to swap boat loads. I was skipper for the 2nd so I ditched my gear and hopped back on the boat. A nice drift again on the Pines. Though we dropped them a bit along (to not rehash the same ground as yesterday) and at the ~40min mark the wall stopped, turning into a gentle slope of  sand, so the divers came up a little early. 

More amazing food for lunch and then back in for the third Dive. I wasn't meant to be on it, but a few pulled out so I took up one of the spare slots. With everyone being efficient and on time we found ourselves waiting for the slack tide before jumping in near the Rock Driller. Snapped a few pictures of the Nautilus Statue, but low tide meant the water was a little murky.

Fei and I were getting a pretty good haul in the bucket and after 20min I checked in to see his air. 150bar (for a new diver) awesome I thought, we're in for a good dive, as I went to check my own air. . . . .  

60 bar. Huh? No leaking hoses nothing I could see to cause it. Before we entered I had checked my air and I could swear it was 200... but it mustn't have been. I might have gone in with yesterday's tank which was 110ish... bugger. With apologies to Fei I guided us back to Diver 1 in the blue-ish green water, so we could do a safety stop on the way. Vis was just good enough to make out the top of the Wrecks, so at least I knew which direction to head.

Despite a quick 27 min dive (probably not my shortest in my diving career if I'm being honest...) not only did we have a decent take in the bucket, but also found some pretty hefty electrical conduit and wire... so still a successful clean up dive. I think that earned me the 'Minion Award' for the day (given out to those who do something silly like jumping in without fins...or a half empty tank...)

Post dive was a little time to sort the waste and have a nice shower before heading down the beach for sunset. Another nice orange glow as the sun set behind the glasshouse mountains.

Thanks Marja and Nelly for the Clean Up Shots!

Soon the sun was gone and it had been replaced by midges and mosquito's so we retired from the beach and went to the fire. Not long there before dinner was ready so we could eat and plan the next days diving. Once dinner and planning were done it was back to sitting around the fire until it was time for bed. Another group sharing the fire pit threw in one of those colour flame packets, which made for an impressive blue.

Up for breakfast at 7 again but a bit of time to kill before a 930am launch for the first dive. A bit lumpier today on the surface, as predicted, which made loading Diver 1 a little harder. Still we got going and were off for Curtin. I jumped in with Waz, he was having a little trouble with his 2nd stage yesterday, so I leant him my spare for the dive. 

We were waiting until the other divers were clear of the anchor line so we could have a calm descent. Just about ready when Fei and Anton popped back up as Fei had his tank slip, happens to most divers eventually... with them on their way again Waz and I jumped in soon after. 

Good vis, maybe even 15min, (well "good for Curtin") and a nice flat sandy bottom where we could sit and chill for a bit before setting off on our dive. We went and checked out the remains of the Tram before continuing on to the Rock Driller and back to the Nautilus Statue. A pair of huge QLD Grouper were hanging about it today, by god they are massive fish... 

After our slight detour for sight seeing it was back to cleaning with a bit of extra stuff along the Rock Driller wreck before finding lots of line and sinkers on the Kos II. We eventually made our way to the Hustler which had even more line and a mass of tangled rope, mostly covered in growth and not suitable for collecting though. Still plenty of hooks, line and sinkers there too. 

Felt like we had barely started to make a dent in the Hustler before we needed to head back up to the surface. Plenty more there to justify a second trip. Conditions were a little worse when we got back to the boat but not too horrible so we still went ahead with the second dive. As it was a drift, in unfavourable conditions, I dropped out of diving so I could be an extra surface watch, with Louis and Pete H.

Dropping divers south of the Curtin (so they could drift north into it) it was hard to track the bubbles even from the start. We found them on and off but with the wind and surface conditions pushing us along a slow idle into the wind we barely even kept in place. Eventually we saw one SMB shortly followed by another at the same place, then soon after their respective divers.

The first SMB apparently got a snagged reel so the second popped just in case. Just as we were getting them into the boat the other group shot their SMB up so we could cover the near 300m gap and be closer to them to pick them up. For the ride back the conditions worsened and unloading was difficult so we decided to pan the afternoon dive. Today was meant to change, and get even worse, later in the afternoon.

After lunch a few checked out the beach and conditions definitely changed from the morning.... they were now near perfect! Unfortunately with the dive already cancelled a few had enjoyed a beer with lunch, so were out, and the thought if putting on wet gear was less enticing for the rest. So we all enjoyed a relaxing arvo instead.

Yet another fantastic dinner from Castaways and more time around the fire before our last night.

Before breakfast most people had already packed and it wasn't long after breakfast most of the crew were off to beat the tide and catch the barge.

The 4 of us remaining started chatting about the days plans and strolled down to the beach to see what the water was doing. A bit lumpy and we weren't really feeling the extra dive so the call was made to save the bumpy surface conditions for a dive and start the bumpy ride back instead.

After loading the boat and pulling up the anchors we were all about as wet as you would get on a dive anyway... the ride back wasn't very smooth, slow and steady going. The was a really odd calm patch mid-way across that lasted for about 5min, I thought the wind had changed direction, or we were close enough to the mainland, but soon we were in 700mm waves and going even slower. 

I think Craig copped the worst of it, with most waves seeming to splash his side the whole way back. Finally we made it closer and were able to pick up the pace and get to shore. Good traffic back to the club house so we beat the others there with time enough to clean and tuck away the boat.

We could then help unload some of the other gear, like tanks and the compressor, before heading home for a late lunch.

Another great weekend made so by all the group pitching in and helping out. It really makes a trip so much easier with everyone pitching to help with the many many tasks that always need doing. 

Sailing - 2025 07 - Whitsundays Islands

 

 

Kicking off from the end of our Hamilton Island stay we set off sailing!

Great weather, but not enough wind for sailing so we motored around. We were looking to grab a mooring at Chalkies, a nice beach directly opposite the famous Whitehaven beach. Unfortunately another boat pulled up to the last one just as we were arriving.

Kristie and Jeremy had some boat friends around the corner about an hour away, in Tongue Bay, and they were able to let us know there were plenty of moorings spare. After hooking up there we did a short walk up to a lookout and down to the northern end of Whitehaven Beach for sunset drinks. A fairly high tide hid most of the famous swirling white sand banks, but it was still a nice spot. Back to Lazuli for dinner and fairly early to bed. 

Sat morning a few of us did the lookout walk again and with a lower tide the sandbanks were a lot more visible, the kind of shot fit for a postcard (see heading picture.) Back to the boat and the wind had picked up a little, but not too bad. Tucked in behind the headland at the southern end of Whitehaven for lunch before hopping on shore. The girls went in for a swim as I headed up to the lookout. Quite a few tourist boats out, so the beach near the walk entrance was fairly crowded. Nice lookout again, and it seems most don't bother with the massive ~2km distance, so not too busy which was nice.

Arrived back on shore to see Kristie and Jeremy already packing up the beach, good timing to head back to Lazuli. Soon off to check Chalkies moorings (there's a friendly Turtle there) but they were all full again so we set off to tuck in behind Border Island in Cateran Bay.

Sunset sips and dips on the boat for us today. As we were enjoying them a tender from a tourist boat motored by, but then stopped in front of us. I mentioned that seemed a bit weird, nothing to see there, so we investigated and found out they were paddling. Luckily wind was in their favour and it wasn't too hard to paddle for steering. They also had another load to pick up on shore, we had offered to help transfer people but it turns out the reason their engine stopped was because they forgot to refill their fuel tank...  

A little bit windy and rocky tonight. The wind seems to shoot over the saddle and hit us. Wasn't too bad though but I was soon into bed. 

Sunday we were off for a short walk to the saddle. MUCH windier on top at the lookout. Clear blue skies with the sun shining brightly so it felt warm enough for a snorkel. Along the wall of the bay was nice, though even in the 5mm wetsuit I started to get cold... loads of fish life but not much in the way of more exciting critters. Emma was able to show off her awesome free diving skills and give old uncle Scott a few pointers. 

 

After getting back to the boat and getting warm we set off for the top of Hook Island. A bit more wind today so we raised the head sail and were cruising along about 5kt, not a huge wind so not super fast but fairly comfortable. We were lucky to see lots of whale spouts on the trip over. At least 7 different groups. Two of the groups were fairly close, but they weren't sticking around to play/breach so hard to get a good photo.  

 A few bays around Hook Point were busy but we ended up in Luncheon Bay mostly protected from the wind but still getting a lot of swell wrapping around the headland. There was also a "Under 35's" tourist boat here with quite loud doof doof music. Despite the scenery being pretty nice, considering the music and swell, we decided to jump one bay over to Butterfly Bay to pull up for the night. Still a touch of swell but definitely better.

Rocked and rolled a bit over night and wasn't the best sleep but woke up fairly refreshed. Spotting some whales far off in the distance.

Tendered around to Manta Ray Bay for a good snorkel. They have some Manta Statues there and the girls (with a bit of assistance from dad) were able to free dive down and touch them. After seeing how it was done, Emma even managed a solo trip to touch them! Plenty of fish about including some huge GTs and a large Bull Mauri Wrasse. 

 We then took Lazuli around to Stonehaven Bay and tucked in right behind a nice finger of reef. It was very tempting to jump in for a second snorkel, but we were dry and warm so spent the afternoon lazing about on deck. Wind was meant to be dropping off but every now and then there was a pretty big gust which flapped about everything we had drying. The wind held the same pattern overnight making for a pretty broken sleep and a rocky boat.

Tuesday morning meant a 30min trip over to Black Island to drop in for a dive. Kristie and I went along the eastern wall, in the channel. Heaps of nudi and a cool flat worm on the dive with an abundance of fish and some pretty healthy coral. No Eels, Sharks or Octopuses etc but still plenty to see along the wall and some colourful nudi made it a good dive.

 

When we were finished with the dive the others joined us and one after the other Kristie took the girls for a quick dive. While that was happening the rest of us had a good snorkel before finding ourselves heading into shore. Apparently Haymen run an 'exclusive private island' tour here, for quite the pretty penny, so it's nice to experience the luxury for free!

After lunch we motored around to Nara Inlet for a very sheltered last night. On the journey we had a somewhat curious dolphin cruise past us then turn to follow us for a bit. We slowed down and it stuck with us a little before veering off towards another boat to check out.  

For Nara we did have to prepare for the mosquito's though. Close enough to land and lack of wind meant they found us pretty quickly. Before sunset we hopped to shore for a short stroll to some Indigenous rock art which was cool to see. For sunset drinks we putted over to 'Exhale', a catamaran, who are friends that Kristie and Jeremy have met on their sailing trip. Nice net with beanbags at the front to enjoy some cheese and a nice drop of scotch. We even had a turtle come visit just off the bow.

Wednesday being our last morning we had a lazy sleep in before heading back to the marina we went for one last adventure to some close by caves for a little bit more climbing and exploring. I also managed to sneak in a short Paddle Board.  

 

Soon though, it was time to head back, Lazuli had the night booked so we had a spot waiting. First up was heading to the fuel dock though to refuel before parking up for the night. Tying off lines and casting off again is a skill well practised by Kristie and Jeremy but new to me, seemed to manage on. When it was time to head to our assigned berth though we ran into a little trouble... and apparently a lot of silt... bottomed out. It was a neap low tide (very low tide) and the berth we had assigned was a touch too shallow for the deeper 2.3m draft of Lazuli... So change of plans and they popped us over on a different berth... with a few multi-million dollar yacht's The one adjacent to us, Lumir is hired out for $140,000 a week... and that doesn't even include fuel, food, drinks etc...

Before we could soak up the luxury too much we did have some of the less glamorous boat jobs to complete, empty rubbish bins (including contents of a composting toilet), fill water tanks etc etc. Jeremy also swabbed the decks (I'm getting my sail lingo down pat!) There was land chores as well, shopping/Bunnings, BCF run etc. We had the car up here so Kristie was able to use it to make the running about a little easier. There was scant time in the afternoon to relax before it was time to stroll into Airlie for dinner. Bet Jeremy enjoyed the break from cooking :p

One last sleep on Lazuli, and I swear even in the Marnia I rolled around all night. Almost as if the small wash from other boats, being sharper and less rhythmic than ocean waves, affected me worse than the more symmetrical ocean swell... Work in the morning for a rather quick pack and our final goodbyes before setting off on the ~14 hours drive back to Brisbane. 

No real traffic hold ups, though we did have to stop once for a Sugar Cane train (say that 10 times fast) to roll past before continuing on. Bu lunch we had already passed Rocky and were making decent time... but decided that a 1030pm ETA home was a bit late and decided to pull up stumps at Gin Gin. The Hotel had one Queen room left for a pretty reasonable price ($89, shared bathroom) and the Bistro did a pretty good steak. Though they also though for some reason we wanted a "Family" pizza as a second meal... so we had a bit of vegetarian pizza left over... 

With just over 4 hours of driving left we weren't in a huge rush, no point hitting peak hour traffic getting through Brisbane but I was also keen to get home and unpack so we didn't really dawdle either... Some road works slowing us down and light traffic just north of Brisbane saw us home just after lunch... so the unpacking, loads of washing, and house chores could get started... Post holiday fun, yay! 

A fantastic trip, even as a non-boatie, thanks to the Ford family for inviting us into your home for a few short days, and I hope you get the good weather next week you are expecting to allow you to some of the outer reefs!