Tuesday 30 July
We were planning to go for a hike on Saturday, but the forecast was for intermittent rain showers all day. We therefore decided to wait until Sunday, but watching the rain dripping down the windows at breakfast, perhaps it was not such a good idea.
We had dressed for a walk, made our lunch and washed the dishes, so we set off in the hope that the forecast would be accurate in its prediction of ‘rain clearing’. Our chosen destination was Second Valley Forest, a one hour drive to the west.
Driving there
Encounter Bay, about 10km away is an established whale nursery area, where these amazing giants of the seas pause in their annual migration north and as a result become subjects of the popular pastime of whale watching. This season, so far, a mother and her calf have been sighted by others, according to Facebook reports. In the hope of sighting them we had made a few previous unsuccessful trips to a few nearby coastal locations. Since we were passing anyway, we made a minor diversion, but again nothing to be seen.
On the rest of the journey, we drove through a couple of rain showers, but by the time we arrived at the trail head, it looked like we had seen the last of the rain. Being coffee time, we fortified ourselves with some caffeine, changed into our hiking boots and set off on the 9km Wilampa Trail.
Now this was a big deal for me. I bought my last pair of hiking boots in Hobart on Christmas Eve 2017. Since then, they had served me extremely well, taking my feet comfortably on numerous trails across the width and breadth of Australia. However, a couple of seams were parting company and letting in water so it was time for a new pair. This outing was the first wearing a new pair of pristine boots. I wondered if they would treat my feet kindly.
The trail
The route of the trail wound through a mix of dense pine forest, open areas where new pines had been planted and areas of native gum trees and other vegetation. Having recently completed a Kuitpo Forest Walk, we were beginning to realise that the directional signage on forestry walks was excellent and made a mental note to find more for future outings. Although it was a circular trail, it was clear that the route was structured primarily for distance, with many doglegs, rather than direction.
At various locations adjacent to the extremities of the forest, we came across numerous parked vehicles and horse floats, suggesting a busy shared trail. But we hardly came across anyone else, enhancing the experience of silent solitude amongst the endless erect pines. Where the mature pines had been thinned out at every third row, the canopy zipped open to reveal the flat white of the overcast sky.
Under foot, the surfaces were mainly grass interwoven with a thick layer of pine needles, the only hazard being the hard, half eaten pine cones depositing from a great height by the Yellow Tailed Cockatoos. After a week of rain showers, the surfaces of some of the more exposed sections were quite wet, making me thankful of the new boots that were by now looking less than pristine.
A minor detour revealed a dam half filled with pea green clear water, presenting an interesting photo opportunity. The water in this dam and a later, much smaller, pond lay flat like sheets of mirrored glass reflecting the landscape to give reciprocal views of the surrounds.
By lunchtime, only a couple of kilometres remained, so it was time to find a comfortable log to perch on and enjoy our filled rolls and mandarins. On the way back, we came across a derelict water tank tower.
After a long climb back to the car, there was one more stop that I suggested we make.
Ingalalla Falls
On a previous occasion when K was back in VIC, I had visited Ingalalla Falls. As they are located a short distance off our return route, we stopped off for afternoon tea and the short walk to the falls. On my previous visit, I was not comfortable with hopping across the rocks to find the best viewpoint – they were as slippery as an ice rink and I didn’t have my walking poles to steady myself. This time I was more prepared. With poles extended, I cautiously made my way across the rocks and got the shot I imagined. I must have looked like an old bloke needing assistance because a young lad picked up and handed me my sticks to save me bending down. Chivalry is not dead, yet.
Back home
Feeling well exercised, pleased that we had managed to stay dry and happy that I had a well composed shot of the waterfall, we arrived home after another failed attempt to witness the whales.
Of course, there was one really important job to be done – clean my new boots (but that would be a first). However, this was not done until Monday afternoon as we decided to re-visit Cox Scrub for another 10km walk.
How well did my new boots look after my feet, I hear you ask? After a two day total of nearly 20km, I am delighted to report that they were very comfortable without any annoying pinch points or painful blisters.
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