wilsons2

burnt out (what plant is this mum?). it requires the heat of a fire to propogate its seeds.
view of oberon bay with sand dune plants
sunrise on teh second day of the walk from lt waterloo bay


In the Easter break I endeavoured to get away from it all, and so with 2 great friends, I embarked on a 2 day hike through Wilson’s promontory. Jesse and Ella are both medical students and we planned the trip in the week leading up to the time we would go. Ella had bought the tent and cooking implements, and we bought the food on the way. It was a new experience for all of us, having been camping previously with family but never doing anything off our own bat. It was unfortunately destined to rain, so we packed rain jackets.
Once we got there it was obvious we had made a fantastic decision. the scenery was remarkable driving in and though the wind whipped at our tent the night before we left, when we woke we were very keen. The hike led us through burnt out scrub, over a pass and down through rainforest gullies and over a swamp before emerging at a small overcast cove. We had a quick break while the flies buzzed at our scroggin, and then headed off to Refuge Cove. The walk around the headlands was spectacular but nothing prepared us for the view when we reached Refuge cove. The gums hung over the clean beach, while the white sand stretched out to the clear blue, and cold water. It seemed like we had discovered something which was completely untouched, and for nearly an hour we had the place to ourselves. I really felt calms and relaxed, removed from stresses at home and uni, and completely at one with the natural environment. It cared for us and we cared for it. We picked up rubbish that stupid tourists had left along the way, and the sky cleared and gave us a Queensland-worth beach.
The rest of the first day we scrambled up a peak to see our destination for the night, while passing a group of under-privileged kids taken on a group walk led by their local policemen. That night was spent talking with fellow campers, playing cards, and completely bathing in the opportunity to let go and be away from the bustle of the city. I really felt like it was a remedy to the aches and pains of everyday monotony. Meanwhile, my legs creaked after the days 24km effort.
The second day we woke for the sunrise and watched as the new day begun, the light grew from around one of the heads and Jesse remarked how it looked like a Microsoft gradient. The second day was not as memorable, as the weather closed in (but did not rain) and the scenery was not as picturesque. However we enjoyed each others company, and our sense of the strong bonds between us grew.
Returning to the camp we set off home, arriving in Melbourne as the sun set. It seemed like a different sun that had risen that morning, and cars and trams raced to get home. The three of us stood in wonderment at the unnecessary bustle.
We treated ourselves to a Wednesday night pub steak as large as my face.
It didn’t touch the sides.