Day 10 and 11. 200km completed to Dwellingup

After hearing about the resident snake at Mt Wells I decided to do a double hut day. That means missing a hut that day.  So I had a 3.5 hour walk to the hut. Mostly flat then a then a steepish climb up to an old forest fire wardens hut. It is the only fully enclosed hut on the trail as it was where someone lived during the fire season. That poor person climbed up the tower and looked out for fires. Now there is a whole lot of electronic gear there to do the same job.

The walk was pretty with lots of interesting plants, rocks and a view from the tops.

At the hut had a look for the snake but didn’t see him so I sat out in the sun for 1.5 hours enjoying a break. i was trying to trick my body into thinking it was the next day and could manage another 15 km.

I made some phone calls and then chatted with Susan, physio, trail running lady who is walking the Bibbulmun Track is sections over the weekends. Then it was another 15km and 4 hours to Chadoora camp. My feet were screaming at me by the time I arrived 4 hours later. It was a really flat and boring section, not much changed.

There was 5 adults and 2 kids already at camp and 3 million flying creatures. Apparently they were termites but they are not biting just annoying. So I brought out my bug net and I was envied by all the others. Only 6 got in my soup and about 10 in my dinner.

We had a lovely evening around the campfire singing all the old Aussie songs before we all turned in for the night. I was on the platform between 2 tents. I slept with my bug net on.

The next day was a 16km flat walk out to Dwellingup, my first track town. I walked for the last half of the day following an old logging rail track. A section is used for a tourist train so I had a smoko break at the station.

Not much to say about the day, just flat through the bush, heard one family of Kangaroos and lots of birds. No snakes, no ticks. I walked for the last half of the day following an old logging rail track and came across some rusted relics of the past.

I stopped at the place where a thriving town was completely burnt down in 1963. The only remnants was the introduced plants growing wild.

After a big day yesterday I was knackered and the last 3km was torture. But I made it at exactly 12 noon which was my planned arrival time. 200km done and dusted and sweated and hobbled!

The little forestry town was heaving as it was Saturday and only an hours drive from Perth. Cameron and Amanda met me and we headed to the pub for lunch. There was a group of Tramily there to enjoy a beer with. It turns out that Cameron works with one of the walkers son-in-law. Small world. The meals were 1.5 hours wait so we headed to the Blue Wren cafe fore a pie and chips. Yum yum!

Back in Perth I washed off 11 days of red dirt, sweat and grime and Amanda (Podiatrist) dealt to my blisters. By the next morning I felt like anew person. Clothes were washed and food for the next day was sorted all while I caught up on the Queens death news. I will always remember that I was at Helena Hut on the Bibbulmun Track when I heard the news. We all sat and watched the funeral for the first 5 hours until it was time for my last sleep in a house until early November.