Friday 15 Mar 2019

Well, Oldfield’s Hut was wonderful. It made yesterday’s tough workout totally worth its while. There was a cacaphony of birds singing this morning, magpies, currawongs, I don’t know what they all were, but it was delight to listen to. I don’t know how to insert a sound file in here otherwise I would.

Today I did the same stretch as yesterday but in reverse, which was a first, I’ve never travelled on the BNT going south to north! And even though I had just come in yesterday, it all looks different when you go the opposite direction.

Initially it was still a lot of pushing, but nowhere near as much as yesterday. Although the morning started out reasonably clear, low clouds came in and when I got to the Lone Pine FT summit I was actually in the clouds, at only 9 or 10º. But happily no wetness.

At that point I was treated to the incredibly varied song of a lyrebird. They also copy a lot of other birds and I could recognise magpie calls thrown in here and there in the meddle. The steepest parts I had to walk down, carefully. It was just too slippery with all loose gravel. When I made it to the bottom I thanked my lucky stars that I didn’t slip or slide or did damage to myself, bike or BOB.

You can’t tell from this shot, but believe me it’s steep, loose and slippery.

On Yaouk Road there were still some more pushy bits, just as there were yesterday but in reverse. I came by Bradshaw’s Hut, but felt I could easily go on, so back to Mt Clear and then on to Horse Gully Hut. There was amazingly little traffic today, but the drivers of the vehicles that did go by, could not take their feet off their gas pedals and flew by in billowing clouds of dust. Ignorant assholes.

Between Mt Clear and HGH there was only one lone hiker on his way out, and it seems like I’ll have the hut to myself again, just like yesterday. I really like that best because I can set up my tent inside the hut and spread out as much as I want. Having company is nice too, but this is nicer. And I get to fully enjoy the absolute quiet with only the sounds of nature. The wind through the trees, bird calls and song, roos hopping around and chomping on grass, possums snarling at each other.

I arrived at 15:00, an hour earlier than yesterday, having done more kms, but it was more down then up. The sun was out longer today and the hut was nice and toasty. At 17:30 a young couple rode up but they’re gonna camp at Mt Clear, and they only stopped here to fill up their water bags. They came up from the north, not all the way down from Caloola Farm, but rode in on a different road from Orroral. They sure were traveling light with just 8 kg each they figured! They may wish they had packed more warm clothing though.

Totals 56k 5:40h 880m+ 1370m-