Day 4: Tapanappa Campsite to Balquhidder Campsite

Daily distance: 18.9km
Total distance: Getting better
Time taken: 9hrs

We broke camp early and headed out as today was going to be a long one. The route out of camp was a gentle downhill into the Deep Creek Conservation Park and back to the ocean. The walking was alot more gentle which was just as well as we were all starting to hurt. Strider even slowed down (he is buggered) and walked with us. The views along the coast were spectacular and the weather was just as good. In fact the weather is excellent walking weather with bright sunshine and cool all day getting cold at night.

The route took us down to the coast, over a stream onto the beach. We were looking forward to the beach but after half an hour we could not wailt to get off it. Walking on beach sand is hard enough with no pack... add 25kg on your back and it becomes terrible. These beaches are breeding grounds for the very rare and endangered Hooded Plovers of which there are only 75 breeding pairs in Australia and we saw 4 birds.

4.5 Grueling kilometers later we came to the end of the beach and the climb out. Now having explained how steep some of the other climbs were this one was the steepest...... we climbed 120m in 60m. If it was not for the fence that we were walking along there was no way we would've got up. Jeff and I went up first and I came down picked up Dee and her pack and headed up again. The view from the top was well worth the climb though.

The weather came in and mist enveloped us for what we thought was the last couple of kilometers into camp. 4 Hours later in the pitch dark we still were no closer to the camp site and we also had no clue. Divine intervention in the form of an Ausie Angel appeared in a big landcruiser with more spot lights on the roof than any SA rugby stadium has. He was a local farmer who insisted on taking us to the camp site (only 100m back) and shining his spotlights while we set up camp. Not only did he supply lighting but also started a fire for us and then he was gone........

This is the spirit of a long trek like this that I wanted Dee and Jeff to experience. Whenever the going gets tough and you seem to run out of luck something always happens that kinda gives you hope!

It was the longest day we have had so far and we were all buggered.