Day 5 - Melanesia Gate to The Gables

17.5 Km

  

Breakfast at 0700 in the Waves Cafè. Good breakfast of home made beans; great choice before a walk. Bus left at 0820 with 2 less walkers. Today is the most challenging section of the walk and 2 walkers decided to give it a miss (probably a good call on their behalf as they have not been feeling ok for a couple of days).

  

We were driven back to where we finished yesterday and started walking at 0915. The first couple of Km were down hill into Ryan's Den. The track was slippery and it didn't help that it rained on us for about 30 minutes.  There is a hut at the back of the beach which was built after WW1 and the family still owns it (driving in and out must be a nightmare as the track is steep and deeply rugged).

  

  

   

By the time we got to the beach the rain had stopped.  We walked about 300 metres along the beach and then started the long and sometimes very steep assent to where we were going to meet the bus for the first checkpoint. The rain kept coming at about 10 to 15 minute intervals. About 6Km into the day we met Katie at the intersection of Ryan's Den Track.  A couple of Fisheries inspectors were making their way back to their 4x4 and stopped to chat.  One Walter decided he did not feel confident to continue on the next section as it was the worse section of the track (good call by him) so he and Lee, the first guide,  bludged a lift with Fisheries back to the tour bus in the top car park. The rest of us trudged on to Ryan's Den campsite, guided by Katie, where we stopped for lunch at about 1150. The weather was crap, raining at about 10 minute intervals which meant I overheated in my rain jacket while trying to climb hills. We met other groups of walkers at the campsite and we had lunch in the shelter (there was also a toilet there and apparently it had a view of over the coastline).

  

We got moving again at about 1220. The track from here was still going predominately up and was slippery. The downhill sections were really slippery and quite treacherous. Lib and I lagged behind the others as we were slower and more cautious walkers in the really bad conditions. Clay mud was thick on our boots so every step could resulted in a slip. The vegetation varied from eucalypt to ti-tree and sheoak to ferns; I was more concerned about the slippery conditions.  It seemed like every time we got to a crest the path would then descend and go up even higher a few hundred metres later. It was a really tough slog and Lib and I think it was the hardest bit of walking we have done.  This section was 8Km of really hard walking. 

  

  

We arrived at Moonlight Bay car park to meet the bus and told the driver we had decided to continue on the last 4.5Km planned section to end the day. This was a total change from the previous section as we went through a Forrest of last gums (there was a boot cleaning station at each end of it). Apart from a few hills the track now more or less followed the contours so it wasn't difficult. We arrived back at the bus at the Gables car park at 1540. One other walker and guide arrived about 2 minutes after us. We have never before been so pleased to finish a day's walk. 

 

On the way back to Port Campbell the bus stopped at Loch And Gorge where we got off the bus and voted the rock forensics and learnt about the wreck of the Loch Ard in 1878.

 

We arrived back at our accommodation at about 1730. While changing out of our walking stuff Lib and I both found big, fat leeches. I had been bitten in a couple of places but no flowing blood so it must have been a while since the leech had dropped off after its feed. Just something else to add to challenge of the day. 

 

Dinner was at 1900 at the 12 Rocks restaurant; great meal and good charts with the other walkers. Tomorrow is our last day on the walk and it will be a fairly big day.