Australian Hiker

7:27am

3:36pm

It makes for an easy start when you don’t have to pack up all your camping gear at the start of the morning so I left my cabin  at 7:27pm.

It took me until 8:39am to walk from Casuarina Cabins at the top end of town, through the town itself, along the beach access road and onto the beach. After doing some social media recording I was off.

At one point I realised that someone was walking behind me and when I eventually did, it turned out to be a section hiker from Melbourne who was doing a piece of the trail and was returning to Monibeong Camp to collect his car and then head back home. This trail provides great opportunities to do section walks.

I eventually powered ahead and then continued on at a more leisurely pace, taking photos as I went. On the whole the beach walking was relatively easy with rare exceptions of having to avoid the water on an incoming tide. I did noice that there was a track at the top of the dune that would have been a harder option but necessary when the weather is rough and driving the sea onshore.

At one stage the signage directed me inland to avoid some dodgy rocky crossings that were occasionally underwater but the inland option was very hard to work out due to the overgrown track which needs a bit of TLC and some extra markers. After spending some time reading the guidebook I eventually worked out where I was going. I did come across some aboriginal middens along the way though.

Eventually I was back down on the beach after passing Noble Rocks. It was at this point I decided on a lunch break. For me the ocean is my happy place and when combined with hiking, it doesn’t get much better! So I just lay on my pack against some sloping sand and watched, listened to and smelt the ocean…. aaahhh life is good.

Once I started off again I walked past the inland alternative route but as much as the guidebook says that this inland section is more interesting, I still prefer the ocean so kept on walking along the beach. With the occasional need to avoid the incoming tide, I was walking on firm sand the whole way.

I got concerned at one stage that I may have gone past my turn off but in checking the guidebook I realised I was still on-track and when you get to the turn, the landscape is very obvious as is the sign.

From here it was about a 1km walk on a sandy trail inland to Mombeong Camp (that’s the spelling on the shelter). Today took me just on eight hours due to confusion on the inland sections of this trail as well and me taking in the view.

This camp site felt a bit weird at first and I realised that there were no eucalyptus trees that have been my companions at every other campground – instead it is mainly wattles. The ground here is also very sloped and while there are some good tent sites, had there been a large group you’d want to claim your site quickly.

Apparently Lake Monibeong is only 200 metres away but I was so tired I didn’t take the opportunity for a visit.

I set up my tent and had dinner. By this time the sun was going down and after doing this post and a podcast recording, it was time for bed. I realised through the night that I am almost exclusively in REM sleep for the entire night on this trip and am having some very weird dreams.

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