Great Ocean Track: Stage 5, The Gables to The 12 Apostles (actually 7.5!), 21 kms, cloud & rain cells & winds! 17

Dodging Bullits!

It was an early start to the morning as we were dropped to the trail at 7:40 am this morning. I wasn't too sure why they wanted us to head off so early as it's not a great distance and the track is dead easy today. Our pick up is at 3pm and so we sit here in a small cafe writing this just 7 kms from the end...it's only 11am. But the brownie and the tea are great, so contented for the moment. Above photo shows the town where we sit.

As we left in the near dark it was difficult to figure out what the weather would look like out the window, so we planned for rain. It had stormed through the night and we both slept restlessly, probably wondering what the day would bring as the GOW came to an end. I packed in the last of our Werthers, great cheek walking things!

Our host Andrew dropped us off at the start point and a look out towards the sea showed us what we were going to be up against today. Rain squalls were heading shoreward at an alarming pace! To quote the local jargon, "no worries!" (Sounds way better when the Aussies say it). We huddled under the small sign board as the first squall passed through. A good thing as we decided not to wear waterproof pants today, electing to remain in shorts.

As the walk progressed we found ourselves reminiscing about the bubble we sometime found while walking in the rain storms in Spain. Today was much the same...pick up the pace when a rain cell was spotted and slow down after wards.

At one point we took cover under some of the bush that populates this part of the track. It's quite amazing stuff, having been wind shaped and it's often so thick that a small overhang is enough to keep both the wind and rain at bay. Would have been nice to have had a bit of this in Spain!

As I walked along today, I began to think about how our bodies and minds had begun to sharpen up for distance walking. I've learned that it takes a few days to find my walking rhythm, including re-established the daily preparation process. It's been five days and we are totally there now. I've reached the point where my mind wanders freely where it will and Annemarie is moving along very nicely in her own space as evidenced by the flow of poetry that is beginning to appear...wherever that comes from!!?

The scenery today is a bit anticlimactic after the past few days, but we expected that given the massive headlands are behind us now. The wave are still huge and we were advised to stay off of Ship Wreck beach today as the walk there would be just too risky. So we stayed up above along the cliffs. Easier to find cover when the rain swept through.

We still have the Apostles ahead and hopefully the views will be good, but of course given the astonishing vistas we have already been treated to there will be no complaints. Clearly the journey is more than the ending on this walk...as it should be on all walks.

Will leave you with a few photos taken from one of the outhouses along the way...this is the view from the throne!

Through a window no less...great place to sit and write one's memoirs!

This would be looking back at said outhouse! Small building on the left cliff! Wouldn't want to miss it in the dark if you had to get up in the night!

And then there was eventually the walk to the Apostles...while there are only 7 remaining, we figure we saw enough sea stacks along the way to add up to the full 12.

Some contradictory signage...not sure if they want me to stop walking and jump, or?

First sighting of our destination...

The trail seemed to go on forever as is usually the case when you first see what you've walked so far to find! Life is like that.

Then suddenly you are there...

But wait...you have to walk several more kilometres to find the main event!

Quite the show! Has been on my mind since university days to arrive here. Unfortunately, mass tourism has exploited the site with bus after bus load arriving and it was quite the gong show after five days of peaceful walking with hardly a soul. I took no photos of humanity, just the tranquility...desperately hard to find at the end...