Superb day of hiking. Left at 08:30 under beautiful overcast skies and had stellar coastal views pretty much the whole day. It was a day of mini highlights.
First little highlight was sitting on a bench seat watching the view and being visited by a bandicoot! Not sure if it was the Torbay hut bandicoot or another like the Torbay bandicoot, this one was also very friendly (as in used to scavenging hiker muesli bar crumbs).
Next little (big) highlight was the whale pod casually swimming close to the shore. AND... not just in one spot but in 3 different spots during the day, including off the coast visible from the bench seat at the WCH hut. Very exciting. Sat up on that seat for a couple of hours at the end of the day. Bonus sunset.
Other little highlight was walking through the WCH National Park and witnessing the regeneration of the bush that had been totally obliterated by a deliberately lit fire when I walked through in 2016. It was just great to see. Apart from the regeneration of the bush the birds
were active through here. Lots of black cockatoos and honeyeaters. The black cockatoo is probably the most iconic on the track I think, I never get sick of the calls.
In terms of terrain its predominantly coastal sand tracks through low scrub but theres also some boardwalk, peppermint tree thicket, granite rock, a bit of 4WD track and the carpark at the top of Shelley Beach where the hand glider platforms are located. Geoff and I had spent a night at the Shelley Beach camp site earlier in the year and I was sorely tempted to go down a have my cuppa break down there. It is worthwhile considering pitching your tent down there for a night if you want to play around with your daily distances as it lies almost half way between the Torbay and WCH huts. Theres a drop toilet and flat grassy areas to camp directly in front of the (very beautiful white sand) beach. Only down side is that theres no water supply so youd have to factor that in (maybe do a water drop or arrange to meet someone).
bench seats- they are so convenient. I love my coffee and lunch breaks through the day and the seats just make it easy- you can get the pack on and off more easily, lay out your mini feasts, etc, etc, etc. Speaking of food, given the short distance today I only had a snack and then went with a very early dinner, I got into camp at 13:48 and ate my night spag bol about 1530. Appetite down today which is consistent with what usually happens when I hike- not too hungry for the first week and then it takes off...
Low light of the day? Another trip on on a peppermint root, ramming my toes into the top of my shoes. The fall the other day started the process of my left 2nd toenail dying, this one has accelerated it- sore! Hopefully the pressure will now be relieved.
