Australia

Like the end of the ram in Wagin my holiday is over, all 2,699.2km of it. Wrong turns, chatty tourists, laughs (mostly at myself), good food (new favourite pie garlic prawn & rice perfect for breakfast), sweat, sore muscles, rain…..

Thanks everyone for your nice comments I can’t reply on here.

And here’s the front of the ram (I like only took two photos all day)

Today I thought ild go check out the Stirling Range well I made it to Bluff Knoll and that is as far as I got. I stood at the lookout and next thing I knew I was hiking it. I don’t know what ran through my mind a 6.2km return basically up stairs the whole way was not! But you know what with everyone’s encouragement I DID IT!!! I MADE THE SUMMIT OF BLUFF KNOLL all 1095m above sea level in 5 hours 10 minutes (they only recommend it’ll take 3-4 hours). What kept me going other than all the encouraging words of people overtaking me or on the way day about 2/3s of the way up I found out there was an 83 year old guy who was going to attempt the summit. If he could do it so could I. I did it, I have no plans to hike again or even look at a mountain unless it’s by chopper, lift, cable car…..
Here’s the journey (in no particular order)

I detoured a little further to see The Lily since it was after 5 I decided not to go in

After chatting to the wives/friends/family of the 83 year old I stopped where they told me I could find some butterfly orchids. There was no way I was going to make it up the road verge with my jelly legs so I looked on the other side of the road & found this

I took the scenic route home through the range on a road that was made of ball bearings while dodging roos, pretty sure it was the long way too.

Ps I’m still waiting for the endorphins to kick in.

…the one who trades her pj bottoms for tights, throws a jumper over her pj top & walks barefoot to the beach. Will miss my beach walks.

I finally left Albany after a coffee & cake & headed for the Porongurups. Someone (me) thought it was a brilliant idea to hike The Nancy Peak circuit (the idea been I had done Castle Rock years ago ild try something else) 5.5km of pain! I’m not sure my feet will ever recover from all the rocks I’ve walked over, my ankles all the odd angles I put them at, my legs may never carry my uphill again, the rest of me is gonna hurt but it’s fine it’s a bit like sitting in an ice bath outside at the moment. And I’m sure I hit the summit at least three times, everytime I thought this is it ild find another incline & rock to climb. However I did it with a smile on my face at the end when the endorphins kicked in (and I was on flat ground).

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Without realising I picked the day the first convey of Anzacs left Albany to visit the National Anzac Centre & surrounds. It was pretty cool at the centre you were given a card & you could follow that soldiers story. The weather has been terrible today windy & rainy, at one point I thought ild have to hide in a magazine bunker to wait out the rain. Anyway here’s today in pictures.

I also saw there were these lighthouse ruins, they sounded good so off I went to find Point King Lighthouse Ruins, one wrong turn after the other, think I even tried to go CBH at one point. Anyway I found this walk track so off I went, up & down, eventually I stumbled across the ruins.

Now I’m hiding in my car from the wind, cold & dam magpies attempting to eat my cheese & biscuits.

It got worse after this photo was taken I dropped a biscuit next thing I’ve got a dozen magpies looking for more so I’m now hiding in the car.

The suns out!!! I’ve got one tshirt on as opposed to two and a jumper.

After I little bit of a lazy start I hit the road out of town to Two Peoples Bay. I stopped off at the visitors centre where I ended up walking one of the trails (no hat, no camera, no water) lucky it was only a couple kilometres. But to my surprise I managed to see six enamel orchids & a leopard? Sun orchid so worth it (plus I didn’t want my body to get too used to flat ground just yet).

Next stop … the whole purpose of today’s drive … Little Beach. WOW just love the colour of the water, bit too much wave action for me to run back up & put my bathers on but after the initial shock of the cool water I was happy to paddle.

I detoured back to town via The Old Marron Farm for lunch, followed by Nanarup Beach, Ledge Beach, Ledge Point & Gull Rock.

Now to relax before my afternoon walk on the beach.