10th August

Perth to Hewett's Hill

I had arranged to meet Rone who is a friend I have walked with in Queensland and Tasmania at the airport in Perth. Rone who is a fitter by trade is enjoying the luxury that a booming mining industry affords him with the freedom to involve himself at leisure at any adventures that appeal to him whereas I needed to use the last of my long service leave (7 weeks) and a school holiday to do the 1000km hike has a complete End - to End track. 

Ironically the hardest part of the walk was the first 10 days as there was no place to resupply until Dwellingup 200 km along the track. I had badly overloaded my pack so that it weighed about 35 kg including water, more food than I needed (I was still using it up until Collie at 14 days!), a 2 man tent which came in very handy later, binoculars, books and perhaps too many clothes.

Anyway Rone and I caught a cab to the start of the track for about $35 and launched ourselves at about 2 pm after stuffing around at the local shopping centres looking for amongst other things primus gas stove cylinders which didn't exist. So in my rush I was already dependent on Rone for his Metho burner for cooking.

My first impressions as we descended down paths was how dry the terrain looked and all these massive gum nuts everywhere dropped from Marri Gums that  the locals call Hokey nuts. These nuts are responsible for the large number of slipping injuries apparent in the Perth area. 

The area had a large amount of granite boulders and we had some hot sweaty hours heading East with the blazing Western Sun making the valley feel like a furnace. The highlight was descending to Piesse brook, crossing the first of hundred's of bridges constructed for walkers and reaching our first hut. 

The hut as with the rest was such a novelty and because of the picnic tables, water tank and shelter made the walk relatively luxurious - and the huts were free. Later in the afternoon a bloke by the name of Peter whose father's ashes were buried near the hut rocked up to celebrate an important family anniversary. Sharing a lovely Cuban Cigar around (normally I don't smoke) and enjoying the camp fire (another novelty) the atmosphere was great. Rone and I felt we had a great welcoming to the Bib track. Peter left around 10pm by which time I was only half awake in my sleeping bag in any case. The temperature must have dropped about 20°C in a matter of two hours in the late afternoon.

11th August - Hewett's Hill to Waalegh Campsite