Australia and New Zealand in motion pictures

The Island

Day 1

We woke up 0330 just in time to take the early train from Brisbane central to Whynum North, the closest station to the ferry terminal, leaving us with a 7 km walk along highways and railways. At 1000 we were standing on a huge sand island known as Moreton Island. We hadn’t really planned anything and didn’t know what to expect so we just follow the beach up north. The early morning walk and the bad weather made the hike short and we decided to make camp for the night. It should be noted that we’ve increased the load of our packs to 40 kg for this tour because we had to increase our food and water supplies. Anyway it had been a great day and we went to bed pumped about how the rest of our visit would turn out.

Day 2

It was still raining when we woke up on our first morning on the island. At this point we pretty much knew that it was to clear up by noon because of scattered cumulonimbus. This was a perfect opportunity to practice knots and essential survival techniques. After we had dried the tent and eaten a good improvised pasta Bolognese we continued exploring the island. On the far north side we bumped into a fisherman who was kind enough to give us a tailor for the evening supper. Determined to reach the north east point before sunset we had to wade in waist-high water and run through fallen trees on the shore. We got there just in time and set camp on the beach. We had a nice barbeque over the gas stove with mashed potatoes, the tailor and some whiskey.

Day 3

Everything is covered in sand. If you’re hiking on an island made of sand it is something you have to get used to. As usual we had a nice breakfast consisting of milk, muesli, sand and a nice cup of coffee before heading off. We held by now a legendary status among the four wheel drivers. A few of them even pulled over for a chat or to sponsor us with cold beers and food. It was a very hot day so their generosity couldn’t have been more appreciated. Nourished we felt we had energy enough to mount the rings and do some Crossfit.

Day 4

After an early morning with a steady breakfast and Crossfit we headed south towards the inland track that would take us back to the starting point. After a good 5 km walk we came to a bypass that led up to mount Tempest, the world’s largest sand dune rising almost 300 meters above sea level. A coin flip was to decide whether or not we were to ascend it. It was a tough walk and after 1 hour we were standing on the top of mount Tempest. From up here we could see most of the island, an incredible view well worth the effort. In addition, it gave us important information about the topology of the island that we used to optimize our route planning. Exhausted but filled with valuable information we went back to the track. We soon realized that it was going to be a tiresome walk because we had to walk uphill the first 4 km in the loose sand. The cooling wind we felt on the beach couldn’t penetrate the dense vegetation so it pretty much felt like walking in a desert. Navigation under these conditions is hard and the heat increases the risk of making mistakes. However, knowing the risks is crucial and will decrease the possibility of getting into trouble. Tired we reached the target and made camp just before sunset.

Day 5

We woke up early to be able to catch the 1030 ferry and where there just in time to realize that the ferry was still running on its winter schedule. This gave us a perfect opportunity to test our survival skills by challenge ourselves to distillate seawater with things we could find in our backpacks. A couple of hours later we only had enough water to cover the bottom of the bottle. We need to increase the efficacy of our water distillation system for sure, but how?

/Chris and DJ

The Blue Mountains – Six Foot Track

We have now made it to Sydney NSW and have recently returned from our latest expedition in The Blue Mountains. The Blue Mountains are located approximately 50 km east of Sydney and is a fairly large area consisting of seven national parks. With peaks reaching over 1200 meter above sea level, steep slopes and deep gorges makes it comparable with The Grand Canyon.

Day 1:

After the arrival in Katoomba, we were recommended the six foot track by the friendly staff at the information centre. The six foot track is a three days walk, starting at 1000 meters above sea level and goes steeply down to 300 and then back up to 1200 meters again. Knowing we were taking a risk, because Dennis the day before had been almost deadly sick with a fever and stomachaches (might be due to excessive ingestion of rainwater), at 1500 hours we set of towards the starting point. It started a couple of kilometers outside the town so we had to balance alongside the Great Western Highway to get there. The track almost immediately descended steeply into a dense rain forest. The striking humidity and the tough track made our clothes totally soaked and to compensate for the loss we consume a major part of our water ration. It was a challenging descend. The track was full of slippery rocks and muddy mud. Despite these rough conditions we realized how lucky it was we were going downwards. The other way around would have been really challenging with a heavy backpack. The steep section was followed by a quite easy 5 km walk to our first overnight camp site. We made it here at around 1900, raised the tent and cooked a well deserved meal.

Day 2:

Dennis condition had now turned for the worse and we realized that completing the track wasn’t an option. We had to go back. This was not a decision without difficulties. Firstly, we didn’t have much water left and the water fill up was 7 km up the track so we had to spare half a liter between us. Secondly, we now had to ascend the steep section we descended yesterday. After 5 hours of silent, brutal walking we were standing on the train station waiting for the train back to Sydney.

Unfortunately we couldn’t complete the whole track because of illnesses. Nonetheless, we still feel satisfied with the amazing sceneries we saw and the experiences we gained during our short stay in The Blue Mountains. In addition, we feel that we made the correct decision turning back and aborting our expedition instead of pushing it further to a situation that could have become more critical.

/Chris and DJ

The Great Ocean Walk

The Great Ocean Walk is a 97.1 km walking track located along the coast in south east Victoria Australia. It starts from Apollo Bay and ends in the shadow of The Twelve Apostles, twelve eroded rocks carved by the forces of nature.
The great ocean walk is meant to be an eight day hike. To add to the challenge we decided to do it in only two and a half day and with backpacks, weighing around 30 kg. Additionally, we didn’t apply for any camping permission instead we decided to use the two free drive-in camping spots. The problem was that the first site was located 20 km from the start and the second 50 km, that is we would have to walk nearly 50km the last day. But at the time we felt strong so we decided to give it a shot. First lesson learned, never underestimate the terrain.

Day 1:

We reached Apollo Bay around 1300 and made a quick visit at the information centre to look for a map. We did find one but because it was $12.50 we felt it was a better idea to just take some photos of it with the iPhone. This would later turn out to be a questionable decision.
It all started out pretty easy and it looked like as if we could reach the first camp site well before nightfall. With only a few kilometers from the target, we noticed that the tent was missing. Second lesson learned, secure your tent thoroughly. Stressed by the fast approaching dusk, we hid our backpacks and ran back to look for it. After a good one hour jog we finally found the tent partly submerge into the mud. Third lesson learned, never leave your backpack without food, water, headlights and appropriate clothing.
In complete darkness we finally reached our target and started to raise the tent. At the time we didn’t have any experience in mounting our newly bought tent so we had to go through the heavy instructions step by step in darkness.

Day 2:

Falsely informed we thought that this day’s target, Johanna Beach, was just a 20 km walk ahead of us so we decided to make it a late morning and started to walk just before noon. After a closer look at the map we came to the conclusion that the 20 km were more like 35 km and we realized that another late evening walk was to come. Fourth lesson learned, always check your map thoroughly prior to every expedition.
Totally exhausted, we made it to the beach. Without knowing the exact position of the campsite and without being able to see anything in the night, we started to walk along the beach. After over an hour of walking and sometimes running, because of some tidal waves, we spotted a camp sign shimmering at the top of the steep dunes. Johanna beach is one of the main attractions along The Great Ocean Walk, to bad we never saw it.

Day 3:

With more than 40 km head of us, we pretty much knew that this day was going to be the toughest one. By now our feet were covered in blisters and our hips weakened by the load of our heavy backpacks. Moreover, we soon were to realize that the first 15 km were the most difficult section of the whole walk, with steep narrow muddy tracks and dense vegetation.
The difficulty of the track made us more aware that we actually carried quite a big load on our shoulders. At 2000 it was getting dark. With aching feet, no water, and with more than 10 km to go we spotted a campsite. At that time it wasn´t a hard decision - we caved and followed the sign.
The plan was to catch the bus from Port Campbell at 1000 o’clock the day after. This bus runs from Port Campell to Apollo Bay only two times a week. So we really had to be there on time. Another problem was that the track doesn’t really end in Port Campbell. Instead it ends 12 km west of the town so we would have had to walk another 3 hours to reach it. Luckily, we met an Australian guy (we can call him Ryan) at the campsite. He kindly offered us a lift from the end of the track to port Campbell. Totally exhausted we raised the tent and fell asleep.

Day 4:

We were up quite early to walk the last 10 km to Ryan´s car. With fresh legs and a light backpack Ryan set of in a tremendous pace. There was no time for self pity, we had one choice, to suck it up and follow his lead. Thanks to Ryan we made it to the bus well in time and even had time to make a quick stop to look at the Twelve Apostles.

This expedition was the first of many. We must humbly admit that we made some bad mistakes, but hopefully we also learned something from them. Anyway, we have gained valuable experiences and confidence in acting in a new environment. It might not be the most extreme but step by step our goal is to achieve knowledge and flexibility that allow us to adapt ourselves to various conditions. In addition, we also prove to ourselves that we are able to move fast in a difficult terrain with all equipment we got on our back. This includes a 4 kg laptop, a keyboard and most importantly the Crossfit gears.

/Chris and DJ