Day 2
25km Wyadup car park to Gracetown store. Forecast 17 degrees C
I was awake at 5.00am and packed up by about 7.00, went back to the Wyadup Brook for more yellow water. Porridge for breaky and filled up the 1 litre bottle. Had a couple of drops of rain in the morning but the wind had stopped which meant it was ideal for surfers but not good to dry out the tent fly.
I was trying to get as far as I could today, hoping to reach the next shop at Gracetown for gas. The trek started with a sand walk along Injidup Beach and then up off via the steep stairs to have a toilet stop at Cape Clairault Road.
At 9.00am I saw two NOBO’s coming up the 4wd road. Most of this morning’s walk was along a 4wd road along the coast where the surfers were in their droves catching and making the most of the wave conditions. The locations they get to is amazing to get to the best waves. The weather was warming up so a change from the long pants to shorts was required and I walked in shorts for the rest of the trek. There were lots of people on the track, day hikers going from one carpark to the next.
Crossing Quininup Creek required a tricky rock hopping to try and not get wet feet. So finding the smallest gap between rocks required throwing the pack across then jumping. While throwing the pack it ricochet over the rock and half into the water while I easily crossed it. While nothing was wet inside because of all the bagging I had water inside the plastic garbage bag liner and inside the pack cover and this was now slowly leaking down onto my shorts and socks. A steep sand hill trek to get to the turn off to the Quininup Falls, and a short side trek, having been told by the bus driving photographer it will be good, nice and flowing. There were a number of people day trekking to and from the falls but the biggest test was once back on the track, a large sandhill had to be climbed to reach the top of the hill. It felt like the whole beach getting into my shoes on each step until it then flattens out with wooden boards over the mud flats near the Moses rock carpark. What I find annoying is the day tourists walking along a single trail coming towards me and I am the one who has to move out of their way with a 12 kg pack on. I tell you nearly all the 30 tourists coming my way did not stop to give way.
By 11.00am I walked past Moses campsite to fill up on water, empty out the shoes of sand and had an early lunch stop. Rice cakes with cheese on top and a packet of chips. More groups of day hikers were walking past wondering where the exit from Moses camp spot was so a bit of directing to the exit was required from me.
From early in the morning I could see Gracetown in the distance and that was going to be my stop at the caravan park or just past it for a great camp spot.
It seemed like sand, sand and more sand. When it’s not sand on the beach, there’s sand dunes to go up and down or sand on the track.
I arrived at Gracetown store at 3.28 only to find the store closed at 3.00pm. Looking at my book the caravan park was too far away to walk especially when it was back along the track then uphill, I rang Gracetown Caravan park to see if they could give me a lift. “No problem will be there shortly”. Just like the book said. Fantastic, shop opens 7.30am in the morning I’ll be able to look for gas then. I also looked for a gas canister at the caravan park without luck but a Crunchie, and the last Turkish Delight and a can of Coke went down well along with a $16 unpowered site near the Kitchen. I always wondered what I would munch on after a long walk and it seems chocolate is first choice followed by sugar drink.
After I showered and had a few brews of tea I was now able to walk to and from the tent without too much pain. I rang Cy from South Western Taxi to arrange a pick up from Hamelin Bay for Friday as I didn’t think I would make it to Cape Leeuwin by Friday at the pace I was going. No phone service at Hamelin Bay though was going to be an issue. I could text Cy using the In Reach, but no can do. Looks like the phone numbers need to be entered using the website, so I would text my partner to text Cy on pick time arrival after I texted her using the In reach. All sorted bed at 8.00pm.
I felt sunburnt today on my face and hands even though the temperature was 17 degrees C . The sun peering through the clouds today had obviously burnt me. Some moisturizer on before bed always does the trick.