Pondalowie campground to Formby Bay Shelter
Another early morning wake up breakfast and then off along the road north as I had done the Pondalowie beach walk yesterday.
Stopeed at Pondalowie Beach car park to fill up on water just 1 litre until the last campground. Past the Casuarina campground which looked good, smaller and would have saved time today if I had camped there.
More road walking today past the lakes on the right and Shell campground to stop at the Shepherds Hut bench and then walk into the toilet for water. next to the water tank was a car with NT registration plates but didnt recognise them.
Off back to the bench where my pack was and filtering water for only 2 litres to get me through the next 2 days to drink and 3 litres spare for cooking and with food.
Off again on the road and turn off to Browns Beach but we continue straight on a 4 km or so trail through to Gym Beach but cars have to go the long way around from the north. A really nice trail more of a 4wd track but seems rarely used for that now and has markers indicating distance to beach.
Around a corner I come across a couple of Emu's and surprise them as they hadnt seen me sneek up on them.
Past a large sand dune that goes right to the trail then a little bit more until we go past a gate for private property then another and were back in national park but there is farmland nearby with some emus and then hit the coast and Gym Beach car park and camping area. I have number 3 or 4 booked where i drop my pack and check out the water situation behind the toilets. Yep no tank. Yep not a great campsite neither so I have lunch there sehltered by some bushes and decide to head off to reach Formby Shelter.
Along Gym Beach which is hard to get down then its a tough afternoon easy along the beach but we have to go on the cliff and no markers or trail so tough going. I see some rough stairs going down to the beach and later on some coming up man made but definately unsafe and decide to stick to the cliff top. Some walking along a large sand depression and wind blowing so I have a rest behind a sand rocky nound for an afternoon tea really feeling tired and sore legs.
I think I even walked between the farm wheat crops and the shrubs edge just to have some sort of track going straight to walk on but they bend around of course so off back along the cliffs again.
Eventually I came to a track 300m before the shelter so that was nice then checked out the decorated shelter just as the videos have indicated and water in the tank, great.
Blowing a gale and even in the shelter it was blowing hard so no relief and I think of where to pitch the tent. i go for a walk in my crocs up the road to some trees but there is a house close to the road so thats a no, back to the shelter and no on that one so i head into the nearest farm field and find some bushes to go behind and that seems the best. Its about 200m from the shelter but close enough and I cant see any farm houses that could see me.
I check out the next stage and there is another track going north so thats good at least to what I think will be the beach walk.
Dinner behind the bushes away from the wind and into bed thinking I will not be found out. No cars have come to the shelter since Ive been here so I think its a quiet enough spot.