Thursday, 16 May 2013

Island Forest Park

Ben Smith Campsite

21.1

203.7

Cold at first.  Mostly cloudy with occasional showers.

Camping at Ben Smith Campsite

Breakfast:  Muesli
Lunch:  Muesli bars and chocolate
Dinner:  Soup, Chicken Tikka Masala and chocolate 

None.

Around midnight I was woken by more rain squalls, but could tell I was starting to feel better.  At 6:30am, during a lull in the showers I began packing up and getting dressed as much as I could inside the small tent.  The tent was quite exposed and I was a bit worried about it's stability, but it survived the night fine, as did some gear I had stowed under a nearby log wrapped in a tarpaulin for the past 36 hours.

The weather was kind while I finished packing and ate breakfast, with just the odd sprinkle of rain, and I was on my way by 8:30am.  I didn't feel 100%, but more just "washed out" than ill.

The early walking continued along a forestry road that was bordered on the left by almost continuous and park-like picnic/camping areas populated with the usual yellow-leaved trees and kangaroos.  To the right was old pastureland dotted with blackberry bushes and further up plantation pine forests or eucalypt forests.  I wondered whether they actually mowed the grass in the picnic/camping areas or whether the kangaroos took care of it.  These areas were vast and there was something surreal about me being the only person there.  I guess in the summer months they are quite popular.

Eventually, the trail climbed away from the Blowering Reservoir along a disused fire trail through eucalypt forest occasionally offering nice views back down the dam and, at one of these, I stopped for some lunch around noon.  Although it was still showering occasionally, it wasn't that cold and I only needed a T-shirt and shorts for the bulk of the day after starting out in several layers including rain protection.  What rain there was in the afternoon, seemed to get evaporated from my T-shirt by body heat from the climb as fast as it got wet.

The firetrail reached a summit about 1:30pm and then my route followed a little-used, rough and sodden foot trail down a small valley switching from side to side of a stream on little wooden bridges.  It was pretty, but it was wet.  I was glad of my good boots and gaiters which kept my feet dry though overhanging branches kept my T-shirt wet.

At 2:30pm, a bit quicker than I had anticipated (which is always nice), I arrived at the Ben Smith Campsite which had a nice shelter and rainwater tank.  I boiled my usual cup of water to chuck in a bucket of cold water and washed and set up camp.  I may sleep on the table tonight in the hope that I can dry out my tent.  Hopefully it will be too cold for mosquitoes.  The temperature has certainly dropped and record lows are forecast for this weekend.

I had a hot chocolate for afternoon tea and then updated my diary before having an early dinner and then plan to listen to the Budget reply speech from the Opposition.  I'm now exactly one day behind my original schedule, but have no real need to make up the time, so will just adjust everything by one day.