Exploring February - The Coast Track, Royal National Park

 Well friends, after a very strong start to Explore 2021, very little happened in January. What I thought was a 'rocking ear infection', as I wrote, caused by all of our swim and snorkel adventures, was in fact a case of SHINGLES. As a result, I was out of commission for three full weeks, and this weekend marks the end of week four. I am, at this point, fully recovered, but that was a hard go.

Back at the adventuring

I took a punt on my ability to recover quickly from illness, and in mid-January booked a camp site in the Royal National Park for Drew and I to walk the Coast Track. My gamble paid off! We have just returned from this walk, each in one (slightly sore) piece, and feeling very Fit and Outdoorsy.

Looking south at the distance to travel

The Coast Track is a 26km path that spans from a ferry wharf at Bundeena in the north, to a train station at Otford in the south. 26kms may not sound so far, but what makes this extra challenging is that you've got to carry everything with you on your back, including all of your water since there's no drinking water in the park. You also must carry all of your food, and if you're doing the walk in two days like we did, you must carry your tent, sleeping bags and cook stove. 

Marley and Little Marley beaches

Then, for more challenging fun, you'll be hiking up and over cliffs along the coast, with stunning beaches between. A little of what Drew and I like to call the Old Uppie-Downie. What goes up must come down, as the saying goes, and this applies to hiking routes, indeed. 

Oh, and it's also very hot.

An idyll of fresh water dammed at Wattamolla

But never did we mind these details, because all the pain in our shoulders and calves is worth it. We saw so many beautiful swimming holes and beaches, and at some of them we were the only people around. We tackled the route from north to south, doing the longer, 18km trek the first day. This took us about 7 hours, with a few swims and stops for snacks and lunch. We got off the ferry at Bundeena at 10, and were at the North Era camp site just after 5. We made camp, opened our happy hour mini bottles of wine, and Drew cooked up some delicious mi goreng noodles with our slick Trangia camp stove (aka the Perfect Stove). 

Tired but happy faces at North Era

Drew is a wilderness chef!

We could barely stay awake until the stars came out, we were so tired from the heat and the walking. In a hazy, dusky mood we stood at the edge of the beach and saw a pod of dolphins swimming northward, then played some cards and finished our wine. When it was fully dark we lay outside the tent and took in a huge sky full of stars and the Magellan clouds. It was magnificent! I can't explain it really, but Orion always looks upside down to me here.

Early the next morning, after a not bad sleep considering we were sleeping on the ground, we got up and made coffee and oatmeal with our camp stove, and then took a morning dip in the ocean before breaking camp. We were the last to leave the camp site, but the second day is much shorter at 8kms, and only took us 3 hours - even on our tired legs! 

Grassy hills and cliffs at Burning Palms

The second day's walk took us steadily upwards, through a palm rainforest and then a eucalypt forest to the top of the cliffs at Otford, for stunning views back along the way we had come. Looking from there, it was hard to believe we'd really walked along all those cliffs. 

Looking north toward our starting point

This is perhaps not the best hike if one is new to the game. Walking sounds incredibly easy until you're doing it all day over varied terrain (I thought walking was very easy until walking to Niagara Falls and realising it's no simple thing). A bit of training, or being in generally good fitness, is recommended. But, if that's you, then this is not a walk to be missed. And, we saw loads of folks of different ages doing this walk. In fact, the only people we didn't see on the trail were children, and understandably so. Book your campsite early, and take lots of water! Adventure awaits!