We had a long day of 21.9km with a stop halfway to collect Ambles new backpack. Had a great nights sleep with random dreams, seems everyone else had dreams too. It did get cold, my silk liner isn’t warm enough the cold cuts in through my sleeping bag zip. Waiting for my new sleeping bag liner I have ordered to arrive now😊. Ambles got up after 5am but I stayed snuggled up in my sleeping bag to almost 6am. Ambles went uphill to the toilet in the wee small hours during the night, stepped out the toilet & his head torch went flat – of all places! He had to feel his way back down in the pitch blackness. Lucky he managed to make it safely back into his sleeping bag. Ambles got moving before me, 7am. Didn’t take me long to catch up to him with a 7.20am start. We were the first to break camp but Deb & Mel quickly overtook followed by Daisyfish whom I joined for the 10 kms to the road where my parents were going to be waiting for us. We left Ambles behind as we chatted away going up & down pimply annoying hills. Nice to have someone to chat to going at a similar walking pace.

 

I saw my parents pull up just as I approached the road & Ambles wasn’t too far behind, 10 minutes. We enjoyed drinks & sandwiches with a muffin each to take with us for afternoon tea. Decided to rain didn’t it as I sorted through my bag taking stuff out, removing excess food. Ambles was busy taking his gear from his old backpack into the flash new one. This ones front balance pockets are smaller, sit up more perky, far better than his own heavy droopy ones 😂. These guys showed up in their car, got out saying they are looking for Jarrah as they headed off into the bush. Wayne had caught up to us & said later, “Yeah mate, those guys weren’t looking for Jarrah, they are looking for magic mushrooms mate!” He hung around watching us a bit, leaning against the guys car & saying how much pain he was in today. Then off he went saying he will get the campfire going. Sun came out didn’t it after we had packed up & ready to go. As we waved goodbye, we had another 9.9kms to go.

 

The rest of the walk was nice, kept raining on & off. Heaps of wildflowers were out & I spotted another different Orchid that made me happy! Love spotting new flowers. I got in around 3.15pm. Wayne was off down at some river a kilometre away wanting to catch a feed for us all laying down a net. Daisyfish was settled in her bag with a plastic bag over her feet as they were so cold, & Deb & Mel really want a fire tonight, they were busy collecting heaps of firewood. Lugging huge chucks of fallen logs over to the campfire. The temperature drops pretty quickly in the afternoon. Ambles arrived 4 pm after struggling with his new backpack, it is too tight around his neck & not balanced yet. He also carried a full goon bag of red wine offering a cup to everyone tonight.

We enjoyed a late cuppa tea with our muffins & this odd looking older guy turned up – Lindsay 61, from Christchurch NZ. I say odd because when he walked in I thought he appeared odd straight off. I whispered to Ambles if he was that ‘odd guy’ Ambles saw & commented to me about in the Dwelly Pub before we left Dwellingup. He nodded. Lindsay had stayed at the Mumby Pub last night & came from there. Sour Face must have liked him as said no accommodation to both Wayne & Ambles when they asked. The shelter is full but Lindsay wanted to squeeze in so unfortunately Deb offered the spare space next to her. This shelter is in a lovely spot, the toilet is like so close, a quick walk to the loo. And it rocks n rolls. Ambles opened the door that quickly sprang outwards as on a lean, the whole toilet started moving on its base. Took Ambles by surprise 😂. The table in the shelter is another one of those ridiculous narrow tables with hardly any room. There is lots of space don’t know why the table has to be so narrow I just looked at it & laughed. Poor Ambles was tired & he had to do the fire as Wayne hadn’t.

Wayne & Ambles were discussing 2 kilometres back along the track was a eerie spooky area. They both agreed something bad had happened there, had bad bad vibes. I had my spooky radar switched off didn’t feel anything strange on the track. Just on nightfall, Wayne went back to the river & returned 40 minutes later. Only small fish so threw them back in. He said, “It’s bloody spooky as down there! All sorts of noises by the river. Pigs & Roos tracks down there. I was shitting myself!” We had a lovely roaring fire thanks to Ambles, didn’t feel as cold but cold enough. Everyone that wanted red wine enjoyed a few cups each, Wayne had extra of course! The last night with our new Tramily, well besides the strange newcomer that didn’t say too much to us. Crawled into our sleeping bags at 8pm.