So Let's Try Again

More than two weeks down the track and the horrific VIC bush fires are still active. Yesterday was another bad day - fortunately without great loss.

The track is closed for the the first 16k outside of Walhalla and it impossible to know how long this will stay in place. Track near us at Apple Tree Bay stayed closed for 6-8 months under similar circumstances 3-4 years ago. While it is quite possible to circumvent these closures by road and other tracks but it isn't clever with Warburton just 60-70km west under threat.

Rather than wait further, I have decided to reverse the direction, start at the Canberra end and walk south. This requires re-jigging and re-visiting of all the food drops once again. Two long and full days of travel (1280km), so that all the map section are reversed. Also all the food and other consumables (stove fuel) need to be in the right place in the right quantities. Sounds simple - yeah right!! Nothing about this has proved simple so far. It took all last night to figure out exactly what had to be moved from A <=> B <=> C <=> D ....... I am worried that I have missed something and end up with it in the wrong place.

The theory does that VIC will have a good dowsing of rain by the time I get there - we shall see. There are a number of bail out points if not.

So I am all packed and ready to set off tonight with a flight to Melbourne, then food drops Wed, Thursday and get on the track at Tharwa on Friday. It is made all the more difficult as Clare was able to help last time with driving and we could take extra home comforts knowing that she could take them back to Sydney (like regular clothes).

Only bright side was the discovery that Avis and Budget rental companies need to move cars around the country and are offering $10/day rentals for some one way movements. Lucky me that Mel => Canberra is one of them right now.

Karl