Walpole to Denmark

This section has been utterly outstanding with glorious views, coastal gardens, and beautiful beaches - including a 7 km walk along wild Mazzoletti beach.

The weather has been kind too and we are both fitter. Not to say it has been easy! Lots of sandy tracks and climbs and sand-hills - one which I crawled up on hands and knees.

We have become proficient at the "Aussie wave" trying to keep pesky little flies from climbing into every facial orifice. Look closely at Rob's pack and you will see a few of them hitching a ride.

We also had an interesting hour stumbling around in sandhills trying to find a track off Quarram beach. We both missed seeing the crucial sign. Then to add to the panic Rob realised he had dropped the guidebook somewhere and had to retrace his footprints for 500 metres. He came back empty-handed but luckily found it in marram grass 10 metres from where I was waiting. He was going to make us sandbash across impossible terrain to regain our track which we could see in the far distance, but I talked sense into him and we went back along the beach where we found the obvious sign. Great relief.


Earlier that day we crossed the Irwin Inlet in canoes. There were only 2 canoes on our side, so Rob did the heroic thing and paddled across with our packs then towed another canoe back over then we both paddled over in one canoe, leaving enough canoes and paddles on the north side for the next people.

One of the highlights was being lucky enough to spot a fluke thrashing humpback whale - led to a bit of fighting over the binoculars.



We saw another 3 Bobtail lizards, 4 snakes including a big tiger snake which wouldn't move off the track until Rob nervously encouraged it with a piece of wood and his leki pole. And heaps of kangaroos, some with joeys peeking out of their pouches.



Earlier on, we spent a relaxing afternoon being tourists at the Valley of the Giants, walking through the treetops on a remarkable structure.

I know you are all anxious to see the typical ablution facilities to be found at each shelter, so here is a fairly typical one. This is Doddy's dunny.

Now we are in the well laid out wealthy little town of Denmark with a good selection of shops and cafes. We are enjoying a much needed rest day before our last 4 days of walking to Albany.

Our thoughts are very much back home with Debby's sister Viv who is seriously ill. It was a sad moment on a remote high hilltop with phone reception when we found out.