Larapinta Trail Reflections (Larapinta)

Scale - we are so small in size and so small in time compared to the vast and enduring landscape of Central Australia. 

Determination and Tenacity - beauty does not need to be "normal" or easy. Some of the most beautiful trees in nature have fought hard for existence, sending roots down many metres through tiny cracks in the rock to find water. 

Power - human powers fade into insignificance alongside the geological forces needed to bend and shape these rocks.

Respect to Traditional Owners - I need my sturdy boots and my National Parks supplied water tanks to enjoy this space. All respect to the people who walked this land barefoot over harsh, hot rocks and spinifex, knowing when and where to find food and water.

Magic - watching the way the landscape changes colour as the dawn light spreads across it, is replaced by sun, changes with the clouds, and again as dusk falls. No wonder Albert Namatjira and his colleagues have chosen watercolours to capture the magical shades that each fleetingly appear.

https://nga.gov.au/stories-ideas/albert-namatjira/

https://hermannsburgschool.com/artists/

Hiking keeps me in perspective in all the above ways. There is something I gain by walking a land that I cannot gain any other way.

Am I glad I walked the Larapinta? Yes

Was it easy? No, but with good planning and training it is very doable

Did I enjoy it? Yes, I had anticipated this hike for nine years before I got the opportunity to do it and it did not disappoint me at all!

Would I do it again? No, but only because my wish list of hikes means I already need to live to be 300 years old with good knees.

Are there things I would do differently? A few, but not many.  I would take more snacks, I would change my itinerary slightly, I would take one more warm layer.

https://nt.gov.au/parks/find-a-park/tjoritja-west-macdonnell-national-park/larapinta-trail

Cooloola Great Walk - Brahminy Walkers' Camp to Great Sandy Information Centre (Tewantin)

 https://parks.des.qld.gov.au/parks/great-walks-cooloola

Day 5 Statistics

Distance: 21.15km

Total time (including breaks): 6 hours 45 minutes

Total Ascent: 179.2m

Total Descent: 258.7m

 

15 July 2022

This morning the early morning light over Lake Cootharaba was lovely.

The walk south to the ferry begins as an undulating walk through low coastal heath.  At one point we surprised a wallaby, who bounded away quite quickly and then stopped to peer back at us.

We chose to take the detour to the top of Mt Seawah for the views out over the coastline and Lake Cootharaba.

The walk then continued through some low-lying swampy land before the path comes out onto the beach at Noosa North Shore.

After leaving the beach we continued into Arthur Harold Nature Refuge where the path has filled with tannin-stained water creating some vivid reflections.  In parts there were major washouts of the path creating sudden large holes partially obscured by tree roots.

At the end of the official great walk, it was a walk along beside the bitumen road back to the ferry. From the ferry terminal at Tewantin, it was a quick walk back to the car where we had parked it at the Great Sandy Information Centre.  I went in and let the staff know we were back; they asked a few brief questions about our walk and then we were on our way home for a well-deserved hot shower.

A wonderful adventure!