“I can’t believe I’m starting out…like this!”

GREAT NORTH WALK – DAY 1 (Part A)

Traveller’s Obelisk (Macquarie Park, Sydney) to Lane Cove Tourist Park

Distance: 21.36km

I can’t believe it….I honestly can’t believe it! All the planning. All the anticipation. All the spending. And I’m starting out…like this…..

To backtrack… Earlier in the year I had made the exciting, but fraught decision that I was willing, ready and able to hike the Pacific Crest Trail – all 4200 km of it – and that this would occur in the immediate future. With this in mind I went on a frenzy of information gathering – the only way that counts these days – Youtube videos. Here, I was advised unequivocally, that 1. I must get my pack weight as low as possible; 2. I must do a “shakedown” hike in order to test and refine both my gear and attitude; and, 3. I must train and train and train.

I took this advice very seriously. Old gear was out the door, and a slew of spending ensued – a new tent, backpack, shoes, water filters, cook system…you name it, I bought it. A “shakedown hike” was planned. I had to go to Sydney anyway to apply for my US visa. I would take all my new gear, and hike the Great North Walk. “Australia’s most accessible long distance trail”. From Sydney to Newcastle, this 250km hike was bound to test out my new gear and fill me with confidence and inspiration for the long hike to come! And I trained. With my superstar training partner, Bronte the dog, I walked around and around and around tiny Norfolk Island…enough times to make myself dizzy…

And so it arrives. Morning of. D Day. Ground zero. This is it! All the preparation; all the training; all the anticipation, it’s all about to come together in one big, amazingly well executed walk!! Ummmmm. No. Nothing could be further from the truth!

I awoke in a fever induced haze. All night long, hot, cold, shivering, sweating. My voice! I couldn’t talk. What about the amazing vlog I was going to put together! With sick, tired eyes I examined my gear. My old gear. Delays in shipping to Norfolk Island had meant that none of my shiny, new, light, painstakingly selected gear had arrived! This included shoes. I glanced at the brand new pair sitting on the floor….same as my old ones, but without a single use. Straight out of the box. This was not how I imagined it would go! It was decision time…To go – sickness, old gear, new shoes and all. Or stay – Cozy up in the nice soft bed, and try and tame this flu.

I chose to go.

My plan is to go on the attack, so I’m going to head to the start point very soon. Busted out some new gaiters to go with my new shoes. #blistersforsure

Me…to a friend in a text message.

I pack up and get going. In hindsight, I wish beyond anything that I’d thrown some tissues in my bag. As I set out towards the starting point, the Travellers Obelisk, in Macquarie Park, I realise that although I’m sick, and things have gone wrong, I’m excited!! Time for the real challenge to begin.