This was something for which I had been training for a long time. When I did my research back home, it was 26 kilometers (16 miles) and about 3,000 feet elevation. But when I got the official map, it was 21 kilometers and under 2,000 feet elevation. Nevertheless, I started early in the morning.
The walk through the rain forest was lovely. I heard (and occasionally saw) Whip birds throughout the day, and caught a few glimpses of an Albert’s Lyrebird.
The forest didn’t open up, except for a few lookouts. I saw very few people on the trail.
At 1:15, I reached a decision point – I could continue on the Border Track trail and reach the lodge around 3:30, or take the Coomera trail, which would be about an extra hour (and 3K more), but everyone said was beautiful.
I was feeling a little tired, but not beat, so I took the longer trail. I was glad I did – it was beautiful, and different from the rain forest trail I had been walking on all day.
But it was down in the gully, and dark, which reminded me that it gets dark early. So I really pushed myself when the trail was straight. (It went over several rivers, and parts of the trail were root-riddled and twisty, so I couldn’t go fast the entire time. I had to be careful since Sheila didn’t know I had chosen the long way.)
I was dragging when I got to the lodge, just as it was getting dark. Sheila was waiting by the fire. I had a celebratory drink, and she drove me to our room (10 minute walk – I was very glad I didn’t have to do it) and I soaked in the tub watching the sun set.
A few blisters, sore feet, but triumphant!