This weekend the team decided to tackle the final stages of the TrailWalker. Once completed members of 'The Waverton Ones' and 'Walk this Way' will have completed the entire trail!
Fortunately the team have quite a few drivers and cars, as moving upto 8 people around the stages without having to leave the team by the roadside while ferrying drivers back and forward requires a bit of thought and planning! Fortunately parking at Davidson and at Georges heights is very easy (plenty of onroad spaces at Davidson and 2 big car parks at the finish).
6 walkers this week, as 2 are still overseas, starting at Davidson and heading for the finish!
CP6 – CP7 2.5hrs (forgot to do the calories this week!)
CP6 - CP7 is a fairly short stage at only 10km and is graded at a 3. The start is an easy but steep drop on a wide firm track, from the road down towards the cascades
(repeating the final section of CP 5 - CP6). Having been through this section a couple of times we've seen a big difference in the amount of water here, from almost none to fairly fast moving (and cold!) the concrete weirs that you cross the creeks on are convenient for getting across but are a touch slippy underfoot and wide enough for second thoughts if you are considering jumping.
Once you've reached 'the cascades' themselves you are going to be down by the water for a while - its a nice track, similar to the one that runs along Lyrebird gully in CP2 - CP3, well marked and easy to navigate. There are a few changes along intersecting tracks in this section, all are in the trail notes and easy to spot. There are some nice easy markers to gauge progress in this section, the track intersections and the pipeline at Davidson track, Carroll creek and the service road near to the finish.
Partway along past Governor Philip Walk is a tempting rope swing that some local daredevils have set up on a convenient tree limb, it's a really nice spot, well situated over inviting looking water and (fairly) soft looking mud (if you are unlucky enough with your flying dismount!). It being a cool day we decided not to try it out (although there was much 'encouragement' some 'coaxing' and then firm 'sledging' of those that thought they might give it a try!).
We encountered our first running teams while on this section. being overtaken by one team just before the stepping stone bridge and then caught by another just before the finish. Apologies to the nice chap who stopped for a natter, despite his team legging it off without him! (We didn't get your name) but many thanks for the encouragement and valuable insight from previous trailwalker experiences, hope you managed to catch your team back up before they crossed the finish line!
The final section of CP6 is really easy - flat, wide and firm all the things one could want in a track but would avoid in a noodle. Bathrooms are available at CP7, there is also a car park if you want to start or finish here, but sadly -no where for lunch (unless you are happy to hike on under the bridge and head for Echo Pt. fine if you are finishing here, there's a pretty good pub, but a bit out of the way for through walkers.
CP7 – CP8 3?hrs (in the excitement I forgot to reset my watch or do the calories!)
CP7 - CP8 is even shorter than the previous section, at 7.5km and graded
a 2. Having said that, once you've been walking for 89km you might quite like a flat bit..... and given it's only a '2' you might be expecting one, don't get your hopes up!
The first bit of this section takes you under the bridge and up onto the cliffs, once across the road and out of the car park you are quickly treated to some great views of middle harbour - this is a really lovely bit of walking. You'll be wanting to stick to the track notes for points 1,2 and 3 as there are a few side tracks and choices and getting the wrong one means that you end up on the lovely Flat Rock beach - but then have to slog back up the hill once you've had a paddle!
Magazine track takes you on past the military site at Bantry bay - again check the notes, there is a barbed wire fence here that runs along the track (which is thin and overgrown in places, get ready to duck trees and jump logs!) This part of the walk is pretty exposed, we got caught by surprise having been in the shade for most of the previous section, apply sunscreen early!
The final bit of this seems to go on for a lot longer than expected! - Once you've past the end point of Bantry Bay its up-up-and-away, a longish slog uphill across a few intersecting tracks to the junction of Natural Bridge Track, then you loose all of your hard gained height on the descent back to the water! - But it's worth it (and according to L'Oreal, so are you!), because after the descent you get to see why the track is named as it is, if ever there was a bridge for a troll to live under - this is it!
Right - now the science bit - once you've got all your billygoats over the bridge you'll be looking for the turn onto the bluff track, it is not, repeat, not the turn with the small trail marker that has been propped up with rocks - If you do turn here you get to see an excellent view off of a rock plateau and then you end up at Forrestville park, and have to go all the way back. So go on another 50m and you will see a big sign that says 'The Bluff Track' and from there its an easy saunter into CP8!
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