I had an insane day today. Everyone who loves me is going to be face-palming all the way through this story. For the first time in a week I didn’t have the pressure of work or travelling, so I spent the morning sorting out my stuff and things. I’ve learnt a lot in a week about camping and solo roadtripping. I rearranged my packing entirely and did some washing. Then I went exploring.
I really just intended going for a 20 minute or so walk in the forest, but it didn’t work out that way. Not close. After walking for a bit, I saw a sign saying “Big Tree 45 mins”, and of course it was then a case of Challenge Accepted! I was worried because I didn’t have water but I thought it would be ok. Along the way I met three sisters (not the mountains, actual sisters) who were treating the one sister to a birthday hike. We hiked together to the Big Tree, discussing things like Netflix and boyfriends (theirs of course). Then there was this sign for the Madonna and Child waterfalls. New Challenge Accepted! How far? Crunchie is a guide for tour groups and told me “not far”. An hour later we arrived at the falls. The walk there was magical with enticing orange mushrooms growing on the fallen logs along the way, and the fairy light filtering through the dense forest canopy made it all worthwhile.
By then I’d been walking for hours in the forest. We walked up a very steep path to the road and when we got to the top I had no idea how to get back to my tent. A couple from Away with the Fairies were just starting the hike and promised to give me a lift when they finished, but that would have been hours, so I decided to walk along the road. It was a 7km walk. I know… after four hours hiking with no water… borderline Darwin award stuff. As it turns out a car came along as I started walking and I stuck out my thumb. My Mom told me never, ever to hitchhike. It never stopped me back in my varsity days, and this seemed like a normal Hogsback thing to do. They squeezed me into the back of their van and dropped me off close to the Fairies. They were my Angels, because it felt really far in a car, let alone walking.
There is this bath at Away with the Fairies on the edge of the mountain with breath-taking views of the valley. It has a donkey for hot water and you can put a sign up to indicate that you are bathing, for privacy. After my epic hiking day, I decided to treat myself to a mountainside bath. What a brilliant end to a totally unplanned day of awesome activity. And perhaps one day I’ll see my friends for a day again. I’m so tired. I’m off to sleep with my fairies.
