Great Ocean Walk - Miscellaneous Ramblings

I think the 21k pack - although I'm sure it's much heavier than that - is too heavy for me. They say you can carry 25% of your body weight, thats 18kg for me - you do the math. It get heavier - I'm serious now - the closer one gets to the campsite, or a landmark location or feature you have been striving for. Don't look at me like that - have you overnight hiked before with a 20kg+ pack? Can you disprove me? I think not. So yeah, like I was saying, it gets heavier. That's a given. Conversely, first thing in the morning, it's much lighter - if you keep pulling faces like that I won't go on, I can lip read to you know, you potty mouth. The pack was definately the heaviest for the first 2km along the road from Apollo Bay. Evidently something rather heavy fell out after that point, although I can't seem to account for what was lost - oh for goodness sake stop rolling your eyes.

My shoulders and hips seemed quite bruised the first day - but not since. My feet are pretty sore at night - definately sorer than anything else. But the single-use hand warmers work a treat inside my socks next to my toes - insert product promo here. They are small sachets with iron and salt in them I think, you shake one and minutes later it is toasty warm. It says it will last up to six hours, but lasts more like twenty-four hours.

Overall though I'm not too sore, the body really does adapt to this multi-day hiking much better than just to one or two days of hiking. As I type up my hand-written notes now, on Friday, I can say I feel really stiff now. How did my body suddenly become stiff after five days of hiking, when I have finished, on the sixth day, and not on the fifth day when I was still hiking? Clever stuff those bodies.

I've only had one blister, on my heel. But a blister pack and some sports tape is keeping that in check, a pretty minor blister. Unthinkable of course to those of you that know me, that I would hike without my lamb's wool on my heels, works a treat to prevent the inevitable hot-spot blisters I get. This product is so cheap and simple, forget the fancy blister products, this wool shits all over them. Thanks Leonie, I was a slow on the uptake in believing and trusting in them, but now, nothing else for me!

My hiking boots are working a treat - so glad I didn't opt for my hiking shoes like I wanted to. Lots of mud and creek and sea rock platform crossings, and lots of sand from beaches and sandy tracks to fall into lower ankled footwear.

My knees are tops, thanks for asking - OMG, how '80s is 'tops' - no pain to report. Perhaps largely in thanks to the trekking poles that have never left my side, not even my arms are hurting from them. The trekking poles an absolute must for carrying a 21kg pack, otherwise I only ever use one when I hurt a knee.

Btw, the transfer service I used (highly recommended) is as follows:

GOR Shuttle
Cape Otway
Providing a personalised 4WD pick-up and drop-off service to and from your choice of accommodation along the Great Ocean Walk
Ph: (03) 52 379 278 / 0428 379 278
email: gorshuttle@bordernet.com.au

• Food drops
  
• Backpack forwarding
  
• Car shuffling for clubs, larger groups
  
• Bicycle forwarding
  
• Local knowledge and experience with all credentials
  
• Tours: Maits Rest, Otway Fly, Triplet Falls, 12 Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge etc or tailormade tour

Weblink: www.otwaysaccommodation.com.au/ ... / I paid $80 (I think?) for the transfer, very reasonable, esp when compared to competitors