Never order an Aussie Burger

Lake McKenzie [Editor: On Fraser Island]

9/2/00 Beautiful (if not touristed)

Saturday 1:40 PM

Not a cloud in the sky. And what a beautiful blue sky. It’s almost as blue and beautiful as the lake. But as I sit here, enjoying the sun and white sand, I realize I left my notes back in the tent. So much for catching up on my journal. I can put down a few things: my ankle hurts, I pushed a bit too hard yesterday, and I think I’m going to end the “Whistle-Stop” tour. Back to the mainland tomorrow, have a decent meal, some whale watching, and then probably cash in my chips and head for Cairns. Maybe one more stop between here and there, but we’ll see. Well, back to the view.

KC

Saturday 4:00 PM

Well, now that I have all of my resources, maybe I can fill in the last few days. Today was kind of tough. As I mentioned, I over did it yesterday & my left ankle was giving out. Plus, I think I’m doing something wrong with m pack: loading it wrong, not fitting it properly. I don’t know it just is killing my shoulders. Anyhow, I only hiked for a bit over 4 hours with a rest halfway at Central Station, but I was ready to throw in the towel. I have done nothing but take it easy since. Took a swim/bath in McKenzie, laid around, and that’s about it. I originally thought I might pilfer a beer from some of the car camping folks, but I’m not in that site. I’m in the Bushwalker’s site; no car campers allowed. Have it all to myself, excluding Mess & Adrian, whom I am shadowing.

Need to buy some mole skin.

Yesterday I started out in Central Station, getting under way earlier than expected. I was looking at a map at the ranger’s station, trying to plan my route, when the ranger walked up. She was very accommodating. After checking permits, she let me buy mine early, gave me some suggestions, and the like. I took her advice and went for the the lakes and missed the beach. Beaches are all over Australia, after all. So I shouldered my pack and headed south. The first stretch of trail was through rainforest. It was great (if it weren’t for the evidence of logging., it would have been better). Hiking my way through rainforest, no one else around, the sounds of Kookaburras calling … a wonderful experience. The first two hours to Lakes Jennings, Birrabeen, and Benaroon went by nicely. Did some birding, passed through various plant communities. Great. At Birrabeen I passed 4 or 5 backpackers taking a swim. They were older (50s) and nice; saw them again this morning at Central Station. At Lake Benaroon I met up with Mess and Adrian. They had camped next to me the night prior. They were just lazing on the beach, so I set down my pack to do the same. had a snack, took a dip, and then I made a mistake … I left. I should have at the very least left the tent there at Benaroon. There was a hiker’s camp there and that’s where I wanted to stay. But I didn’t. Instead I lugged the whole damn thing down to Lake Boomanjin. Two and a half hours later, I practically collapsed on the lake shore. I ate, napped, took a couple pictures, and that was it. I didn’t explore, or venture, or anything. I was there for an hour. I did have it all to myself, and there were some neat colors and shapes to the sand. I tried to get the sand on film, but I was too tired to know what I was doing. And back up the trail I went.

I was a shell of my former self when I got into camp at Benaroon. And I did so with less than 30 minutes of daylight left. Adrian and Mess were there relaxing. I set up my tent, cooked and ate my noodles, checked on the birds I had seen that day, and was in bed before 8:00. I did of course talk to the only two other guys around for miles. Mess is from Denmark, studying prosthetics for a semester in Melbourne. Adrian is from Ontario and apparently has all the time in the world. He’s been here for months, was in New Zealand before, heading to Asia and India before going home in June. I’ll be in school in three weeks. [Editor: Kevin was headed to William & Mary for graduate work in Biology]