Main Area and Open Discussion > Living Room

I know I've got a dose of absenteeism... but it's going to get worse

(1/8) > >>

Perry Mowbray:
Sandi and I are 78 hours from flying out to Western Australia and the start of a 1,000 km walk from Perth to Albany. The Bibbulmun Track is well known, and getting more so; I'm not sure how we came across it now, but it feels like we've been working toward this point for about a year.

We've been in active planning for the last 6 months, and actively training for the last 4 weeks, and at the moment I'm at fever pitch and hardly able to control myself with the excitement (or is it nerves?).

Anyway, we'll be gone for just over 2 months and completely out of communication (to tell the truth, the planning and training has been so intense that I feel that I've not been on the same planet this year: I haven't kept up with NANY at all, and don't even get to read my feeds properly, all my little projects are lying at the bottom of the hard drive...).  Actually, we will be communicating: we carry a SPOT Messenger that acts both as a EPIRB and a satellite messenger, so we'll be communicating our current location -- this will be displayed on our site: mitupela.net/gnw/bibbulmun.html, as well as FaceBook and Twitter (if you're interested). 

It's at this point you stop and ask yourself "Why the hell are we taking leave without pay to spend two months walking 1,000 km in Western Australia's sun, wind and rain?" The answer is complex, and simple: We both enjoy getting away, into the Australian bush, by ourselves and our God. The solitude and isolation that blooms into a deep belonging and closeness feeds both us and our relationship. The simplicity of reducing your day to putting one foot in front of the other generates a buoyancy in our spirits.

Of course, putting your foot in front of the other 1.3 million times is something we've not done before in one go :) so it'll be interesting to see what lies in the unknown beyond our previous boundaries.

All the best for the next two months whilst we're away!

tomos:
Guess I dont have to tell you to enjoy it!
Hope the boots hold out :)

jgpaiva:
Fantastic, Perry! Have fun!
I hope all goes well :)

Now that tomos mentioned it, I had never thought that might be a problem, not sure if my everyday footwear would hold out that distance. Are you taking an extra pair of boots? :)

Perry Mowbray:
Actually our boots are just about the only piece of clothing that we have not renewed. Most of our other clothes were sourced at second-hand stores (so well worn in ;)) -- but they were all either getting too thin or worn to take on a 2 month walk (last weekend it was my shorts that I put a hole in :( ).

Our boots are not that old, they're propper hiking boots (unfortunately they don't come with an odometer), but I'm sure they'll last the distance. They are a little on the heavy side, but we like the confidence that gives: lots of snakes down that way (mind you the light weight walkers swear by just a pair of volleys -- I have read somewhere that 1kg on your feet is that same as 5kg on your back).

The camp shoes we've got double as river shoes and are pretty good walking sandals in their own right -- so will get us out of an emergency.

mouser:
I'm writing this from a cabin on a lake, visiting family.. Your adventure sounds amazing.. life changing even.  Please carry a little bit of all of us on your trip so we can enjoy it vicariously.  And keep your eye open for Cody in the trees!

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page