Dear Group,

I have returned today from a most frustrating hike on the above Trail.

A friend and I set out on Wednesday 6th July from the Southern Terminus late
in the afternoon and camped at the Prickly Bark Campsite. That night it must
have got down to minus 3 C but we were warm in our bags.

On Thursday we set off for Moitch Campsite but got as far as Neaves Road
when we ran into problems. On the north side of Neaves Rd it was all burnt
out and you could not distinguish between the bare earth and the track and
the markers had disappeared.

We decided to go up Seismic Rd as it intersected the track, but without
success as it was all burnt through there also. The problem was that if we
did get to the camp by following the powerlines about a kilometre away we
could be in all sorts of trouble for the next day to get to Ridges if it was
all burnt out.

We came to the hard decision to return to Prickly Bark and spend a restful
Friday after walking a good 25 ks on the Thursday, and got picked up today.

Thank God we had a mobile phone and we could ring our support and advise
change of plan.



The track markers are not very good and are scarce and set up high, well
above eye level.

Where there are track markers, treat them with a degree of mistrust as they
are not that accurate regarding a turn to the right or left.

We did spend a bit of time searching around for markers when we did not see
one for a while, which meant going back to the last one and look to the left
or right.

One marker next to a private property close to the Prickly Bark Campsite
points straight ahead when you are on a cleared strip of SAND alongside the
boundary fence, but you have to turn right into the bush.

We found this out after walking a good ½ a k down the very deep soft sand
cleared strip.

Overall, the track from the Southern Terminus to the campsite and to Neaves
Road is hard to pick out at times because it is hardly used going by the
Register in the Campsite.

This year, only one visit in March and last year about 5 visits. There could
have been more but the people may not have signed into the Register.

Prickly Bark Campsite is a lovely camp and it was a pleasure to have it for
three nights to ourselves.

I can now sympathise with Andrew when he dragged the Carrix over the sandy
terrain with a flat wheel. I think he said that if he could have found a bin
big enough on the track, the Carrix would have had a new home.



Cheers all

Ralph



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