When Temporary Insanity Meets Epic Adventure
The one when you sign up for a trek in The Bungles and end up
instead on an Aqua-Hiking expedition!
By Jo W.
Holy Mother of Nature!! Our guides did advise us at the briefing that, unlike the song, we definitely would be chasing waterfalls, but never did we ever imagine it would be the waterfalls chasing us!
I’m still trying to get my head around what we actually did, and it’s impossible to begin to describe, even to anyone who’s been there. But what an unforgettable experience.
How did even I go from being a non-hiker to being a part of an amazing Diamonds team and doing the most epic adventure I’ve ever done? At 60? So many never-have-I-evers! Like spending the first day carrying a 20+kg pack in sweltering heat over sand and rocks for 15km, sharing a 1.5 person tent, not showering for 5 days, putting wet clothes back on each day, swallowing mouthfuls of toothpaste after teeth brushing, using a poop-tube, getting such a tough leg workout where it got harder and harder to lift our wet, heavy, sand-sodden boots while hiking through chest-deep water.
And that’s to name just a few!
Let me take you back to pre-trip days for me: I was way out of my comfort zone before I even started the packing process and I felt extremely anxious about the full-pack trek into the gorge, and suffering a physical setback one week out from departure leading to a couple of desperate Chiro visits.
But, I made it to Kununurra, with everything on the gear list stuffed into my already full pack. However, at the briefing, we knew we were in for some serious culling once we saw all the items the guides were giving us to carry, now with the added bonus of new tents (which they had to race around buying that afternoon due to the weather forecast!) Besides necessities, they suggested only taking 2 t-shirts and 2 pairs of undies and socks in order to fit in the sleeping mat, tent, poop-tube and toileting bag, our week’s supply of snacks, 5L of water, plus the communal food bags they were still preparing.
Sidenote: These food bags turned out to be heavier than expected, but the meals were sensational and made it so worth carrying in. (And all to be carted back out again in our poop-tubes 5 days later!)
Day 1 of trekking was by far my biggest hurdle, both physically and mentally, and although I had the feeling I was the weakest link that day, the absolute relief I felt on finally reaching our destination late that afternoon was enormous. In all honesty, I had not thought much beyond that day.
So, when the belated Wet Season decided to finally arrive that night, the unexpected was accepted.
My first memorable moment happened the following morning, when Margo emerged from our tent and I heard her incredulous reaction to the stunning waterfall that had appeared overnight! Sheer delight.
(I was blessed to be sharing with the Wah-Master, Margo, who unwittingly also became the Jo-Master, as I was a complete novice at everything. Thus Margo stepped up to “be the Michelle” (Margo's usual adventure buddy) of the duo, while for me it was all learn-as-I-go. I’d camped in a tent overnight once when I was 17.)
That same morning, we set off from camp in drizzle and were able to hike further up the gorge to explore the fifth of the Five Fingers in the Picaninny Gorge, including a swim into a rock cave, before heading back towards camp. With the rain getting heavier, the guides made the crucial call to return us to camp to get out of our wet clothes. As we made our way back up from the gorge, the most memorable moment of the week happened, as we looked up and saw that we no longer had just the one waterfall in sight. We were now surrounded by them! The looks of pure joy on everyone’s faces, especially the guides, was just Awe and Wonder personified, and a memory I’ll treasure. It was mesmerising. Huge highlight of the trip.
Now back in our tents, after struggling to get out of our wet clothes, Margo had brilliantly fashioned our confined space so that we could lie down comfortably and rest our feet up on top of our (yet unpacked) sleeping bags. Which we were able to do, but only for about 2 seconds, because Kalina was now at our tent telling us to “Pack everything up because we need to move to higher ground”! The timing was hilarious. Unbeknownst to us, though, the guides had been doing some urgent spinifex clearing up on higher real estate, to make room for our new elevated campsite. The efficiency, assistance and teamwork provided to relocate everything was just incredible.
So, it was here that we were stranded for the next two days, camped on top of a hill, with 360 degrees of waterfall views, as the dry, sandy gorges quickly turned into fast flowing rivers. Our guides then went into risk assessment mode, as we were now at the mercy of the weather gods as to how, when or if we would be able to make our way back out for our flight on Friday. And although we were unable to do any more hiking or exploring of the other Fingers, we were still able to make the best of our situation.
By the next day, the rain had eased enough for us to be able to wander around and have a look at the original (lower) campsite area to marvel at how different it now looked with the raised water level. It was astonishing to see how high the water had reached. We then waded across the creek to a sandy section where Tracy displayed her talent for skipping stones, with her teaching resulting in lots of us achieving PBs!
After lunch, it was back to this spot for our bowling competition, with multiple rounds leading to a 4-way final, with VeeKee narrowly edging out Kalina, Kerrie and Steph to take the title. Meanwhile, the guides had ventured out on an afternoon reccie to assess the situation for the following day’s aqua-hike, and returned saying they loved hearing our peels of laughter echoing throughout the gorge. It was just like my favourite quote (which I first saw at my Chiro’s many years ago) – “Attitude - Things turn out best for those who make the best of the way things turn out”.
Being a part of that Bungles team was truly special, particularly with the unexpected challenges we faced. Considering it’s closed during the Wet Season, we were so fortunate to even see what we saw. Our three guides, Harriet, Laura & Gemma were just brilliant in every way, and I had complete trust in them from the outset. And even though I might be Little Miss Stubborn outside of Diamonds, I gratefully accepted the help I was offered. I was surrounded by phenomenal, supportive women. Whenever I needed a hand, be it a push up, a pull up, verbal guidance or a steady arm to balance myself - Diamonds were absolutely this girl’s best friend. To Kalina and the team – my heartfelt appreciation.
Thank you, Margo - for being such a great Michelle, as well as a wonderful and fun trek buddy!
Massive thanks also to Kerrie. Doing regular sessions with Kerrie is always fun, but doing a trip with her is when you discover firsthand what a truly special Diamond she is. Despite having her own (super-heavy) pack issues, her constant support throughout that first day, as we trudged through the sand and heat together, was beyond inspiring.
Finally, I also have a whole village of other Diamonds to thank for this experience:
Ned – you already know how I feel about taking your place; Suz – for your parting message of ‘Every Step, Every View, Every Moment’, which I continually used as my mantra to help keep my feet going and get me through Day 1 to reach our destination; Clare, Michele, Jo V & Lis - for all your sessions that helped me prepare and train with a heavier pack; Julie S (/Barb) – for use of your backpack, Clare – for your sleeping bag, Jacq – for your chair;
And for the many Diamonds who provided me with suggestions and recommendations during chats on the trails, I thank you all!
The last message I saw before going off grid from Kununurra was from my daughter. It simply said “Good luck on your trip mumoo!! You’ve got this!”
And now that I’ve come out the other side, Glennon Doyle’s words are foremost in my mind . . .
“We Can Do Hard Things”.