Bushwalk Australia

Just finished the Southern Ranges.
Went in via Ida Bay and out the South Coast track to Cockle Creek.
Spent 12 Days on the track.
Day 1: Ida Bay to Moonlight Creek - A nice sunny day with some extensive views although blighted by the clear felling down by Cockle
Day 2: Moonlight Ck to Pigsty Ponds - Another perfect day with great views. A lazy afternoon at Pigsty.
Day 3: Pigsty to Ooze Lake - Weather came in over night with soem very strong winds. Waited until mid morning to go up and over Maxwell Ridge.
Day 4: Ooze to Leaning Tea tree Saddle - Some great views from Pindars and then as we arrived at Leaning the weather came in again.
Day 6: Leaning Tea Tree Saddle - Rest day waiting for the wind and rain to stop. One member of party started to get sick.
Day 7: Leaning to Low Camp - PLB set off. One party member flown out. Then a nice day other than pushing through scrub, to Low Camp. Again the weather came in as we arrived at the Camp.
Day 8: Low to Cavern Camp - Climbed PB some good views before the cloud came in and then the slow descent to Cavern Camp. There is alot of wind fall across the track.
Day 9: Cavern to Osmiridium Bch - waded New River Lagoon. Anywhere from ankle to waist deep. Nice weather. Lots of swans on the lagoon.
Day 10: Osmiridium to Granite - An overcast day but good walking weather.
Day 11: Granite to Lion Rock - a tiring day going over South Cape Range. The mud hasn't got any better over the years.
Day 12: Lion to Cockle Ck - a very wet walk out.

Roger

An epic effort Norts,

Love the look of that Moonlight Creek campsite - NOT.
Sounds like you had an eventful trip. Several forum members noted the evacuation flight from Wylly Plateau? Very isolated place to be crook!
What was the nature of their illness? Did you have a poke around the Reservoir Lakes - fascinating place.

Oh, and some pics please!!!

Sounds like you got some pretty "typical" weather for that neck of the woods. Summer is on summer holidays this year.
Sorry to hear that one party member needed evac. Hope all's well there. Hope you stole the best bits from his/her food before the chopper arrived!
I have a friend who is currently, probably as I type, heading up from the lagoon to PB. Sounds like it's going to be tough going that way with the track blockage.
Ah yes, the South Cape Range mud. I remember it well, I know it intimately... falling over, up to my chin with a pack on my back, hand buried in wet mud with stick driven up under fingernail... Great stuff...

We did the same walk back in March 2010 and I too got crook - both ends for 3 days- it started as we where coming off Pinders Peak - didn't get flown out but I do recall lying in a tent on Willey Plateau as the rest of the group discussed setting off the epirb. Got to say that the scub btn Pinders and PB was hell in my weakened state. I should post a pic or two of me at repose.

Photos Please! Sounds like a great trip despite you unfortunate events...