I’m sitting in the hut for the second night, looking out over the Southern Ocean. It’s wild and beautiful and totally inhospitable. An ocean I’d hate to be unprepared for. Arriving in sunshine, we’ve had fog, a rainstorm and now the sky is clearing but wind is high. It’s 7pm and still so light and bright.

Today’s walk went really well, 12km of spectacular cliffs, open plains, and shady forest. I took the day slowly, with lots of breaks at scenic spots, taking the boots off and stretching. My walking is good, for me. I still find my right leg starts to swing and foot drops after a while, and 12km seems to be an upper limit for the day.

The vegetation here changes so much, from forest to heath to cliff top. The area is a National Park due to the variety of wildlife and plants, many of them endemic to the area.

When I think about my walking before I went to Russia, the difference is immense. I was struggling to walk 1km, and getting a lift into work so I didn’t have to walk the 400m from the station to Woodside. The dishtowel I brought on this trip is one I bought in Russia, as a simple flannel when I had the line installed and couldn’t shower for a couple of days.

I’m still absorbing the fact that I’m here, and while I won’t manage the walk out to Cape Pillar tomorrow, I’m still profoundly grateful to be able to walk to this spectacular place.

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