Six Foot Track, Australia - June 2008 - Trip Report

This was my first proper mini-expedition – looking back on it there were definitely a few lessons learned!

I’d been backpacking around Australia, sticking mostly to quieter outdoorsy areas, so when I arrive in Sydney, it only took around 24 hours before the bustling city became too  much for me. Fortunately the Blue Mountains were only a short train ride away, so before I knew it I was sat infront of an open fire at a cosy mountain hostel.

I spent a couple of days doing short day hikes and trying to plan what I wanted to do next. I eventually settled on the Six Foot Track, a 3 day hike starting very near my hostel and finishing at some tourist caves around 44km away.

I’d made some friends in the hostel but none of them wanted to come out on a multi-day trek. To be honest I’d packed quite unusually for backpacking in Australia, bringing items like a tent and camping stove (which I’d assumed would be the norm) and had been surprised that the normal backpacker was more usually on the party trail. Put simply most of the new friends I’d made in the hostel simply didn’t have the equipment to go out on a multi-day trek (and my young self may well have not inspired much confidence).

So I set out on the adventure alone. I distinctly feeling very nervous as I first started walking down the track, with exaggerated images of Australian bush murders playing through my mind I started to question every tree and shadow. Eventually, as I realised no-one had been tracking me from the second I left the main road, my nerves settled and I was able to begin to enjoy my surroundings more.

This lasted until the evening when I realised that my stove was broken. Learning quickly that pasta soaked in cold water wasn’t particularly edible, I decided to carry on with the hike anyway. To turn back at that point would have felt too big a failure for my young ego to handle.

So hungry, and fed-up of cereal bars, I plodded for another 2 days along the track, finding the going tougher as my strength waned. Bizarrely I dreamed of Subway Melts (and my new hankering for these was sated as soon as I got back to civilisation).

Eventually I’d reach the small town and the caves. After refuelling at a local café I had a quick tour round the caves before hopping on a bus back to my start point (and Subway!).