of wind, rain and dramatic scenery…

You want dramatic? Here it is!

A promising beginning…

Our last day of walking coastal Sydney and the day had a promising start even though the wind was strong and biting the sun was shining… but we had run out of luck… not 100 metres into our walk the wind was carrying heavy droplets of water and throwing them onto our faces… very reminiscent of Melbourne southerlies and those windswept Camino hills. But we were prepared… out came the rain gear complete with rain pants… so on we went, eager to see if the gear was still good.

an impasse

The elements had other plans for us, or should I say the road had other plans… as we were met by the muddiest of impasses ! What to do… go through, around, turn back? There was another alternative, turn right and there it was the Dharwhal resting place and the Coastal hospital cemetery. Just what we had planned ! A sad place as there was evidence of many young deaths from small pox and bubonic plague, but also flowering shrubs of yellow, pink, white and purple in and amongst the crumbling tombstones. I felt privileged and humbled to have visited a place of significance for both early settlers and first nations peoples.

another cemetery, site of an early infectious diseases hospital

The rest of the walk threw everything at us… wind, rain, rocky paths, huge boulders to climb, lots of stairs to climb and descend and if it hadn’t been raining we would also have had to dodge golf balls… the NSW golf club is out on this headland! I don’t think the scenery nor the weather could have presented itself in a more dramatic way! I almost forgot… we even thought that we had to dodge bullets… as we were walking, we hear a volley of gunshots. We stand stock still and wait… another volley! I spy a red flag and suggest that there may be a rifle range close by. We inch forward hoping we won’t have to duck! All good though, lots of signs … keep out! pistol club! Nothing like gunfire to get your heart thumping!

wild weather

tristezza…sadness

Looking ahead towards the heads.

On a sad note, yesterday was also a stark reminder of the tragedy that surrounds us. So many people in their darkest moments come to these cliff tops to end their lives. The sadness of it all overwhelms me… the depth of darkness that must surround them, the incredible pain they must be suffering and the sense of loneliness, the sense of being totally alone 💔 ! I am but scratching the surface. I am sad but also ashamed of not being able to do more to alleviate the pervasive sadness around me.

Looking back is as important as looking forward.

I look around me, I see the beauty of the sky, the sea, the rocks and I see people too. I see the wonder that they are, their beauty, their struggles, their suffering, their tenacious perseverance and I wish I could communicate it, could let them know that I appreciate them, that they are important and worth talking to, worth a nod or a smile… maybe both.

Gateway to where?

I keep looking out to sea and recall my own dark moments and I have an inclinking of understanding… but I shake my head and turn away… the blueness of sea and sky is too beautiful, too wonderous to leave behind. I walk away, I keep going on my trek around Sydney’s coastline.

Beyond Blue and Lifeline signs… “Hold on to hope.” signs at regular intervals on these cliffs.

I meet people, fellow travelers on this and life’s journey. We nod, we smile, exchange pleasantries and occasionally strike up a conversation… mostly about the walk… where you’ve come from, where you’re headed… reflections on how hard or easy the walking has been compared to other treks. Sometimes you’re offered recommendations and you offer yours in exchange. Then you wish each other a pleasant onwards journey and you part ways. This may seem trivial and yet you notice the limp, the walking stick, the leaning on each other for support between couples and you acknowledge each other’s struggles… and that gives you strength, perhaps encouragement to keep going.

le signore…the ladies

Dorothea Mackeller of “I love a sunburnt country” fame lies here!

Today was going to be the Bondi to Watson’s Bay walk, but first… after ascertaining which cemetery I had haunted yesterday and finding out that the poet Dorothea Mackeller was buried there we made it our first stop…. We are visitors to Sydney and nervous about the roads, the parking, other drivers… but we got there and after jumping (me crawling through) the fence we located the grave and stood in awe! We wondered about all the history that surrounded us! Although we couldn’t stand around too long a0s the early morning thunderstorm had given way to a glorious day.

yet another pooch

One thing that followed us around from yesterday was dog-central. They were all out… some had a total of 5 both on and off leash! The curious thing we noticed was that it was like a social group… like a mothers club gathered outside kinder or school gossiping about anything and everything but especially about their children.

stick insect

We were both excited to tackle the walk but first … where to park the car for the day… for free… and close enough to public transport for our return journey… all was working well… parking done, position… a little far from the start of the journey and it was uphill, but do-able. What we didn’t expect were golfers hitting through, embellished aboriginal carvings and private property blocking our way! So there we were with snatches of breath-taking views as we continually had to meander round the streets …. coming back to the cliffs was incrementally rewarding, each successive time better than the preceding one. One of our more interesting surprises was a stick-insect sunning itself on a solar lamp! What a happy accident that was… picking up a lost sock and spotting a 30 cm stick insect. Bill spent the next few minutes telling anyone who would listen to stop and have a look.

Glorious display.

A cool drink to finish.

The day was marked by the vistas…. magnificently stunning; the elevation, constantly challenging, the ladies we met and the drink at Doyle’s to round it all off. The photos are too many to share, the ladies proud, well dressed and a with a royal demeanor that quickly turned friendly and helpful once we’d established our walking credentials (backpack, hat, water bottle, hat and hiking boots).

Today’s lesson…we may struggle with the climbs and descent… but it was great for training! Bon Chemin!

St Anne’s Bondi

I almost forgot… we found an open church at our starting point. I could not resist, needed to visit and a quite type of reflection…time to appreciate and be grateful for all that we have, all our encounters, all our experiences!

Of pooches, police and pilgrims training…

So many dogs taking their humans for a walk!

There was nothing overly special about today…. yes we were hundreds of kilometres from home, staying with an amazing friend, being looked after, shown the local sights, enjoying the beach vistas! Apart from that we rose with the sun, had a quick breakfast (coffee), dressed and out the door ready for a Sydney Coastal walk. We were hoping to beat the rain which was due around 10:30 and we did not know how far we would get! The day had started grey and heavy with moisture but we were excited and keen to try the new environment. What greater us was a never ending succession of headlands, winding paths (sometimes barred), underfoot, an array of terrain and stairs… up, down and different also in incline! We wanted elevation training, we certainly got it today! But the most surprising of all were all the pooches and their owners! All shapes and sizes, trotting along, jumping, licking, sniffing, lagging behind, following the wrong human, being called back, ignoring and then running towards their human! A veritable cornucopia !

police rescue at work

The day had more surprises… a helicopter inspecting the cliffs and the water would seem pretty normal, but two! Each taking turns from a makeshift helipad right in the middle of our walking path! And a police cordon stopping walkers from crossing paths with it. Not long after this encounter we learned the reason for their presence… a police boat had been searching for someone in the water… all learned from the concerned crowd gathered at another inlet.

at last… coffee and a seat

Here we were, a couple of pilgrims trying to build up their fitness, their stamina and strength! All the distractions… the scenery especially… every few steps we were taking photos, then there were the people, their pooches and the snatches of intriguing conversationswe and the search and rescue…before we knew it, we were at our destination… tired, sore, stiff and in need of a coffee and a seat! Preparation is going well! Onwards! Ultreia!

6 months out

marcher

It hardly seems real… we have purchased our airline tickets and leave Melbourne 4th April 2023. We have been training for the past 3 months and my hiking boots arrived and are being broken in!And yet it still seems that something will impede us getting on to our third Camino… another way to Santiago de Compostella. This time after visiting family we hope to start from Le Puy en Velay and make our way to Saint Jean Pied de Port and then the last 112 kms of the via de la Plata.

In the meantime we are walking an average of 6.5 kms per day and planning longer walks with a variety of terrain and elevation.

We have walked the 95 kms to Geelong and hope to walk the next leg as soon as the weather and work commitments allow!

Writing this post has made the whole prospect of another Camino even more real and daunting!

ever onwards