Zero

January 3rd

Riverton.

Distance: 0 km

Steps:  16,000 (we walked around a bit, but didn't make any progress along the trail)

As we wrote last night, we decided to stay at the Riverton Holiday Park for a second night. Definitely the right decision. We were both in a pretty dark space mentally after yesterday's struggle, and all of those "are we ready for this" doubts came right back. Again, leaning on each other, though, we're pretty sure we're ready to go tomorrow. We also had to re-learn how to set up our tent, what gear goes inside and what stays out, etc (it's a 2-person tent, so most of our gear stays in our backpacks just under the rain fly). 

We took today to lick our wounds.

No, not literally! First of all, thank you to those that thought we are somehow that flexible, and secondly - eew, who licks feet?!

Despite the fact that the local pharmacy was closed (another "benefit" of starting the trail on January 1st is running in to all of these holiday shop closures), we found everything we needed to patch ourselves up properly. By the afternoon we were both able to walk normally, and, re-stocked with band-aids, antiseptic, and sunblock, we're all set!

Also, it was pretty nice having a Holiday Park sort of day, listening to some cricket on the radio, reading 45-year-old National Geographic, having an afternoon nap, working on a puzzle and we're pretty sure some of the pieces are missing - you know, having a summer vacation, in amongst it all.

I did want to share with you this sign-of-the-times, evidence that plastic bags are no longer the ubiquitous item they were for the past few decades (Yes that bin is completely empty!):

 

Tomorrow: a relatively short day, about 14km to Colac Bay. Unfortunately it's started raining, pretty lightly but enough to notice, and to make our tent's rain fly nice and wet. Hoping it stops during the night but tomorrow may be our first "walk in the rain" of this trip.

Also, we had washed a couple of pairs of socks and now have to hang them inside the tent so... it kinda smells like feet in here as I type this. (Vaughan says it is definitely an Eliza-feet smell. Eliza thinks there is no way he could tell the difference, and half the socks and feet in this tent are his anyway)

Finally, we really appreciate the comments people are leaving. For some reason many of them are showing as Anonymous. Could you include your name so we know who you are :)