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--- 195806 [2016/04/08 11:53] – [In Tasmania's South West (Part 3)] kennettj
+++ 195806 [2016/04/08 11:59] – [The Smoke of Their Passing] kennettj
@@ Line 207: / Line 207: @@
 Rain gone; no-one missing yet all was well. We waved a cheer to our driver friends and sauntered off into the night. The road-bash down the hill was merely an appetiser. In Green Gully we found Ron Baker fossicking around with a torch. He was apologising profusely to a cow.: "You don't really look like Brian. Wrong shape, side on. But it's hard to tell from behind." He'd gone up early with Jean Harvey, and between the two of them they'd not only organised a cuppa tea at the house, but beds for the whole party.  That is, provided we didn't regard Jack Gentle was part of the whole party. He had to be content with a tot of rum and a loose floorboard while the rest of us had a tot of rum and soft mattresses.
-Early on Anzac Day, our energetic leader was stirring us up and chattering away about moving off at eight o'clock, Sure enough, by 8.30 or 9.30 we were strung out up the slope like Carlon's Cows and headed for the Black Dog track. In front - out in front, mark you - was me. Me, who's walked a thousand miles on test walks and always at the rear on the pretext of whipping in the stragglers; MB, who's worn out the toes of a hundred boots through treading on the heels of the second-last member of the party; MB, whose standing instruction to SR is always, "Look where the rearguard camped last night - that's where I'll be tomorrow." And here I was, in front.
+Early on Anzac Day, our energetic leader was stirring us up and chattering away about moving off at eight o'clock, Sure enough, by 8.30 or 9.30 we were strung out up the slope like Carlon's Cows and headed for the Black Dog track. In front - out in front, mark you - was me. Me, who's walked a thousand miles on test walks and always at the rear on the pretext of whipping in the stragglers; MB, who's worn out the toes of a hundred boots through treading on the heels of the second-last member of the party; MB, whose standing instruction to SR is always, "Look where the rearguard camped last night - that's where I'll be tomorrow." And here I was,in front.
-Two lengths away were Pam Baker and Audrey Kenway; a short head to John Luxton and Peter Cummings, Bob O'Hara and John Proud- foot; with half a furlong to Col Ferguson; three lengths to a bunched up field of Jack Gentle, Margaret Ryan, Isobel Wilkie,
+Two lengths away were Pam Baker and Audrey Kenway; a short head to John Luxton and Peter Cummings, Bob O'Hara and John Proudfoot with half a furlong to Col Ferguson; three lengths to a bunched up field of Jack Gentle, Margaret Ryan, Isobel Wilkie, Eileen Taylor, Canada Dry and Beryl Collins; closely followed by Ron Baker, Ernie French and Jean Harvey, with the Leader tailed off last. At the gate I counted them through and slipped into my accustomed position, whipping in the straggling leader.
-Eileen Taylor, Canada Dry and Beryl Collins; closely followed by Ron Baker, Ernie French and Jean HarVey, with the Leader tailed off last.
-Lt the gate I counted them through and slipped into my accustomed position, whipping in the straggling leader.
+The day was cool and the pace a killer. You could not hear the footsteps for the swishing of the bushes, and it wasn't long before I was finding my way, not by the sight of the party in front, but by the smoke of their passing. They were doing at least a mile and a half to the hour - or an hour and a half to the mile, I forget which.
-The day was cool and the pace a killer. You couldna hear
-the footsteps for the swishing of the bushes, and it wasn't long
+Unerringly the leader guided the flock along the Black Dog track and rested at the cross roads under Debert's Knob to let your raconteur catch up. Lunch at the top of the Faithful Hound was quite civilised,
-before I was finding my way, not by the sight of the party in front,
+really, Ron Baker being the only one to drink his tea straight from the billy. He claimed that he'd forgotten his mug but we suspected lightweight tactics. Some Federation officials, accompanied by a group of Y.H.L.C.C. types, arrived as we were leaving and blithely took over our campfires. They, too, were headed for Splendour Rock and we idly wondered if they'd try the same cunning trick at nightfall.
-but by the smoke of their passing. They were doing at least a
-mile and a half to the hour - or an hour and a half to the mile, I forget which.
+Onwards and upwards went the leader, followed by the six hundred, tailed up by John Clubfoot and me. He'd caught on - it's so much cleaner when other bods have wiped all the dew from the bushes and the carbon black from the stumps.
-Unerringly the leader guided the flock along the Black Dog
-track and rested at the cross roads under Debert's Knob to let your raconteur catch up.
+Black Horse Gap was our next breather. It's a steep little scramble to a short-tail like me, and by the time I caught up I was wondering if the wreath I was carrying for the morrow's sunrise service might be used for me instead. Ernie French took it from me for the Wombat Parade stretch - apparently he felt more in need of it than I. Jean Harvey led the girls along the Parade, and after a discreet interval we males followed. Wombat Parade is so called for two very good reasons - first, because there's ample evidence
-Lunch at the top of the Faithful Hound was quite civilised,
+of the presence of wombats, and second because the boulders are so big that you feel as if your legs are as short as a wombat's, half grown.
-really, Ron Baker being the only one to drink his tea straight from the billy. He claimed that he'd forgotten his mug but we
-suspected lightweight tactics.
+At the drop into Warrigal Gap the cliffs are broken up into a stairway; only it was built in Gargantua and us Liliputians had no ropes. Is Margaret's vital statistics are legs 20 inches (length, not round the thighs) and arms 25 inches there was some conjecture as to the ability of herself and others to negotiate the drop; but our gallant leader mustered Jack Gentle, John Sixfoot, etc. into a chain male and manhandled the girls down one by one.
-Some Federation officials, accompalied by a group of Y.H.L.C.C.
-types, arrived as we- were leaving and blithely took over our campfires. They, too, were headed for Splendour Rock and we idly
+The girls regained their dignity down in the saddle and swung up on to the flat top of Merrigal with true bushwalker rhythm. As we intended camping in Merri-merrigal Saddle, water was gathered from the top of the mount - out of the shallow holes in the sandstone at the rate of a quarter of a mug per dip. We began by carefully skimming the water so as not to scoop up mud and twigs, but finished the last 2,000 dozen scoops by bailing sand, leaves, humus and all. The only objecting voice pointed out that in her native Ireland such peat bogs were frequented only by sheep and cattle. Well? ..?
-wondered if they'd try the same cunning trick at nightfall.
-Onwards and upwards went the leader, followed by the six hundred, tailed up by John Clubfoot and me. He'd caight on - it's
+A few short steps brought us to the col, and yours truly remembered too late a long-forgotten lesson; always be in front at the end of the day. Having slipped once again into the rearguard position, there was no place left for my tent, in which I had graciously offered to shelter Pam Baker and Audrey Kenway.
-so much cleaner when other bods have wiped all the dew from the bushes and the carbon black from the stumps.
+I was just contemplating the problem of pitching camp over a clump of Xanthorreae when the two girls started hollering that they'd already reserved a site in the executive suite - in among Brian and Jean, Canada, Ron Baker and Col Ferguson. I suggested that it might be better to put up with the Xanthorreas but, chivalrous to the end, acceded to the girls' request.
-Black Horse Gap was7ur next breather. It's a steep little
-scramble to a short-tail like MB, and by the time I caught up I
-was wondering if the wreath I was carrying for the morrow's sunrise
-service might be used for MB instead. Ernie French took it from
-me for the Wombat Parade stretch - apparently he felt more in need of it than I.
-Jean Harvey led the girls along the Parade, and after a
-discreet interval we males followed. Wombat Parade is so called for two very good reasons - first, because there's ample evidence
-of the presence of wombats, and second because the boulders are
-so big that you feel as if your legs are as short as a wombat's, half grown.
-Lt the drop into Warrigal Gap the cliffs are broken up into a steirway; only it was built in Gargantua and us Liliputians had no ropes. Is Margaret's vital statistics are legs 20 inches (length, not round the thighs) and arms 25 inches there was some conjecture as to the ability of herself and others to negotiate the drop; but our gallant leader mustered Jack Gentle, John Sixfoot, etc. into a chain male and manhandled the girls down one by one.
-The girls regained their dignity down in the saddle and swung up on to the flat top of Merrigal with true bushwalker rhythm. As we intended carping in Merri-merrigal Saddle, water was gathered from the top of the mount - out of the shallow holes in the sandstone at the rate of a quarter of amug per dip. We began by carefully skimming the water so as not to scoop up mud and twigs, but finished the last 2,000 dozen scoops by bailing sand, leaves, humus and all. The only objecting voice pointed out that in her native Oirland such peat bogs were frequented only
-by sheep and cattle. Well? ..?
-A few short steps brought us to the col, and yours truly remembered too late a long-forgotten lesson; always be in front at the end of the day. Having slipped once again into the
--4,
-rearguard position, there was no place left for my tent, in which
-I had graciously offered to shelter Pam Baker and Audrey Kenway.
-I was just contemplating the problem of pitching camp over a clump of Xanthorreae when the two girls started hollering that theytd
-already reserved a site in the executive suite - in among Brian and Jean, Canada, Ron Baker and Col Ferguson. I suggested that
-it might be better to put up with the Xanthorreas but, chivalrous to the end, acceded to the girls' request.
 I had to admit that the site was roomy and comfortable; only we discovered later that the roominess was due to its being the confluence of two well-trodden tracks - one to Splendour Rock and the other to the water. Ever tried sleeping on the Circular Quay overway? If you have, you'll see the similarity in the setup.