Cross Island Track, Rarotonga, Cook Islands

Each time we've been to Rarotonga I've wanted to do the Cross Island track, but it's been hot and humid, or I haven't been fit enough so we've never done it. This time the weather was perfect (winter and a lovely 26C) and after the Inca Trail, I could no longer say I wasn't fit enough!

The Cross Island track is 7 km in total, from the harbour to the old Sheraton site. It's about a 40 minute, 2.25 km easy walk from the bus stop at the harbour to the car park where most people seem to start.

It's then a steep walk through the forest to the Needle. It took us about 75 minutes for 1.5 km, mainly due to the path being slippery and having to keep an eye out for tree roots and rocks.

The next stage for me was the most difficult, I am not the most sure footed person and it's a steep, but the view about 100 m is is pretty spectacular. It's a slow decent, with many steam crossings. It evens out at the end just before you get to Wigmore falls. This took us about 1 hr 45 min for 1.7 km, but we were going slow.

The final section is along the road from the falls, leading back to the main road. It was an easy 30 minutes for 1.3 km and comes out at the old Sheraton site. You can catch the bus from this point, but we took the easy 3 km walk back to the hotel (Sanctuary).

All said and done, it's a nice way to spend half a day. You spend a lot of your time eating, sleeping and swimming on Rarotonga (or we do!) so it's good to get out and do something else. Make sure you take some insect spray, water and let someone know where your going before you head out.

Wish List: Overland Track, Tasmania

Another great walking holiday. The overland track is located in Tasmania and is a 6 day, 65 km walk.

There are a number of options for doing this walk, including the DIY variety, but of course I much prefer the option of the Cradle Mountain Huts. This way you enjoy private accommodation, hot showers and cooked meals without having to lug all the basics with you

This company runs the traditional 6 day walk, as well as a shortened 4 day for those who want to be able to do it on a long weekend.

Another perfect way to get out, see something new and get away from it all.

Wish List: The Freycinet Experience

Even though we've recently done the Inca Trail, my idea of hiking is more along the scale of the Freycinet Experience. You stay in lodges, your meals are cooked and you only carry a day pack. But at the same time you get to see a beautiful part of the world, immerse yourself in nature and take a break from reality.

The Freycinet Experience is a four day guided walk covering the entire length of the Freycinet Peninsula on Tasmania’s East Coast, including the iconic Wineglass Bay. Each night you return to the Friendly Beach Lodge and hot showers.

With a number of such walks in Tasmania, it's hard to choose which one to do next.

South America Day 15: Inca Trail Day 4: Machu Picchu to Cusco

January 2012

Up at 3:45 am (when most were probably just heading home after bringing in the new year) and on the trail by 4:45 am. Waited at the checkpoint for 30 minutes before making our way to the sun gate (about an hour at a brisk pace), all up doing 6 km today.

The view was clouded over so after about 20 minutes we headed down towards Machu Picchu.

We went down and out the main gate to get our passports stamped, then did a 1.5 hour tour of the very impressive complex. We spent about another hour exploring ourselves (the weather never did really clear up, but the view got slightly better) before catching the train back down to the main town.

After a pizza lunch we caught a very nice train, with glass roof to Ollantayambo, driving past more ruins and km82.

We then caught the bus back to Cusco, having dinner at Jacks cafe before heading back to the hotel.

Stay
Corihausi, Cusco

Eat
Pizza at Hot Springs 2
Jack's Cafe, Cusco

Do
Machu Picchu complex

South America Day 14: Inca Trail Day 3 (the clouded forest)

December 2011

What a way to spend new years eve, walking 16 km on the Inca Trail. Up at 4:45 am and on the track by 6 am. The first 2 hours are straight up, with a nice break at a Inca ruin, Runkurakay, about half way.

We continued on a flattish path, with DH and some others stopping at another Inca ruin and myself and one of the other girls continuing through the clouded forest. This was definitely my favourite part of the whole Inca Trail, the path was moderate (up and down) but it was so peaceful and beautiful.

We stopped for lunch at a peak, where there were Llamas grazing.

We walked another short distance to another Inca ruin, before continuing downhill on unsteady rocks for the remainder of the day (my least favourite part of the trail).

We got to camp around 5 pm, making it a very long day of walking. We were surprised with a cake that the cooks had made at lunch on the trail that day, before celebrating New Years Eve with an early nights sleep.

South America Day 13: Inca Trail Day 2 (aka Dead Woman's Pass)

December 2011

Woken up at 5 am with coca tea and breakfast at 5:45 am. We left the campsite at 6:15 am and started our walk uphill. The group separated at about 7:30 am, each person setting their own pace, for the accent from 3,300 meters to 4,200 meters. DH and I walked alone at the back of the pack.

We reached the last store on the trail about 9:30 am for a snack break before continuing the accent. The walk up to Dead Woman's Pass is slow but scenic, it means you can also see every step you still have to take in front of you, but I would choose a spot and that would be our next aim, breaking it into manageable chunks.

We made it to the top of Dead Woman's Pass about 12:15 pm to horrifying weather - wet, icy and windy. We took a few pictures and started our decent to much warmer weather.

It took us about 2 hours to reach camp, all downhill, the last 30 minutes in pouring rain. But we were glad for lunch  (soup, stuffed chicken with pasta bake and mashed sweet potato) and a nap at 3,600 meters.

All in all we walked 10 km (6 km up and 4 km down), acceded 900 meters and descended 600 meters. Definitely the toughest day of the whole trail.

South America Day 12: Ollantaytambo to km82 Inca Trail

December 2011

We left Ollantaytambo by bus in the mist and arrived at km82 of the Inca Trail at 9:30 am. We organised our packs and walked to the checkpoint, to show our passports and get on our way.

You start at an altitude of approx. 2,650 m and progress to your first camp, about 12 km away at 3,000 m. We walked for about 3 hours, stopping for snacks and drinks along a moderate to easy track.

We stopped at Patallaqta Inca site view point before stopping for lunch. Like I said in the previous post, we did the Inca Trail with g adventures and our lunch today (as everyday) was set up in a large tent (and it poured during lunch so we were very glad to be out of the elements) and we enjoyed soup, and fish with rice.

We continued on our walk at about 2:30 pm to the next checkpoint, and then onto our campsite (the last km was the most difficult today).

We set up our things (our tents were already put up for us) and we enjoyed dinner in our tent (chicken soup and chicken stir fry) before heading off to sleep, with the upcoming Dead Woman's Pass in our dreams...

Wish List: Maria Island Walk

We did the Bay of Fires Walk in Tasmania earlier in 2011, and it was a wonderful experience. Just you and 12 other people on an isolated beach, alone (or relatively in today's world) with nature.

Recently I stumbled across another great walk of Tasmania, the Maria Island Walk. We looked at doing this walk at Easter 2012, but it's so popular that it was already booked out!

On their slogan is "four days that will last a lifetime". The walk covers 34 km, on a small Island off Tasmania. There are different accommodation types for each night, with extraordinary food along the way.

So who's coming with me?

Bay of Fires Walk: The good, the bad and the ugly

April 2011

Before and after booking our trip I found it hard to find many reviews about the Bay of Fires walk or area, Tripadvisor was extremely limited and even googling training plans it was hard to come up with much, so I've put together my (not DHs) good, bad and ugly, so that you might have another resource when trying to decide if it's the right thing for you.

Good

• The scenery is stunning, it's one of the many locations where the photos you find online (including here!) don't do it justice, it really is that good

• The isolation. There's something special about there only being 12 people on a stretch of beach in Tasmania

• The weather. I understand it can get hot in the summer months, but we only had a bit of rain and the tour company really does supply you with the right packing list and kit
• The food. I love taking food shots, but the food was so good I didn't get any but what was for lunch on the last day. Breakfast and dinner are cooked and served to you, lunch is a spread that you pack in your lunch box for the day of walking. The food was delicious, in particular the salmon you have on the first night and the roast vegetable salads we had for our last lunch.

• The lodge. In hindsight I should have skipped day 3's activities and just chilled at the lodge. I could have easily spent a week just at the lodge.

Bad

• We had been running 5 k twice a week, cross training with a PT once a week and then doing a 10 - 16 km walk every second weekend. This was not enough, towards the end of each day both DH and I struggled. My tip would be to do more beach walks with a pack (more on the pack coming up), we only did one beach walk, and never carried more than 2 kg on our backs
• The pack. In all fairness DH weighed mine on the first morning and it weighed 20 pounds or around 9 kg, which isn't too bad, and I used everything in my pack except my swimming costume (which would have weighed very little). But we didn't train with a pack and that was a mistake.
• The amount of food. I think is due to the fact that I'm overweight as DH didn't have an issue, but there were times where I didn't feel satisfied. I got around this by packing extra bread for lunch.

Ugly

• It was 38 km over 4 days. And while that doesn't sound like a whole lot we weren't as prepared as we thought. If your feeling the first 2 days of walking then I recommend you skip day 3's activities, because it's really more than a stroll and a canoe. Really that's my only "complaint", that I wish someone had given us more of a guideline how to prepare. Now we just have to figure it out for the Inca Trail at the end of the year....

Resouces

Some of the reviews/write ups that may be helpful

Mr and Mrs Smith

Sydney Morning Herald

Australian Traveller

The Age

Bay of Fires offical site

Bay of Fires Walk, Tasmania, Australia - Day 4

April 2011

Once again woken up for breakfast, but what a beautiful morning! Breakfast started again with fruit, cereal and toast, and the main of the day being homemade baked beans.

After packing I spent the morning reading in both the library and the main deck, while DH went for a walk along the beach.

After a nice walnut and chocolate brownie we headed off on a 3 km bush walk to the road with our packs for the last picnic lunch of smoked salmon, vegetable frittata and roasted salads before heading on the bus for a 3 hr trip back to the estate.

We travelled through the bush and along the coast past St Helens, Scamander, St Marys, Fingal, Avoca, and Perth before getting back to the estate to unpack and say goodbye to our group over canapes and champagne. What a way to spend 4 days.