We left home Sunday morning at 6am after not having had much sleep. Packing was quite a drama because my new trekking pack - Osprey Ariel 85 - is ENORMOUS - and the frame goes half way up my head! Given my Lowe Alpine pack died this meant I had no other option - I didn't want to take this new pack because then I can't return it - so poor Russell had to do a mercy run out to Damo's to get my old (and heavy - 2.5kg!) Kathmandu Vardo pack.
This meant I was up very late packing (story of my life!). So when my alarm went off, I was most unimpressed.
I slept most of the way to Warwick, where we got coffee at the Coffee club. This coffee is DISGUSTING!! Then I got a text from Karen to say they were in Warwick - so we were ahead of them - but eventually they got ahead because I needed to pick up a prescription in Armadale which was an absolute pain.
The woman didn't want to give me all the repeats and I need them for the upcoming Camino - eventually she agreed to fill it. So I sat and waited. And waited. And waited. And went up to see what the progress was only to find out they hadn't even started, because it was going to cost more than $400 (which I knew!) - and they hadn't bothered to check with me, they just didn't fill it. So another 10 minutes went by whilst they did.
We met Michael and Karen in Uralla at the Top Pub for lunch. We sat by the fire which was very pleasant and enjoyed a great meal.
Next stop was Walcha for last minute groceries, and top up of fuel, and then it was on to Cedar Creek cottage. We arrived at 4.30pm. It's a cute little hut - quite well equipped, with a combustion fire, saucepan, frypan, 2 burner stove, flushing toilet, shower, and 6 beds. The hut is solar powered.
Cheese and crackers sufficed for dinner after our big lunch and then we sat around the fireplace and chatted. It's actually quite cold so I've re-evaluated my wardrobe for the trek. Chucked the thermals and gone with tracksuit bottoms. I've had a look at our food too - Russell's packed a kilo of Clif bars! I'll take them from him but even so my bag is 14kgs - so this will be painful....
Made it til 9 and then off to bed - tomorrow is a big day!
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