Sunday 1 December: Tilba to Narooma
After we all had a cuppa with biscuits, Mahendra and Sharma Ji left for Craigieburn. Before leaving Merimbula, they decided to explore the back roads towards Albury and then take the M31 Hume Hwy. The back roads themselves may be OK to drive but the lack of phone and internet connectivity make them less desirable. These were worrying factors when I made a list of towns/places on these challenging roads. However, it was their decision to follow that path.
Shekhar and I drove to Bega. I didn’t want Shekhar to miss out on the opportunity to visit the Cheese Heritage Centre when we were passing through the Bega Valley. We stopped at the Heritage Centre, tasted the cheese and went upstairs to visit the museum. Shekhar was equally impressed. He took photos of various machines and wagons. Shekhar and I had breakfast at the café and bought some cottage cheese and dried figs from this world famous historical place.
Instead of driving on the A1 Princes Hwy from Bega to Tilba, we took the backroad through Tathra and Bermagui. It was a very quiet road with hardly any traffic. This road has spectacular views as it is closer to the ocean than the Princes Hwy. Somehow, we ended up on a gravel road. For half an hour or so, we drove on this dusty unsealed road then we were back on the bitumen.
We had lost most of the day in traveling and at the Bega Heritage Centre. Once we reached Tilba, I paid my respect to Mother Earth, tested our two-way radios for communication and started the walk to Narooma. We paused just once to have a powernap and something to eat. Shekhar made a booking at the Discovery Park for staying the night.
This park is located just before entering the town and it is more suitable for families with young children rather than solo travellers. We arrived just before the check in time and the manager was courteous to extend a warm welcome to us. We parked at the allocated unpowered site which was a fair way away from the amenities. This meant rushing under pressure to the toilet during the night. This was something I wasn’t happy with, but it was a matter of just one night. Thank God for it!
Shekhar and I had dinner in the van and fell asleep into the world of dreams.
Monday 2 December: Narooma to Bodalla
We got ready, and after daily routine, began the walk into the town centre. We stopped at a Café for breakfast and coffee. We sat outside in the back that has got million-dollar views of the water. With a hospital, Yoga Studio, medical centres, chemist shops, Post office, a number of café and restaurants, Narooma has all the facilities of a large city and yet, it is considered a rural town in NSW. For those who are looking for an escape from big cities, Narooma could be an affordable and viable option.
At the end of Narooma, there is an interesting old bridge for road traffic. The separate dedicated path for pedestrians may have been attached as an after-thought. The views from the bridge are absolutely stunning. However, the road beyond the bridge had no shoulder to walk on. Shekhar who was slightly ahead of me, called and told me to wait at the end of the bridge. He turned around and came back to pick me up. I couldn’t walk this section of the road for safety reasons.
We stopped for lunch in the van and I had a quick powernap. We reached Bodalla, but there was no caravan park. We drove back to Narooma but this time we decided to stay at the Big 4 Caravan Park at the opposite end of the town to where we had stayed the previous night. Upon finding out about the walk to raise awareness about breast cancer and support the McGrath Foundation, the management donated one of their best sites for us to park next to the ocean. We are so indebted to them for their support. A big thank you to Big4 team.
I had to see a doctor because my left foot had been somewhat troubling with discomfort for a couple of days and that’s the last thing I needed during such a marathon walk. The receptionist at the Lighthouse Surgery asked me what was wrong and why I wanted to see a doctor? I told her about the walk and gave her the leaflets about the walk and a copy of the book cover. Georgina Burrough a young female doctor called us in. Shekhar and I both followed her. In order to examine my feet closely and thoroughly, this young doctor knelt down with both her knees touching the ground. This gesture demonstrated the level of her dedication to the profession. Hats off to Georgina for her commitment to the medical profession. As a part of her routine, she also checked my pulse, temperature and blood pressure. This soft spoken compassionate young doctor was a true representative of what being a doctor is all about. We are so grateful to you for your kindness and support Georgina. A very big thank you!
We went to the chemist shop nearby to get the medicine the doctor had prescribed. Upon learning about the walk, the Narooma Pharmacy made a donation to the McGrath Foundation. We returned to the Big4 Caravan Park, set ourselves up for the night, had dinner in the van and went to sleep.
Tuesday 3 December: Bodalla to Moruya
Shekhar and I got ready and drove to Bodalla to the starting point. I got off, prayed to Mother Earth, tested the radios and resumed the walk. It was a 25 kms walk on a clear but not too hot day. After a couple of breaks for water and snacks, we reached Moruya where the Eurobodalla Shire Council has its main offices. We visited these offices and informed the reception that we would like to meet the Mayor, as he had indicated that he would join us on the walk the very next day. The Mayor was in a full council meeting. However, when he learned about our arrival there, he excused himself for a few minutes and came to see us. We were glad that we had the honour of meeting Mayor Matt Hatcher. A tall young man from the US who had called Australia home for more than 20 years. We were told that there was a caravan park nearby. We checked into this place next to the petrol station.
Following the advice of our friend Clive Harwood, we changed our schedule and decided to take the backroad from Moruya to Batemans Bay. Taking the backroad meant longer distance as it would add 12 kms to the total. But what is another 12 kms when you are walking more than 1,200 kms. The backroad started almost straight across the caravan park on the other side of the A1 Princes Hwy. We were supposed to meet Mayor Matt Hatcher at 8:00 AM outside the school gate. I thought I should cover some distance late afternoon to reach the meeting point the next morning without having to pressurise myself.
Shekhar and I drove across the Princes Hwy. I touched my forehead to Mother Earth and sought her blessings and permission to walk upon her. After testing the radios, we started the walk. We walked for about two hours until we reached a landmark past the airport. This would give us a head start the next morning.
We returned to the caravan park at Moruya. This place had swimming pool and many other facilities. However, due to the weather conditions and bugs season, there were far too many bugs flying into the van if the lights were switched on. One couldn’t rest in peace without the bugs humming into your ears, eyes, nose or cheeks, let alone sleeping in the van. Shekhar and I spent the night in the van somehow and survived.
Wednesday 4 December: Moruya to Malua Bay
Shekhar and I got ready and drove to our starting point for the walk. After praying to Mother Earth, we started the walk towards that school where we would meet the Mayor of Eurobodalla Shire Council. Around 7:45 AM, we reached the school gate. I texted Matt Hatcher of our arrival. He responded that he would reach us shortly. A few minutes later, Matt asked which school we were waiting at? We realised that there was a mix-up of two different schools. Matt knew the area well and he joined us in no time.
While waiting for Matt, some students had spotted the van parked outside the school and they came to see us. They wanted to take photos with us and the van. We also took photos with Matt before starting the walk. We shared these honourable moments with our YouTube audience. Matt lived in Tomakin that was directly on the way to Malua Bay. Meeting us outside the school saved him driving to Moruya to join us from the beginning.
It was a great honour to have a chat with the Mayor of Eurobodalla during the walk. Matt told us that he loved this country ever since he moved to Australia. In particular, he loved being so close to the ocean with such a blue coloured unpolluted water where you could fish, swim or go for a boat ride. Matt took on this job because he wanted to contribute to the society in a more meaningful way. He wanted to make a difference to improve the lives of people in Eurobodalla Shire. Matt and I both of us being immigrants, we shared many things in common. Talking with Matt was quite enjoyable.
When we reached Tomakin, there was an event going on at a shed to raise funds for Sydney Children’s Hospital Foundation. The Rally for Recovery was held Wednesdays and Saturdays. The money raised through this event was used for children’s cancer research. The event was run entirely by volunteers who operate from a converted Eurobodalla Council Fire Service shed in Tomakin NSW. We also met Cara Woods from The Sydney Children’s Hospital Foundation who collected a cheque for $150,000 raised for this noble cause. Hats off to this great initiative and I salute these Rally for Recovery volunteers at Tomakin. Cara was also kind enough to support our walk and make a donation to the McGrath Foundation. Thank you so much Cara.
After we reached Malua Bay, we thanked Matt Hatcher for his valuable time and support for the McGrath Foundation. Matt asked us to contact him if we needed help with anything. We were told that there was no caravan park at Malua Bay. We drove to the Bowling Club to have lunch. Subsequently, we drove to Batemans Bay to stay overnight.
We checked into NRMA Batemans Bay Holiday Resort. Once the receptionist punched in our details, she knew everything about us and the walk we were doing. We were allocated an unpowered site close to the amenities and a couple minutes’ walk to the beach. Thank you so much NRMA Resorts Management for your support for this noble cause. Shekhar and I had dinner in the van and went to sleep.
Thursday 5 December: Malua Bay to Batemans Bay
Shekhar and I drove back to Malua Bay and started the walk. We reached Batemans Bay and drove to the Bridge Plaza which in practical terms is the town centre. We got some vegies and fruit, bread and milk at the supermarket. After a coffee and snacks, we drove to the Holiday Resort and took some rest.
Late afternoon, we drove back to the Bridge Plaza and started the walk to Nelligen. After crossing the Bridge, we would leave the A1 Princes Hwy for good as we would no longer follow the coastal route. At the roundabout, we took a left hand turn to follow the B52 Kings Hwy that was to become the most challenging part of this year’s walk. On the one hand, the beautiful landscape was refreshing and soothing. On the other hand, the steep incline was just the beginning of tougher conditions to come.
After a couple of hours walk, we crossed the bridge over the river and reached Nelligen. After completing the walk for the day, we wanted to see how steep the climb was crossing this mountain. We drove over the Clyde mountain and all the way to Braidwood. We explored the town centre, turned around and drove back to the Holiday Resort to stay another night at Batemans Bay.
Friday 6 December: Rest Day at Batemans Bay
Shekhar and I had breakfast in the van and drove to the reception. I told the receptionist that we may need to stay another night because we were going to visit the emergency department at the hospital to get my feet checked. It would depend on what the doctor tells us. Resting for a day would be good for recovery, I thought. We had to wait for a while as it is the case at most emergency departments. The elderly male doctor was friendly, and he had many years of experience. It was quite assuring when the doctor didn’t find anything wrong with my feet. He told us that he was a member of the SCG and he would look forward to seeing me at the SCG. Thank you so much for your reassuring words doctor!
We drove to the Bridge Plaza and had lunch there. We returned to the Holiday Resort. I worked on my blogs while Shekhar took care of household chores. We ate in the van and went to sleep.
Saturday 7 December: Nelligen to Monga National Park
Shekhar and I got ready early morning and drove to Nelligen. I prayed to Mother Earth and started the toughest walk of this year. We also went through a quick radio test. This part of B52 Kings Hwy is full of curves with many steep inclines that put to test every aspect of your fitness and your stamina. And most of all, it tests your resolve and your commitment to continue. I was determined to complete the challenge. The tougher the challenge, the more determined I was to take it head on.
Yes, it was a fairly hot day, and we took many breaks. I must have gone through lots of water to keep myself hydrated. I had to board the van several times to get through the area with insufficient or no shoulder to walk on. The problem was not just boarding the van, but also getting off it. Shekhar couldn’t stop to let me off because there was no place to pull over safely. Walking on Saturday was a blessing because there was no roadworks on the weekends. Many signs posted on this highway stipulated that trucks and buses must use low gear when going downhill. Use of low gear helps keep the vehicle under control and avoid picking up speed when rolling downhill.
When we reached the turn off towards Monga National Park, we called it a day. I touched my forehead to the ground and thanked Mother Earth for completing the walk for the day. We then drove to Braidwood and as we drove we heard an unusual noise but couldn't work it out what it was. When we reached Braidwood, a big truck pulled over behind us. The truck driver came to see us. He told us that he was following us and he had seen something from the roof of the van had fly off and land in the paddock. We were very fortunate that it didn't hit any other vehicle, he added. Shekhar and I were shocked to learn about the loss of 'something' from the roof. The thought of what could have happened was scarier. We both investigated but couldn't see anything missing. We looked at the skylight, it looked fine. We thought the truckie had perhaps mistaken an object in the air for something else. We basically dismissed the idea of 'losing the roof'.
We went for a coffee with snacks, When we came out of the cafe, I saw a loose bracket hanging from the roof of the van. I knew something indeed was wrong. We didn't have a ladder. I asked Shekhar to open the backdoor and stand on the bed to investigate. Sure enough, a solar panel was missing. From the four solar panels, the rear panel on the passenger side had gone. We informed Michael Wang the owner of the van. We weren't sure if the rest of the panels would still operate to charge the batteries to run the fridge, microwave, the kettle, and the cook-top-stove. We sent Michael photos of the roof and the bracket. He assured us that the remaining solar system would be sufficient to get us through the walk. Besides we could manually charge it when we stopped at a caravan park. The thoughts of uncertainty crept up however.
We went to the information centre. The woman at this centre told us there was no caravan park in Braidwood, but we could park the van between the two parks and use the toilets that remain open all day and night. She also told us that we could possibly use the shower at the swimming pool.
We parked the van under the trees for a shade and had some rest. We went for a coffee and snacks at a café. I walked to the swimming pool and asked the receptionist if we could use their facilities to have a shower. She was happy to oblige. Though it was a hot day, I felt fresh after taking a hot shower. I worked on my blogs, had dinner in the van and went to sleep.
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