Jan 5 - A Stroll in the Dandenongs

  As I write this, I hurt everywhere.  Mainly in the thighs and knees but there is also an overall sense of exhaustion.  As Mr Smart and I sat snuggled on the couch last night talking about what we might like to do today he suggested doing a walk... a particular walk... a walk known to all Melbournians as 'the thousand steps'.  It's official name is the 'Kokoda Memorial Walk'.
  I raised an eyebrow.  Having done this walk and walks in the area previously I remembered how steep it was, how crowded the carpark was and how polluted the narrow walk was with mad joggers.  I wasn't sure he fully comprehended what he was suggesting.  He suggested it again, sweetening the deal with a breakfast out beforehand.  'Well ok, I'm not going to chicken out and say no and Mr Smart and I always have fun no matter what we do and my fitness levels have improved a lot' I thought to myself.  Oh how hindsight makes fools of us all!
  We set off this morning to The Arena at The Glen for breakfast.  They do a nice Eggs Benedict there, always managing to get the egg poaching right.  And then it was on to the Ferntree Gully National Park, base camp for the thousand steps.  It was freakishly busy as usual but we managed to find a carpark about halfway up so not too bad.  At least we didn't have to park outside on the road!
  We sunscreened and grabbed water bottles, stashed the camera and car key in one of Mr Smart's pockets (no way was I carrying a bag on this walk!) and then set off up the carpark to the start of the track.  By the time we got to the base of the track I think we'd already done 500m at least.

Off we go with spirits high and flesh willing!

  The first part of the track is quite steep uphill but it is a wide dirt track with plenty of room for people to pass one another.  Of course, that part of the track is just lulling you into a false sense of security because you soon come to a shady wide open area with a narrow higgeldy-piggeldy staircase in its top left-hand corner.
  The stairs are not even, nor consistently stable, we passed some in considerable need of repair in fact.  There are lunatic joggers hurtling up and down beside you, shouting a breathy 'excuse me' as they woosh past you.  There, the weight of your water bottle becomes a hindrance and your desire to drink it all makes your stomach feel slooshy.
  I had to stop more than several times, feeling woozy, sore and quite a lot like I was going to lose my breakfast to the rainforest floor as I leaned against the railing trying to recover my breath and heart rate.  I think Mr Smart was definitely worried about me as he actively encouraged a turning back on more than one occasion.  But onward we went and each time I forced myself further I wondered how much more physical punishment was required.
  At one point a fit slim young lady in a pink top and a brown hijab passed us, jogging down the stairs with a group of friends.  In what seems like a very short time later when I was resting again further up she passed us again coming back up.  I called out to her incredulously "Please don't tell me you've already reached the bottom and back up again?"  She grinned, "Sorry!" and kept on jogging up.
  We continued our slow ascent and just when I was beginning to feel a failure coming on she came back down, paused and said "You are nearly there, you can do it, just a few stairs to go".  What a relief it was to hear that!  And sure enough, I rounded the next bend I could see the top, just twenty or so metres away.  A sense of relief flooded through me.

View from the top of the hill through the trees

  We got to the top and I found a seat on a bench in the shade and promptly curled up into the foetal position, exhausted but filled with pride knowing I had done it.  Mr Smart went off in search of a spot to refill our water bottles.  He found his way back to the road, but no water refill in sight!  I had sufficiently recovered by this time so we continued on together up the hill to the One Tree Hill Picnic Ground area in search of water.
  We couldn't find a council operated water point in the carpark but spotted a very sweet little sign in a local residents front garden.  "Free Water, Enjoy A Drink".  What a lovely thing to do knowing how many bushwalkers frequent the area!
  We refilled out bottles, drank a heap of water then refilled them again, as did three others while we were there.  Mr Smart put a small donation into their letter box.  He remarked that while the water may have cost less than the donation, it's the principle that deserves a reward.
  He was of course absolutely right and I can't help but think that the world would be a better place if people did things like that, and like him, more often.
  We chose the more even surface of Belview Terrace for our return.  It's technically one of the fire tracks up the hillside.  It is still a bloody steep descent so it was slow going as we both took care not to slip or stumble forwards but it was less jarring on the knees than either of the alternative routes back (the Lyrebird Track or back the way we came, both involve a lot of steps).
  The Belview Terrace is a lot less known and therefore a much quieter walk and as a result we spotted a lot more wildlife.  Magpies, Murray magpies, blue wrens, an unidentified finch (see photo) and a few different types of butterflies playing about in the dappled sunshine.  We were also able to talk on the tranquil and substantially less literally breath-taking walk.

  When we got back to the car, Mr Smart checked his Runtastic program on his phone and grabbed the data for the walk out.  I've included a screen shot for you.  I did roughly 5.5km (there was a detour I did not venture on when Mr Smart went in search of water the first time) and we climbed 409m in elevation from the carpark to the top of the track!  It took a long time, but I'm really glad we tackled it (apart from all the soreness).
  Thank you Mr Smart for always challenging me!

  When we got home, despite my aching thighs and knees, I managed to whip up a quick lunch thanks to my chilli making earlier in the week as well as a quick stop at the supermarket on the way home.  Apart from managing to eat lunch, we did not much for the remainder of the afternoon.  Too tired to think of anything and too tired to do anything even if we did think of something!

  Today's food and exercise were:

• Breakfast was Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict with a few fried mushrooms on the side and a fresh-squeezed carrot, pineapple and ginger juice.
• Exercise was approximately 5.5km of gruelingly steep walking.
• Lunch was two Mission Whole Wheat mini-wraps topped with shredded light tasty cheese,  homemade chilli, iceberg lettuce, medium salsa and sour cream.  Maybe we were just starving after the walk but they seemed delicious.
• Afternoon snack was a 170g tub of Dairy Farmers Thick & Creamy Homestyle Cheesecake flavoured 98% fat free yoghurt and a just ripe banana.
• Dinner was the remaining home made potato salad topped with a drained 95g tin of Greenseas tuna in olive oil.
• Dessert was three Allen's Fantales and three Pascall Chocolate Eclairs.

  It is only 8:30pm but I am buggered so I am heading to the couch to eat my six lollies and watch a movie or some TV and then I am going to curl up in bed with my book and my kindle and read until I start to nod off.  Hopefully I won't nod off while reading as a book in the face tends to wake one up again somewhat.  Tomorrow should be a nice day too as I've got Bertie and my nephew coming up for a play date!
 Jess

Om nom nom nom