Today Was An Ard Day

Day: 320

Towns / Cities Visited: 215

Countries Visited: 31

Steps Taken Today: 33,317

Steps Taken Around the World: 5,066,199

Waking up to rain in a tent is never a good omen, but even less so when your main plan for the day is to go on a 14km hike along an exposed clifftop. Naturally, though, we rose full of self-assurance that it would be fine. We’d chuck on our waterproof jackets and some quick-dry pants, take the umbrella just in case, and things would be fine. After all, it’s not like it’s the first day we’ve ever had to contend with rain; in fact, I’m fairly certain rainy days have outnumbered clear days on this trip so far two to one.

Hopping in the car, the rain seemed to clear a little, and we trundled off towards Princetown, parking at the trailhead of the track that runs from Princetown to the Twelve Apostles lookout some seven kilometres away. We began somewhat optimistic that it would go okay and the weather would be on our side. And it did, for a while. The first half of the hike might have been a bit lacklustre, largely consisting of a trail sided by tall coastal shrubs that blocked any view to the ocean, but it only drizzled for a moment or two on the trek, and it was all going pretty well.

Eventually, we reached a slightly more exposed section, and in the distance, we could even spot the Twelve Apostles. The problem was, we could also spot some rather ominous looking clouds off the coast. Still, we carried on, the sun shining as we reached a stunning lookout just short of the first real destination of the hike: Gibson’s Steps.

By the time we reached Gibson’s Steps and trekked down to the beach for a better view of a couple of the sea stacks that give this destination its name, the weather had begun to turn, and the once sunny sky gave way to dark stormy clouds. Snapping a few photos, we trudged down the beach to try and get round the corner of the jutting cliff…