Day 4 hiking the Australian Alps Walking Track solo

Australian Alps Walking Trail, Hiking, Trail Journal

The day starts - cold, fog, icy tent, then barefoot stream crossings, caves, and rugged wilderness before the warmth of dirt-floored Bill Jones Hut.

Oldfields Hut to Bill Jones Hut, via Blue Waterholes (21.8km) | TOTAL – 78.0km

This morning I woke to a bitterly cold, fog-filled sky, with an icy frost layering my tent and the surrounding field.

I had a lot of condensation build up in the tent last night, and I suspect the tent collapse caused the top layer of my sleeping bag to become damp.

(Mental note – tonight, I’ll try to put my walking sticks up higher, to increase the overall height of the tent and lessen the likelihood of me brushing against its damp walls.)

Through the evening, I also heard a howling dog off in the distance.

I spent the morning attempting to brush the layer of ice off my tent, dry my damp sleeping bag on a makeshift clothesline and pack my bag with frozen fingers.

But my fingers weren’t the only frozen items at camp, my undies and the cloth that were meant to be drying overnight were frozen stiff!

Besides these little nuances, it was a stunning morning and I enjoyed my brekky and a cuppa on the hut’s verandah.

I called into Pockets Hut to check it out and was greeted by a team of fire fighting rangers who were doing a backfire.

They’d camped at the hut for the night and kindly offered to take my rubbish and gifted me a home-made slice.

Next, I side tripped into Blue Waterholes, known for its blue coloured swimming holes and little cave running behind it.

Here, I also walked through the spectacular Clarkes Gorge and crossed streams barefoot.

I then went onto Nichols Gorge, where I explored the Coleman and Murray Caves. While beautiful and featuring stalactites, it felt a little eerie so I didn’t hang around. I bumped into a few day hikers on my travels.

My final stop for the day was Bill Jones Hut, a galvanised cladded, dirt floor, single room dwelling with a big rustic fireplace and a single bed frame. As the hut came into view, it was like I’d been given a big warm hug – these historic structures offer a feeling of security in the wilderness.

I enjoyed dinner (well ate, because it was an average meal) by the fire, relishing its warmth and homely feel. I then retreated to bed, shortly after spotting one of the resident mice peering out at me from beside the fire.

Hopefully tonight isn’t as cold. I think I just heard a brumby. I hope it goes to sleep.