The jet boat was booked in to pick us up from the Demon Hut at 8.30am. That meant I was awake at 6am, and packed by 7am. And at 8am I was standing on the shoreline of Lake McKerrow desperate to hear the roar of a jet engine. But in between my worry that the boat might not turn up (meaning I would have to walk back through that muddy hell they had the audacity to call a ‘track’ knowing that it had rained heavily all day and night and the muddy track was now probably a swamp) I managed to take some lovely photos of the misty mountains on the other side of the Lake. Oh so pretty and atmospheric.

When the jet boat turned up, I was so relieved. I really did not want to walk back to Alabaster! If it had been dry and no mud, then yeah it would have been ok to do. I could have kissed the jet boat driver when he arrived! The ride back down Lake McKerrow was stunning – and I finally got to see a bit of the island where Dad had his favourite and top secret fishing spot. I also saw the tree where he lost his rod and where my brother John got exposure as an 8 year old over 40 years ago. So I have satisfied my curiosity about the area, but maybe not completely… I was disappointed not to get to the McKerrow hut (reputed to be ‘visited’ by my late father!).

We were delivered to the jet boat spot (not far from Pike Lodge) and had to make the call to go to Alabaster again for another look or out back to the road. My preference was to walk back to the road – I was starting to want clean clothes and a shower! It was a nice walk and remarkably easy compared to what I had completed. Even the little Homer hill didn’t seem like much of an effort. Funny how it doesn’t take long before a new tramper (i.e me) starts to compete against ‘track time’ and wonders just who decides what is track time and how do they do it. Any way I was 30 minutes faster than it.

For the last hour of the tramp I think I was finally over it. It was just more of the same beech trees and ferns and misty hills off in the distance. But once I was in the car, I did feel a little bit sad – now it was back to reality.