A torrent of ankle-deep freshwater gushes out of lush rainforest on my right, while on my left is a near-vertical 20-metre drop to the ocean.
There aren't any rocks to hopscotch along through the water. And there's no way I'm turning around.
Impulsively, I untie the soaked laces on my heavy boots, wring out my socks tight, stuff them in my backpack and squelch through the wet sand and mud.
There's something primeval about hiking barefoot, albeit for a short distance, especially as an adult. But in this dramatic landscape where sandstone cliffs flank heavily forested fingers of rainforest that reach into the ocean, and waves tumble into the rocky shore, it seems more than appropriate.
I've just crossed one of several ephemeral waterfalls that cascade joyously over the rocks and onto the sand below. While none are as impressive as Curracurrong Falls further north in the Royal National Park, which plunges directly off high cliffs into the ocean, what these Murramarang beauties lack in size they make up for in number.
They are a totally unexpected delight. Just like this walk.
Sure, for many years there's been a series of connecting tracks along this predominantly uninhabited coastline but following the completion last month of a $3.64-million-dollar upgrade, I'm one of the first to step out along the entire 34-kilometre revamped trek from Pretty Beach near Bawley Point, south to Maloneys Beach. It's aptly dubbed The Murramarang South Coast Walk - and I'm loving it!
And to think I almost stayed at home.
Due to three days of torrential rain, I'd been advised by rangers to delay the start of my trek. "You'll get too wet," they argued.
Yes, my feet are soaked, but the clouds have now parted and the rain has stopped. While it's the big vistas of coastline that will attract many on this walk, for me it's also the minutiae, a chance to reconnect, or at least observe nature up close and on its terms. It's as if I've walked back in time and place. Nature has slowed right down. It's the calm after the storm.
I stop in a gully for a sip of coffee from my thermos. Next to me little droplets of water gather on the end of a palm frond, each lined up, waiting for the next drop to bump into so it can gather momentum and splash onto the rock below. It's like watching falling dominoes, only in slow motion. Perfect droplets of water, glistening in the sun, drip onto the sandstone below. One. Drop. At. A. Time.
The bush feels so alive and vibrant, which is the very antithesis of the last time I trekked this stretch of coast. It was just after the Black Summer fires. Blackened and sooty, it was still a fire ground. What a difference three years can make.
What's more, I now have the place to myself. I rarely walk solo, but today not only are my footprints the first on the sand (and mud), but also the only ones. Divine!
While you can tackle the Murramarang South Coast Walk at any time of the year, rangers are pitching it for the winter months with pre-arranged packages with camping or accommodation along the way and transport transfers, so you don't have to back-track to get your car.
It's much better walking at the coast at this time of year anyway. No mozzies, no sunburn, no other people within cooee, and of course the extra bonus of watching the passing parade of humpback whales on their annual migration.
Then there are the beaches - from the creamy soft sand of Pretty Beach, the perfectly spherical pebbles of Singing Stones beach or the narrow inlets and secluded bays like Snake Bay that punctuate the coastline in long, thin gashes. Kind of like the cracks you get under your toes when you don't dry them out.
This is more than just a walk - it's an adventure. Not only have you the weather to deal with, but also, of course, the restless sea. As a seasoned landlubber, who lives a couple hundred kilometres from the coast, it's easy to dismiss the ebb and flow of the tides as a minor distraction.
But you don't want to underestimate the tides on this walk. No siree.
At Pretty Beach you need to time your departure so you can scurry your way around the headland at low tide, similarly further south near Pebbly Beach, where apart from the lowest of low tides you need to wade around a deceptively slippery rock shelf.
Wedged up against a south-facing cliff, the sun doesn't reach this rock shelf. Ever. This is slip and slide at its best. Or, like me, untie the boots again and wade through the water.
At North Pebbly Beach you won't only find man-made rock towers, a reminder you aren't Robinson Crusoe after all, but also at low tide you will hear the delightful sound of waves agitating this truly pebbly beach.
Clambering up the stairs at Depot Beach, my phone beeps as it registers reception. It's a message from my best mate who is enjoying an early season snowfall in the high country. While I'd usually be jealous of missing out on the white stuff, this time I'm not - I'm looking forward to a warm bed and another winter's day exploring magical Murramarang.
Next week: Day 2 and Day 3 - Depot Beach to Maloneys Beach.
If you go: everything you need to know
Best beds: To stay overnight in cabins or campgrounds, you need to book ahead. A self-guided three-day/three-night camping package which includes camping at Pretty, Depot and Oaky beaches, plus a vehicle transfer and welcome tour are available until November 2023.
If you prefer the comfort of a cabin, there are NPWS coastal cabins at Pretty, Pebbly and Depot beaches available. A two-night/three-day cabin package is also available.
Alternatively, you can also "choose your own adventure" and complete shorter sections of the track, including half-day or full-day walks in either direction, with many suitable entry and exit points and plenty of accommodation options in the local coastal villages along the route.
To book and for full details, visit nswparks.info/MSCW.
Did You Know? The origin of the name Snake Bay is believed to be the result of a historic snake sighting.
Tim's Tip: Many of the rock ledges are slippery. You may benefit from taking a walking pole or two.
Warning: Be sure to check tides, swells, and weather conditions before you set out as parts of the walk require extreme caution and are inaccessible from mid to high tide. Don't attempt the walk during poor weather or big ocean swells.
If you get stuck: If the tide is too high to walk (wade) around the rock ledge just south of Pebbly Beach, you can follow the road up and over the hill to Depot Beach. However, this is a long haul - so best to avoid having to do this if possible.
Stone steps: Unlike many wooden stairs on the previous track that burnt during the 2019-20 bushfires, the new track boasts hundreds (I dare you to count them all) of sandstone steps. The rocks was sourced from a quarry in the NSW Southern Highlands and all the steps are rough cut with blade marks left on the face to appear as natural as possible.
WHERE IN THE REGION?
Rating: Hard
Clue: You wouldn't want to have "done time" on the other side of this wall
How to enter: Email your guess along with your name and address to tym@iinet.net.au. The first correct email sent after 10am, Saturday June 17 wins a double pass to Dendy, the Home of Quality Cinema.
Last week: Congratulations to Frances McGee of Curtin who was first to identify last week's photo as the St John's Schoolhouse Museum at 45 Constitution Avenue, Reid, where students attended from 1845 to 1907. In 1969 it opened as a museum depicting schooling in the 1870s and is usually open Wednesdays 10am-12pm and weekends 2pm-4pm. Ph: 0427 430 158 or visit schoolhouse@stjohnscanberra.org.
SPOTTED
Near the main carpark at Pebbly Beach is a modest box-like building where during the mid-1900s campers ordered their goods - wait for it - three days in advance. I'm reliably informed there was also a cow for fresh milk. Closed since the mid-1980s, Colin Bailey, who owns the adjoining upmarket Pebbly Beach Escape - recently breathed fresh life into the historic store and it's now a perfect stop for a mid-walk cuppa and muffin. Usually open Friday to Sunday.
SIMULACRA CORNER
The Murramarang South Coast Walk is a haven for simulacra aficionados. As a follow-on to my recent brush with a faux skull at a bush grave, this week, I've chosen this skull-like rock lying above the high-tide mark near Depot Beach. Promise I'll have a much less macabre example next week.
CONTACT TIM: Email: tym@iinet.net.au or Twitter: @TimYowie or write c/- The Canberra Times, GPO Box 606, Civic, ACT, 2601
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