Australia

It must have rained throughout the night as the air felt moisture-laden as we packed up camp that morning. After a while, the sun peaked out from the clouds and the warm rays seemed to sweep away any residue of the lingering morning dew that was left. It didn't take long for the remaining clouds to dissipate, leaving a clear azure sky in their wake, perfectly reflected in the mirror-like water of the still river

The trip began with a 573-km-long drive from Perth. The group had brought two cars, with the first departing slightly earlier so as to be able to stop at various points along the route that were accessible by road. The whole point of this was to be able to leave food drops at hidden locations in the bush (that were then waypointed) so that they could be collected along the way. I chose to carry all my provisions for

The Murchison River Gorge is a spectacular riverine gorge that can be found in Kalbarri National Park in mid-west Western Australia. The 80-kilometre-long gorge has been carved out by the mighty Murchison river, the second-longest river in Australia, as it meandered over millions of years towards the end of its (currently) 780 kilometre journey, just before swerving towards the township of Kalbarri and the Indian

Since we still had a considerable distance to cover, the group set off with a renewed sense of urgency at first light. It took just over 10 minutes to reach the second arrow and we rounded the top and descended it without any issues. I was somewhat surprised by how much easier it was compared to the third arrow. The trail was clear, the incline gradual, and there were no obstacles that needed to be overcome. The

I woke up the next morning feeling damp, cold, and irritable. To my dismay, the lingering moisture from the mist had left my hammock and sleeping bag covered in condensation, completely stripping the goose down of its insulation properties. I lay there for a while feeling miserable and thought it ironic that I had been seen as something of a paragon of resilience and had been likened to Jason Bourne just the

Despite taking almost two hours, the six-kilometre-long walk along the Boundary Fence Track from the (Phytophthora cinnamomi) dieback control barrier (just after the Gnowellen Road junction) to the entrance of the Stirling Range National Park was rather uneventful. Everyone seemed to be in an intrepid mood despite having ended up with soggy boots early on after foolishly attempting to cross a flooded section with