Cape to Cape Day 04 – Ellensbrook to Conto's
Cape to Cape Index
Redgate Beach
As I made my way out of the gully from Boodjidup Bridge, I saw a fairly large grey snake (Suborder: Serpentes) slither off the track and into the tall grass that lined the trail. Unfortunately, I didn't have enough time to identify it, so the species will just have to remain a mystery. Snakes are very sensitive to vibrations and can sense animals (and humans) approaching by detecting the faint vibrations that travel through the air and the ground. The chances of surprising them had greatly increased now that I was traveling alone, so I reminded myself to remain vigilant. The trail meandered (whilst remaining parallel to the brook) before dipping down to the sandy beach once again. The strong headwind that greeted me there was strong enough to be refreshing but fortunately not strong enough to render any sand airborne. I whipped off my shoes hurriedly, glad to be able to walk barefoot once again. This stretch of beach turned out to be just short enough to walk in one uninterrupted stretch (4.5 km) and by the time notions of stopping for a rest started to manifest themselves, the granulite boulders that marked the end of Redgate beach were already upon me.
I decided to stop anyway, but for a refreshing dip in the ocean instead. Despite being a strong swimmer, I took care to stay out of the way of any potential rips, especially since I was so aware of my own solitude. For some reason, I always seem to be caught by surprise at how incredibly refreshing and revitalising dips in the ocean (or lakes and rivers) are, especially after having hiked for days on end without any means to wash up. I continued on, clean and with a fresh set of clothes, feeling completely reinvigorated.
The path continued on inland by dipping into a charming little grove of trees. The way the branches just seemed to erupt out from the ground and flare out, forming a canopy overhead that blotted out the sky made the whole area seem somewhat mysterious, mystical even. Time seemed to slow down as I sat down cross-legged in the middle of the path just gazing upwards, completely and utterly entranced.
