Prelude
We were lucky to do Green Gully Track between the 23rd of December and the 28th of December 2021.
First day and Last day were devoted for travelling. Because this track was far from everywhere.
This was a 65 km loop trekked over 4 days in Oxley Wild Rivers National Park which was in the 505 kilomtres northwest from Sydney.
It was our second time and for the first time for Suze.
After hike she was writing a review and we checked just in case if my review in 2016 was still there.
I found it after 5 years which was quite impressive.
This was previously part of settlers clearing lands where stockmen moved cattle through various grazing areas.
There was no formed walking tracks - the entire track was along management trails, creeks or ridgelines.
We didn't need to carry our tents and sleeping mats only sleeping bags.
But Eddie's giant red backpack looked even bigger nonetheless.
Thanks to him we enjoyed varieties of food as well as dehydrated food.
Luckily his pack weights got decreased and his garbage bag got bigger as time passed.
One best thing about this track was that only one team a day was allowed so
we were able to enjoy our own companies and privacy during the whole hiking time.
Day 1
It took 8 hours by car from Sydney to get there.
Rain was on and off all day and many times it was pouring down cats and dogs to the extent we couldn't see much through car window scarily.
We found a park in a small twon on the way where we had a picnic lunch, when miraculously and momentarily rain stopped and it was sunshiny.
We finally arrived at Ceda Creek Cottage after 5 pm.
(We stayed at Ceda Creek Lodge first day and fifth day back in 2016 so we stopped our car in front of Lodge first and found other people already occupied there.
We realized National Park changed it to accept a new group every day now.
Suze asked us why we didn't read the booking instructions carefully.)
We drove back to cottage easily as they were very close to each other.
Cottage had a flush toilett and a shower but looked quite simliar to old time hiking huts.
I thought it was better to have the best accomodation after all hikes finished.
As soon as we got out of our car we were shocked with freezingly cold temperature there.
Eddie made a fire as soon as we dumped our packs and changed into long sleeves of tops and pants.
I prepared dinner.
After dinner Eddie wanted to take a walk.
He shouldered his camera to take some photos of sunset.
I exchanged glances with Suze meaning he was too energetic.
Even after that long drive!!!!
Initially we felt we didn't have any strength to do so but changed our minds and followed him.
Rain stopped outside but it was terribly muddy with lots of puddles.
Kangaroos nonchalantly stood there and looked at us curiously in the distance.
On the way back someone waved at us from Cedar Creek Lodge.
I wondered how she felt with all the hikes finished and she must have thought how we were anticipating upcoming hikes.
We didn't talk to each other but we had no problem in sharing our thoughts and cheers.
That night the small fridge inside the cottage was defeningly loud and the dying fire was too smoky.
I was sleepless as usual.
Day 2
Morning came and we found mysterious thick fog envelopping us.
First day of walking.
It was mostly on the fire or management trail so quite uneventful.
Except a lookout with a good view over Kunderang Brook Valley after 2 km’s walk.
By the time we walked around 3 hours we saw a group of 4 people having lunch at the forks.
They were doing their 4th and last day walk.
They looked extremely tired but it was impressive they were already there from crazily constant uphills and one of them looked like a little primary school boy.
We had lunch soon after we passed them at the heli pad under the strong sun.
Eddie was very disappointed to find I didn’t pack enough coffee but we were able to have second coffee after lunch that day only.
We walked 4 hours more and arrived at Birds Nest Hut after endless steep descents at the end.
With my weakened knees I found climbing down was much harder than up.
It was nice to put down my heavy and tall backpack once you arrived at the destination.
We jumped into the creek gladly and excitedly near the hut.
We moved chairs and camp beds into the shades.
Suze was reading a book and me and Eddie didn’t do anything particular but enjoyed being there.
Thankfully Eddie massaged my feet.
He did it for 4 times after hikes each day even though he must have been tired too.
In summer time this humble hut seemed 100 times much cosier and more comfortable than last time.
It was early Spring last time.
We couldn’t spend time outside like this back then.
Was it changes of seasons or me? I wondered.
Have I been changed and seasoned?
In deep and wild mountains there was no one between this hut and next one except three of us, treess, mountains ,birds, kangaroos and cool breezes.
And our unforgettable memories!
Day 3
The second day of walking
It was Christmas day but it didn’t have any meaning for us.
Just one of our hiking days.
It was a very fine day.
The temperature was higher than the first day and the route was longer and rougher.
Early morning it was refreshing to walk in the forest even though we climbed up to the top from the beginning.(Birds Nest Trig which was around 1200 metres high.)
Suze was expecting mobile phone coverage at the higher elevations but unfortunately there was no luck.
Eddie saw one big black snake sunbathing there first and cautioned us to walk carefully around it.
By the time we reached The Rocks it was extremely hot with big flies attacking us.
We thought it was not too bad compared to in Milford Track,NZ but later on we all suffered extreme itchiness and red swollen marks all over the body a few days.
We had lunch looking down at Green Gully Gorge at Rocks and randomly guessed some of vague paths far away as for the last day’s share.
According to the information booklet we could see Brush-Tailed Rock-Wallabies around Brumby Pass but we were not lucky to spot any during the whole hike.
Green Gully Hut was at around 300 metres of alitidue so we had to climb down on insanely slanted downhills endlessly fighting with heatwaves.
One stage I walked with Suze ahead of me absent mindedly she cried with a start and I instantly discovered why.
Two black wild boars ran from the direction we headed so fast and swerved( how lucky we were) into their right hand side and disappeared in no times.
When Eddie came along we tried to explain what happened with extremely shocked faces and high pitched voices but he didn’t believe it.
But the next morning we saw a family of 4 or 5 boars again that were marching peacefully their on routes across the creek again oblivious of us.
I read some hikers' reviews in which some of them described their encounters of wild boars too.
On top of relentless clambering down we had to cross overflowing creeks 7 times before we arrived at Green Gully Hut.
We walked 8 hours in total that day.
Green Gully Hut had a shower booth outside which was beyond luxury in that deep mountains and we didn’t need to run to creek but for some reason I missed swimming in the creek.
It was extremely hot and stuffy inside the hut mainly due to the tin roof of the old ,restored stockmen's hut.
Unlike the first hut there was no shade outside with ferociously attacking big flies I crashed on to a camp bed inside after shower.
Within a few minutes I must have fallen asleep.
I woke up with my own snoring noise a little later.
Last time I prefered this hut over Birds Nest Hut but this time I definitely loved Birds Nest Hut more.
A little older, dirtier and rustier but we had a really cosy time there.
We had dinner early outside as it got cooler with the mosquito repellent incense burning.(only for the persistenly attacking flies)
In mountains temperature changed dramaitcally as night progressed.
With two days’ smooth and successful hikes we went to bed very contentedly.
