walk the line 2 success!!!!

One of the concerns this year leading up to the event was the possibility of rain, I checked multiple websites and all predicted rain on Friday and Saturday. Everyone was so up beat that those weather guys always get it wrong BUT not this time, indeed on Friday night and all Saturday it rained not heavy but just consistent. This led to changes in the condition of the track - MUD and more MUD

Friday 15Th July - We all met at the Wallaby hotel (where we were staying and the support crew were staying at the Advancetown caravan park, as Tracey was using their caravan as a home base during the event). Went and had a lovely lunch of hamburgers and then rested for the afternoon. That evening we went to the Woodchoppers Restaurant and had a beautiful meal to help sustain us for the next 48hrs. The rain had started and even though it was light, it seemed set in. All in bed by 8.30pm but due to the drunks leaving at 1am, sleep was fairly disrupted.

Saturday 16Th July - We woke up at 3am to get ready, as last year we left going to the registration a bit too late so we wanted to get there by 4.45am. We thought that the park was only 200m away but we had to walk at least 1km to get there and thank goodness Brad & Tracey picked us up and took us back to the hotel afterwards. When we got to the start line it was all in darkness, no music, no guns and just no real atmosphere, it was quite a mood killer as last year it was so exciting and upbeat when we went to register.

This year we had arm bands with a GPS chip in it, to help swipe into the checkpoints (didn't work so well and took quite a few attempts at each checkpoint to get it to work).

The rain was present and when we returned to the start line at 6.30am, they were setting up the start area, with music and heaps of people in their hiking jackets.

My mum and dad, Rachel, with Alan, Tracey, Brad and Madeline were all their to send us off. the last post and soldiers poem was read out by a digger and then a gun went off and we were off about 7.12am

Start 7.12am, We decided to go with the third fastest group to try and reduce the bottle neck at the first checkpoint. The first section is through suburban streets and reaches orange court and then go through mt nimmel forest. The first section included a few small steep inclines but was relatively easy to the first major checkpoint.

Check point 2 (Mt Nimmel) 10.26am - We arrived fairly comfortably and met our support crew who had parked outside the grounds (which in hindsight was were fortunate as lots of cars got bogged in the grounds). Our first checkpoint went smoothly and we were on our way with in approx 15-20Min's. The next section included three mountains, which we knew would be challenging but once done just a simple road walk to the next major checkpoint at Polly's.

The first mountain (mt nimmel) we had done many times in training, it was steep but all had no problems, at the top we took a left turn back down the side of the mountain and this was to go to a new section we had not seen before. This included a new incline (extremely steep - in fact i think the steepest of the lot) as we reached the peak (and my heart was pounding like a rabbit) there was a white cross with "Duncan" on it, he was a fellow hiker that had died two weeks previously from a cardiac event, it was very sad and eerie to see it and realise the loss for his family and team.

We then went along the ridge and descended a steep muddy section, this is where the fun began as due to the rain and previous people going through it, by the time we got there the track was so muddy (slippery clay) and people were sliding and falling every where. We were lucky and made it safely with a fall but it was very risky. I wish we could have filmed so many people on their butts just sliding past!!. The final mountain (mt fairview) was also tough as it was made of clay and we had had previous difficulties on it in training, again the only way up was to go bush and try and pull your self from tree to tree rather on the track with so many people falling. We made it to the top and then the easy bit going down the road to the next major check point - Polly's

Checkpoint 5 (Polly's Kitchen) 16.21pm - The rain was still continuing not heavy just annoying, the lovely grassed area was a bog field with four wheel drives even having problems getting out. It was great to see trace and crew with hot food and a rest, we then gathered up our night clothes and were really happy to leave before dark up Polly's mountain.

I struggled a bit up this mountain and had a shin cramp at the top but was able to stretch it and we then descended really well to the check point 6 (environmental centre) and then the 8 creek crossings. Usually at the last creek crossing we go up a small mountain and then down to the next checkpoint, but due to the rain and dangerous conditions they took us on a detour around (i believe it was an extra few km's for sure). We then came down the last few undulating hills, were we found an empty ambulance with the lights on, (late we found out that it had bogged and someone had to be quad biked out with a fractured collar bone from falling). I felt good in this section knowing that we were almost half way. Of course it was still raining but at least not as cold as last year.

Checkpoint 7 (Numinbah Hall) 22.26pm - At this stage we were 2 hrs ahead of last year's time. this is where i always feel so sorry for support crew as they have been waiting in the cold, rain and dark for us to get there. My feet were a bit sore and had to try and fix a few blisters, hot food and change into warm clothes and reflective jackets to head off into the night. We left and headed up the next mountain (for once i felt i was going up it really well and we travelled down really fast in the dark) and got back to the environmental centre. I needed some repair time (more blister packs) on my feet due to my strapping cutting into my ankles. I think we all felt fairly good but knew that the next section is always a killer!!

It was truly horrible and soul destroying, it is only about 8 km but it just keeps going up and you don't get much rest, it is a single file goat track and impossible to get any real speed up, once we got to the top section we had to go through a section of pure mud. It was thick, slippery and feet were cold and wet, the funny thing to see was harry (who had decided not to take his poles) was so walk past him and see him holding onto a tree, trying to decide the safest route to take.

This was also a section where we came across a young man who had collapsed and was unconscious with the ambulance trying to get to him. We reached the checkpoint 9 (fire station) the floor was just pure mud and we were bushed, we only had about 3km until syd duncan but the section we were to take was even deeper in mud and i was so over it, as every step you took forward you ended up sliding backwards. We finally made it to syd duncan and a few of us were really spent.

Checkpoint 10 (Syd Duncan) 4.57am - It was very cold and still dark when we arrived. Harry was very quite and didn't look well but a few minutes sleep and he was raring to go with new vigor. I got the shakes due to the cold and covered my head with my dressing gown, I'm sure the others thought i was losing it but i was just trying to keep warm. With a new change of shoes and socks we set off, and the sun was coming up by the time we got to hell fires pass, which was good as it is quite steep and i could now at least see where i was going, we all picked up and speed off to mount Nathan.

We walked alot with a team from townsville and they were really good company. we ascended Mt Nathan to find a team trying to carry two of their team out (their knees were gone!!) and i felt sorry that they were so close but just couldn't keep going.

After Mt Nathan we went on a new section down along the ridge line and to the next checkpoint, i thought this would be a easy section but boy was i wrong, it just seemed to go on forever and finally we came down a steep section only to look up and see this huge hill rising above us. I remember thinking i cant do this anymore and started to feel sorry for myself and cry. I struggled, really struggled to the next checkpoint (which was the final one). At this time Rodney was so strong, he felt regenerated, Harrison was keeping pace, Brad was tired and a bit sore but still hanging in there.

When i met rachel at the checkpoint, i remember saying i was done and that was it, i cried for about 5 mins

Checkpoint 12 (Nathanvale Rd) 10.43am - This was a bit tough for us all, the support crew had worked so hard and I'm sure were exhausted as well but they pitched in and got us through. Harrison had some nasty blisters on his feet and they would cause him a lot of pain in the next few km's. Brad was tired and a bit stiff, Rodney was so fresh and felt he could just keep going. Rachel rubbed my feet, fed me, clothed me and sent me on my way to finish.

we went through some new suburban streets and i was not in a great frame of mind as i felt we had still so far to go, we entered the forest and then i realised where we were (regular training section) and knew that we only had one more steep section, when we got to the top, there was a sign saying 10km to go. i don't know what came over me but i became full of energy, mentally alert and just so upbeat, i realised that i was going to finish and that it was only a few hours to go!!!



The last 10km on the whole went very fast, brad and harry had bad blisters so were having a bit of trouble walking fast, but every 2km there was a sign and we just kept on going.

Checkpoint 14 (Finish line - Nerange Velodrome) 15.59pm - YEAH!!! we finished in the daylight, all four of us and feeling really strong. This was the hardest event due to new course, rain and the never ending mud but we all made it and it was fantastic to see all our family & friends cheering us to the finish line, we crossed under the guns and got up on stage to receive our certificates (even this year the last two stairs weren't that hard), one thing i really wanted to achieve was getting my dog tags from one of the kokoda veterans (Jim Stillman) and it was a real honour to receive our medal and shake the hand of a digger.

our family gave us hugs and kisses and was wonderful to sit down and spend time with them in the sunshine. we got to take videos and have photos taken to remind us of what we had achieved.

Once again i would like to thank my incredible team (walk the line 2) brad, rodney and harrison, it has meant alot to me to be apart of their team, we have spent many hours and hundreds of kilometers supporting each other and enjoying each others company.

Of course we would not have achieved our dreams with out the super supportive support team (tracey, brad, madeline and rachel). the support crew contribute at least 50% of work to get everyone across the line.

i am very proud of my achievement of two kokoda challenges and look forward in supporting future teams in achieving this fantastic event. New adventures await me but this will always have a special place in my memories and my heart.

Dee