Good luck
At the risk of hijacking... here is my weekend, as a little incentive
I was heading out Friday and half way there (sligtly over 120km)- a friend called on the phone - you still going - yes why - there is a storm/gale and flood warning and they are asking people to stay out of Gippsland..... _ knew from the meteorolgy website it was going to be wild but that was new!
Still it was less than 2 inches of rain in 48 hours (more than they had had in over 3 months) but meant I got a little damp at times - it was beautiful roos, wallabies, emus, birds including some big and very noisy flocks - a black snake slithering from in front of my boots (always a good stess test for the heart), fox and rabbits....and sheep and cattle grazing amongst the failed stunted wheat crop (from lack of water) in the middle of heavy rain
There are around 26 less rabbits than there were though. Surprisingly most of the animals (including me) were out in the rain braving the occasional torrentail squalls. However I was often in the lee of a gum tree reading a book, wtaching animals and picking off the occasional rabbit. Books got somewhat wet, as did I but hey. Whilst Hemmingways Farewell to arms would have been smoewhat appropriate but as a librbary book it stayed dry, and the Pourenelle and laura K Hamilton providing a significant and amusing contrast to the environement around me. The New Zealand hunting clothing was ideal - not fully water proof but soft, silent, warm and wind and water resistant and warm even if a bit oozed through in the heaviest rain - with some thermals under it was qute comfortable. Didn't really want to get our of it even when back in the large dry if some what chilly shearing shed. The green trousers and realtree top meant that animals found it hard to see me unless I moved - particularly under a tree with deadfall around. The Realtree forest pattern is not so good in the lighter open grass lands. But in the right context works well for example a couple of roos came to about 10 yards of me before realising I was there (probably because I turned a page) looking at me look at them for a couple of minutes uncertainly, before bounding away in a fairly leisurely fashion to find another spot to go through the fence into the forest behind.
I probably should have carried the leatherman with me so I could have fixed the broken wire in the outer fence as I went around
The property owners insisted on a roast lamb Saturday dinner - good company with good food and wine. The wife in particlular finding it hard to believe I liked the shed - they even had an unused house open for me if the storm was more thant the shed could handle.
Returning to Melbourne A tree downed across the road cost me about 50km all up, to backtack and go anothjer longer route - about 300km in total. And at more than 2 feet thick the falkniven F1 or ritter grip was not going to clear the road for me. Radio told me it had been snowing in the high country about 100km north - and only a week till summer - go figure.
Not really a survival skills foucs still that was my weekend away to get my head together - hope yours is as good!
Cheers
