Pink Lakes

On July 8th Melbourne went back under lockdown for at least 6 weeks. In May and June we had been having less than 10 new coronavirus cases a day, with some days nearing zero. Then everything started to open up again and our case load went up quickly. Just prior to the Premier (like a governor) announcing that we were going back under lock down, we were having around 200 new cases a day in Melbourne. Hopefully the reinstated restrictions will help to bring the numbers back down but the last couple days we've had 300-400 cases a day in Victoria, so we'll see.

Lake Tyrrell, Victoria

Just prior to the lockdown, Ross and I managed to get out of Melbourne for a long weekend for my birthday. We drove about 5 and a half hours north-northwest of Melbourne to Murray-Sunset National Park. The park is in the corner of the state so we were abutting South Australia to the west and New South Wales to the north. While we were up there we were able to explore some of the salt lakes in that region and see a bit of the Silo Art Trail.

We started on the road on July 4th and made our way up to our AirBnb in Ouyen. On the way we stopped by the Art Silos in Nullawil and Sea Lake. The Silo Art Trail stretches over 200 kilometres in northwestern Victoria and was conceived in 2016. The murals are meant to celebrate and recognise the region's people and many of the silos that are used for the giant murals date back to the 1930s. The two that we saw were quite impressive. If we'd had more time, we would have liked to see others but they were not really on the way. Next time...

From Sea Lake we headed up to Lake Tyrrell, which is not so much a lake as a shallow, salt-crusted depression though it's much more interesting and beautiful than that makes it sound. The lake covers an area of about 51,500 acres and only has a couple inches of water during the winter. The water is incredibly saline and there was a thin salt crust under the water when we visited. It was possible to break chunks of salt crust off the ground under the water or you could just scrap salt off the beach along the high-wave mark. The salt is harvested commercially from the north end of the lake by Cheetham Salt Works with more than 100,000 tonnes harvested each year.

Salt from the shore

Salt crust

Salt-crusted footprints

On July 5th we drove over to Murray-Sunset National Park and spent the day walking most of the trails in the park and marvelling at the colourful lakes. Murray-Sunset is the second largest national park in Victoria and covers an area of 1,560,000 acres. It is closer to Adelaide (capital of South Australia) than it is to Melbourne and was declared as a national park in 1991. Prior to becoming a park the area was a major part of the salt industry from approximately 1916 to 1979. During peak production, three of the lakes in the park could yield 10,000 tonnes of salt per day.

The lakes in the southern portion of the park are referred to as the Pink Lakes due to a red pigment, carotene, that is excreted by the algae. When we were there a couple of the lakes had a pink tint but the lake that was billed as the 'pinkest of the lakes' was actually orange. I'm not sure why is was orange. Maybe there had just been an algae die-off or something similar. Needless to say, it was pretty weird to walk up to a lake that was naturally an impressive orange. The only other time I've seen water that colour was because of acid mine drainage.

Yep, that is natural and not pollution.

Salt crust along the lake shore.

Australian Ringneck

Ross next to a pile of discarded salt.

Major Mitchell Cockatoo

Slightly pink lake

My birthday was on a Monday this year, so I took it off work for this adventure. On my birthday, we left Ouyen and headed back to Melbourne with a stop at the Bendigo Woollen Mills. I happily looked at yarn for a while and then chose out a large bag's worth for some socks and a fairisle jumper. I am definitely my mother's daughter. 

We had a weekend adventure prior to my birthday (that will be the next blog) but with the current COVID-19 case load in Melbourne, Ross and I will not be doing much for the foreseeable future (other than knitting, baking and reading). Until next time, stay safe and healthy! Sending much love from Down Under. 

Checking-in From Down Under

April has, understandably, not been the most exciting month Down Under. In Melbourne we are only allowed/supposed to leave our houses for 1) work (if you can't work from home), 2) exercise (e.g. biking, running, walking), 3) food and supplies, and 4) medical care or caregiving. Also, gatherings of more than 2 people are banned, except for members of your household or for work/education purposes. Most stores are closed, and restaurants are only doing take-away. Australia has even gone as far as closing down the beaches and in Melbourne you can get a $1,600 fine for breaking any of the social distancing/quarantine rules.

That being said, it seems like overall Australia is handling the coronavirus well. As of April 26th, Australia had 6,710 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 83 deaths. The majority of the cases are along the east coast in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland. But given that the majority of the population is in that area, it makes sense. At this point it sounds like some restrictions are going to start lifting, such as elective surgeries starting up again and some schools opening, but Scott Morrison (the Prime Minister) has said that until there is a vaccine, social distancing will need to stay in place. From what I have observed when out running or going to the grocery store, it seems like most people are adhering to the social distancing for the most part. We certainly haven't been plagued by the protests that are occurring in the U.S. and for that, I am thankful.

Ross and I are both doing well and staying healthy. Ross has been working from home since we got back from Tassie in late March. I worked from home for two weeks when we got back and then have been doing half the week at home and half the week in the office since. I've actually really been enjoying going into the office. It's been great seeing co-workers and it’s nice to have dual screens. Who am I kidding? Dual screens are the main reason that I like working from the office (jk...mostly). Plus, my office chair is significantly more comfortable than the chair that I have at home.

Cooper helping me with work.

All of the grocery stores in Australia instituted limits on items like pasta, pasta sauce, flour, rice, canned goods and paper goods in late March. At this point they are talking about lifting the limits because basically everything is back in stock and people no longer seem to be panic buying everything in sight (though no yeast yet). Ross and I went shopping today and it was actually kind of weird to see an aisle full of toilet paper and paper towels. There were even cans of diced tomatoes today. We haven't seen those in the store since before we went to Tasmania.

Since we're not allowed to go anywhere (you can't travel except for the four reasons listed above), Ross and I have been cultivating our hobbies this past month and playing with our kitty, Cooper. Ross has been reading like crazy and playing Magic with friends back in the States a couple times a week. I've been knitting and baking up a storm. We've made multiple batches of cookies (Ginger Snaps, Mexican Hot Chocolate, Anzacs), banana bread, muffins, etc. Plus, after discussing how easy it is to make a sourdough starter with one of my colleagues, I also now have a sourdough starter fermenting away. I've been following the King Arthur Flour starter recipe and have been very happy with the results. Plus, the recipe for sourdough crackers is amazing! We've made a couple batches of rosemary sourdough crackers and I'm not sure I can ever go back to store-bought crackers. I also made my first loaf of sourdough bread today (see below).

Meet Matilda, my sourdough starter. She has a really bubbly personality. 

A little dark on top but so tasty.

I have been going super stir-crazy at home, so I think that I'm one of the few people who is actually working out more than I was prior to the coronavirus. I've been running four days a week and am averaging 20-25 miles a week (30-40 kms). It's been really nice and a great way to de-stress. I had signed up to do the Great Ocean Road Half Marathon in the middle of May this year (I did the 14 km last year) but it has been postponed until late August (fingers crossed it still happens this year). This past week the race organisers set up a virtual event and so, since I have nothing better to do on the weekends (besides bake and knit), I'll be doing a virtual half marathon in the middle of May. While doing long runs in the lead-up to the half marathon, I noticed that all of the drinking fountains along my running routes have been turned off due to the coronavirus. Because of this I've started doing my long runs with a small backpack + water bladder. It's actually not as bad as I would have thought, and it has the added bonus of making me feel really hardcore. So basically, it's a win all around.

One positive side to the craziness that is the new normal, is that I've talked to so many friends via the various video-chatting platforms in the last month or so. I will whole-heartedly admit that I have been pretty terrible at corresponding since Ross and I moved to this part of the world, so having Zoom meetups with a bunch of friends has been so unbelievably fabulous. It is amazing how much seeing a friendly face can pick up my entire week. Plus, actually seeing people has been really helpful to prove to myself (and my sometimes crazy brain) that everyone is still okay. I've also been talking to my parents and brother+sister-in-law+adorable nephew more often which has been really nice.

Until next time, stay safe, stay healthy and for the love of God, do not inject bleach into your body. Much love from Down Under.

Backpacking in Tasmania

In the middle of March Ross and I went on a 6-day backpacking trip in Tasmania (one of the states in Australia). Initially we had been planning on spending a week in Singapore in March, but in early to mid-February the writing was already on the wall in terms of COVID-19, so we cancelled those plans and looked for other holiday options.  Rewind to 2016 for a minute. Before we left for the Southern Hemisphere, one of my good friends from Earlham College (who happens to be an avid hiker) told us that, if we got the chance, we should do the Overland Track in Tasmania, since we were going to be down that way anyway. I looked it up and immediately fell in love with the rugged scenery. I shared it with Ross and we have wanted to do it since.

Cradle Mountain above Dove Lake

One of the tricks with the Overland Track is that it is incredibly popular. Because of its popularity only a certain number of people (32 individuals and 32 people on guided hikes) are allowed to start on the track on a given day during the summer season (October 1st - May 31st). Normally you have to book 6 months to a year out, especially if you want to go around the holidays. Ross and I were lucky enough to get the last two available spots starting on the track on March 15th, even though we only booked about three weeks out.

Ross in the alpine section of the track.

Some basic fun facts about the Overland Track:

- The track is 65 km (40 miles) or 80 km (50 miles) long, depending if you take a ferry from the last hut (Narcissus) or walk along the shore of Lake St Claire. We opted for the ferry but kind of wish that we had walked.

- The walk is designed to take approximately 6 nights (though you can do it significantly faster if you want) and there are designated huts that you have to stay at along the way. All of the huts also have tent platforms, if you don't want to listen to everyone snore in the hut.

- You walk by the tallest mountain in Tasmania, Mount Ossa (1617 metres) and, if the weather is good, you can hike up it.

- There is a ultramarathon that goes along the full 80 km of the Overland Track and the records are 7 hours and 25 minutes for a man and 8 hours and 13 minutes for a woman. Personally, I prefer my plodding pace so that I can stop and smell the proverbial roses.

- The entire walk (and then some) is through a UNESCO World Heritage Wilderness Area.

- Two thirds of the track is on natural surface (i.e. mud, gravel, etc.) and the other third is a combination of planking, duckboard and cordwood.

Duckboard track through the buttongrass moorlands.

Back to our trip... Ross and I flew from Melbourne down to Launceston on March 14th. We picked up some last minute supplies and then caught a shuttle to Cradle Mountain. On the ride to Cradle Mountain we saw an echidna (looks sort of like a porcupine but about the size of a football), but didn't get any pictures. We camped in one of the campgrounds by the visitor centre and made sure to treat ourselves to a fancy dinner at one of the lodges before we'd be eating trail food for a week.

Bennetts Wallabies

Wombat

On the 15th, we picked up our track passes from the visitor centre and caught the shuttle to Ronny Creek, which is where the Overland Track starts. We had learned the previous night (technically we were reminded as I has received an email with this information and then promptly forgot) that the first hut on the track (Waterfall Valley Hut) was closed for repairs this season. To get to the alternate first night's hut, you had to lose a decent amount of elevation, that you would have to regain again first thing in the morning to get back onto the Overland Track. Ross and I decided to skip that and just walked to the second night's hut (Windermere). Because of this, our first day on the trail ending up being 18.5 km (11.5 miles) with the most elevation gain of any day on the track and our packs at their heaviest. We were definitely questioning the wisdom of the decision, particularly in the last 5 km to Windermere, but everyone we talked to said that the hike down to and back up from the alternate first hut was pretty terrible, so I guess that we made the correct decision. Plus, the scenery was AMAZING! While the elevation isn't that high (just over 1000 metres), the terrain is really rugged and the alpine vegetation made both of us feel like we were hiking at elevation in one of the mountain states.

At the start of the track.

Ross walking toward Barn Bluff.

Lake Windermere

Our second day was another long one with 16.8 km of rolling terrain (10.5 miles) (this should have been the longest day on the trail, but we're overachievers apparently). This was another day spent mostly in the alpine terrain with sweeping views of mountains. We eventually made it to Pelion Hut and decided to camp, as the previous night in Windermere Hut had involved a number of snorers and not as much sleep as we would have liked.

Mount Oakleigh (left)

Frog Flats

Mountain Rocket

Mount Oakleigh

Our third day we decided to take a rest day. We'd already covered more than half the track and we were beat. Subsequently we spent the day lounging in the sun on the helicopter landing pad (all of the huts had them for emergency), napping and reading. We had talked up doing a day trip up Mount Oakleigh (1386 metres) but resting seemed like a better plan. It was fabulous and just what the old legs needed.

Hanging out on the helicopter pad with the hut in the background.

Sunset on Mount Oakleigh

Our fourth day was a shorter one, just 8.6 km (a bit over 5 miles) to Kia Ora Hut. From this section of the trail, you can do side trips up either Mt Pelion East (1433 metres) or Mt Ossa (at 1617 metres its the tallest mountain in Tassie). We had been talking about going up either but the day dawned cloudy and by the time we got up to the pass between the two peaks, it was raining, windy and cold. As neither of us was in the mood to get hypothermia, we headed on to the hut. Since it was raining when we got there, we ended up spending the night in the hut and played a bunch of cards with some of the other hikers. Despite the less-than-stellar weather, it was a really nice day.

Woo hoo for a dry hut!

Sign on the way to the toilet at Kia Ora Hut.

Our fifth day on the trail was an easy, mostly flat 9.6 km (a hair under 6 miles) to Windy Ridge. We tacked on a couple of extra kilometres by walking out to some waterfalls that weren't too far off the track. It started raining as we were leaving the second waterfall and then proceeded to rain for the rest of the day and night. As such, we spent another night in a hut and another evening playing cards with the other hikers. 

Ross and Du Cane Hut (for emergency use only)

Great forest day

D'Alton Falls

At Windy Ridge we ran into a ranger who had just hiked in and got our first hint of the state of the outside world. He and I had the following conversation.

Ranger: Where are you heading after this?

Me: To Narcissus Hut (last hut on the track).

Ranger: And after that?

Me: We're taking the ferry and then spending the night at Lake St Claire.

Ranger: And after that?

Me: We're going to Hobart and flying back to Melbourne (I was starting to get a little confused and concerned at this point).

Ranger: And after that?

Me: Um, we live in Melbourne...

Ranger: Oh, you should be fine then. Australia is closing its borders to non-residents and non-citizens on the 20th (the next day) and all international flights are stopping at the end of the month. But you should be able to get back to Melbourne.

Me (internally): Oh dear god, what is going on?!?

So, that conversation definitely destroyed some of the tranquility of the trip. Things hadn't been looking great when we left Melbourne on the 14th, but they hadn't been that bad. Needless to say, we were not super excited to leave the woods and head back into the real world in a few short days. But I digress...

Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo

Our last day on the trail, day six, was another comfortable 9 km (5.6 miles) of flatness through the rainforest. It rained off and on but nothing too hard. We had gotten a slow start to the day, so there were a number of other hikers at Narcissus Hut, waiting for the ferry, when we rolled in. Apparently there was mobile reception there (not with our carrier though), so we found out that Tasmania was closing its borders the next day (21st). Endless good news. We ended up staying in the hut again and chatted with the two other couples who were there that night. We also saw a wombat, a pademelon (kind of like a small kangaroo) and a platypus. The platypus was smaller than I would have thought but it was also the first one that either Ross or I had ever seen in the wild, so it was amazing!

Ross crossing the Narcissus River.

It doesn't look like much but that's a platypus!

Eucalyptus trees are the best.

Morning clouds on Mt Olympus and Lake St Claire.

The next day (March 21st), we caught the ferry to the south end of Lake St Claire. Originally we had been planning on camping there but we splurged and got a room. Let me tell you, that shower and soft bed were amazing after a week on the trail. Don't get me wrong, the huts were nice but you're sleeping on a wooden platform so it's actually probably worse than the ground.

Red-bellied Pademelon

Looking south down Lake St Claire.

Done!!

From Lake St Claire, we caught a shuttle to Hobart and then got our flight to Melbourne. The Hobart airport is not big by any stretch of the imagination but it was deserted. It was pretty surreal. Ross and I had been in contact with our respective managers once we got off the track and were told to work from home for two weeks, just in case we picked anything up in the airports. It is definitely a surreal time to be alive. 

At the moment, Melbourne is not on lock-down. All non-essential businesses are closed but lots of people are still going into work, including all of my colleagues. The university that Ross is at has told all employees that they will be working from home until the end of April. Currently I'm due back in my office on April 6th. Everything is changing so quickly though, so we'll just have to see what happens next.

To end on a happy note, Ross and I adopted a cat from the RSPCA (akin to the Humane Society in the US) at the beginning of March. His name is Cooper and he is just over a year old. He was incredibly shy when we first got him but he's definitely settling in at this point and he's starting to come out of his shell. In the last week, since we've been working from home, he's figured out how to play with the toys we got him, meows (he was silent before), plays on the bed when we're trying to go to sleep and doesn't run away when we walk toward him. All in all, good progress for the little man.

I hope that this finds you all well and staying healthy. All my best until next time.