Not Where I thought I Was

Friday 30 November 2018

This is a story that I could have just kept quiet, but really it's quite amusing so I thought I might as well share it.

Golden Rosemary Kara Retreat Track

I started out from The Springs on the Lenah Valley track and located the turn off to the Kara and Retreat track. When I walked up to the Kara Hut I didn't take much notice of it as I had seen it many a time and just headed off to The Retreat,  however I hadn't gone far when things didn't look right.  I backtracked, went back again and still nothing looked quite right so  I searched around and then, not finding anything familiar,  eventually followed what was an obvious track but it definitely didn't seem right, nevertheless I followed it and it eventually just got to a creek and stopped.   On  returning to Kara frustrated, I decided if I can't find it I'll go up to Pinnacle Road and back down the Retreat track.  A long way of getting there of course, but  when I got to Pinnacle Road I thought it strange as I thought this is where the Retreat track came out.  After being unable to locate any other track down I just retraced my steps and discovered I was at The Retreat.

It didn't take me long to realise I'd been at The Retreat all the time and had come up a track that I'd heard did exist but never really noticed it and landed right at the retreat in the first place;  a lot of wasted time. Earlier when I assumed it was  Kara I never looked at the door and didn't pay much attention to the hut, but  when I got back and looked at the door there it was, the hut name Retreat not Kara.  Now  when stuffing about looking for the track I'd consulted the GPS and it said I was at The Retreat but I thought I must have it in the unit wrongly.

Golden Rosemary at Retreat hut

I returned via the real  Kara and once on the track down, consulted the GPS to view the inward track taken and when the two lines eventually joined,  could see what had occurred on the upward route.  A small tree was down over the track at the very point that a junction to The Retreat came in. I had heard there was a second track but had never seen it before, even last month when Neville and I went up to the huts we didn't spot it.

Logs giving the appearance of blocking the way past them as if to stop you going in the wrong direction.  It seemed to be one small tree that had fallen and I could not budge it (two limbs) so may have just naturally fallen rather than been placed there.

I did find the Waratah planted by Jack Thwaites behind the hut, which was the purpose of my visit.

Waratah at the Retreat hut planted by Jack Thwaites. Unfortunately it is not in focus

The original plan was morning tea at the hut and lunch at The Springs, so I didn't bring any lunch and it was 3 o'clock by the time I got back to The Springs and bought a pumpkin quiche and coffee for a late lunch.

In hindsight there were many things overlooked, which shows that critical faculties can be overridden when you are convinced of something.

Whilst thinking about it overnight I remembered all the times that I felt things didn't gel,. starting from the way the track ended at the hut which didn't match my memory, But as the track always ended at Kara they all got put to one side; amazing really.

The Retreat