Walk to Mitre Lake

The view from the top of Mt. Arapilles.

The lake in the distance.

The view of the surrounding countryside from the top of the Arapilles is spectacular. I saw a shimmering lake in the distance. It was so clear and still that it looked like a mirror, reflecting the clouds above from the ground. I decided that the next day I would take a walk to go and see it.

​I walked off through the bush and observed some small berries and fruit on the way. I've always liked botany, and survival stories and I wondered which ones I would be able to eat if I really needed to. Next time I go to Australia I would like to do a 'bush tucker' tour to learn which Australian plants are edible.​

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Berries on the way

Walking along the path made me think about a book I had ​been reading a book at home called  'extreme survivors' - a collection of great survival stories from around the world. One of my favourite survival stories was about three girls Molly Craig (aged 14), Daisy Kadibil (aged 11) and Gracie Fields (aged 8). It was 1931 and the three girls had been relocated from where they had formerly lived in a remote aboriginal community in Jiggalong in Western Australia. The girls had then walked an enormous distance, 2,400 km (1,500 miles) through difficult terrain to get back home. This story reminds me of what a big  difference training and experience make to survival. The book has been made into a movie called 'Rabbit proof fence' which I recommend.

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Mitre peak, my way marker on my quest to get to Mitre lake.

​I walked off towards Mitre peak, which I knew was roughly in the direction of the lake. On the way I discovered a cycle path, called the 'Arapilles Big Sky' path. I think that would be a great cycleway to ride on if you liked cycling and ever happened to go there.

​I kept ​walking and walking towards the glistening lake, and got closer and closer. One sign said 'watch out for snakes' which was slightly alarming, but luckily I didn't see any. The vegetation started to change and it turned into interesting marshlands. I wandered through these for some time, until I first got a sighting of water. I decided I just had to go and see it, and on the way I found some tiny sea shells in this dreamy inland lake.

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