Day 11: Rest and replanning day at Tom Groggin
- anjawever45
- Mar 27
- 2 min read
After a very eventful day yesterday and with Cy having a sleep in, I took the chance to head down to the Murray River, where I washed all our gear.
With everything cleaned, I hung it to dry on the fences at Tom Groggin Campground, enjoying the quiet solitude of the morning, my favourite time of the day. The camp ground was deserted!
When Cy woke, I whipped up a breakfast of double porridge and tea. We sat together, chatting over our options and reflecting on our experiences.
Neither of us wanted to give up on our hiking journey—not after coming so far. Beverley's encouraging words also echoed in our minds, urging us to press on.
I reached out to Beverley and Tim for help in contacting Chris Hayward, a fellow expeditioner and the creator of the Murray River Expedition group. Chris had been a great source of support during my planning phase, and we hoped he might have some advice on how to get transport to Damms Bridge. We had no phone service and we were in a remote area with no public transport and taxi services.
As fate would have it, our stars aligned. Chris happened to be in our area and offered to drive us to Damms Bridge early next morning.
This detour allowed us to continue our journey with only a minor section of our planned route skipped.
With renewed excitement, we resolved to press on following the Murray River towards Hume Dam, exploring the townships along the way as we had planned.
By this point, we’d already conquered 180km of intense bush-bashing, alpine ascents, and descents. The experience had tested our limits, but reflecting on our progress, I couldn’t help but feel immensely proud of my son, Cy. In just ten days, he had tackled a task that few his age have dared to attempt—a true testament to his determination and resilience.
The rest of the day unfolded at a more relaxed pace. We ate, rested, stretched, packed our belongings, and even managed to enjoy a refreshing swim and observed some wild life.
Once more, we were ready to push onto the next chapter of our hike.
