{"id":350,"date":"2019-11-28T09:41:26","date_gmt":"2019-11-28T09:41:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/it.johnmark.net.au\/?p=350"},"modified":"2020-05-02T12:00:01","modified_gmt":"2020-05-02T12:00:01","slug":"the-other-side-of-the-florentine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/it.johnmark.net.au\/index.php\/2019\/11\/28\/the-other-side-of-the-florentine\/","title":{"rendered":"The other side of the Florentine"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Day 18: 28 November 2019<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is 12 months since we did a reconnaissance trip through the Florentine valley scouting our proposed X-Tas route. That was before major bushfires raged in this area over the summer. We are yet to see the full devastation that they wrought but got a glimpse of the impact today.\u00a0 We had assumed \u2013 an unhelpful attitude at the best of times \u2013 that nothing else much would have changed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Last night we left Sheffield earlier than expected, also assuming that we had packed everything we needed. In our haste to get away we left without a final check (surely we would not leave anything too serious…). The drive was relaxed and smooth and we arrived at Brake Away Cottage, Maydena, soon after 7:30 pm feeling quite chuffed with the excellent accommodation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are based in Maydena for 5 nights and our plan for Thursday and Friday was to walk half the Florentine Road each day. At just under 40 km in total, we expected a fairly gentle 19 km walk along forestry tracks each day apart from the steep climb up from the Florentine in the first hour. However, 8 km short of the Florentine River we came unexpectedly across a Road Closed sign. It looked rather inconsequential but a couple of twists in the road later was a very definite end to our drive. We realised that we would have to walk to the Florentine and back again from that point. At least the extra journey was all downhill. We grabbed our day packs and walking sticks and soon discovered the cause.\u00a0 This is not flood damage \u2013 the entire bridge and road has been dug up and destroyed to the point of overkill. We think of the residents of Wayatinah hoping that the bridge over the Florentine will soon be repaired.\u00a0 Not sure if they have any idea of the damage further south.\u00a0 We soon met evidence of log trucks on the other side so figure there must be some connecting logging tracks over the hills but the Florentine Forest Drive is clearly at an abrupt end at about 45 km from Maydena.\u00a0 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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After scrambling down and up over the stream we were soon back on track and found that our downhill walk of just under 7 km had taken 75 minutes. Not too bad. A good warm up really.\u00a0 Tim activated our X-Tas trip tracker and we began the uphill section in silence. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The other side of the Florentine and we didn’t wade it….<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The bridge that was…<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We walked well, enjoyed birdsong, a good pace overall, and appreciated the red tips of new growth on myrtle, gums and bottlebrushes. I came across a sleeping young tiger snake coiled up on the side of the track at lunchtime, a beautiful sight. It didn\u2019t show any sign that it had seen me but when I returned with my camera to take a photo it had vanished. <\/p>\n\n\n\n