Basic psychology

We were supposed to be riding bikes on a rail trail in Victoria this week. But the bushfires popped the tires on that plan. But after our very sedentary European holiday we really need training before our next big hike. So we came up with a plan with minimal moving parts (and so less risk of cancellations). The problem with this plan is that it is very close to home, and so very easy for us to decide that the couch is looking preferable to another 25km in the rain. And that’s where the psychology comes in. We are telling everyone we know that we’re doing this walk, because it’ll then be too embarrassing to pull out.

So we’re walking from Maroubra to Dee Why over four days.

So today was Day One. We started in Maroubra on a smoke-hazed morning and set off up the coast. The walk takes you past Clovelly, Bondi, the Gap – much of it is on the cliffs with great views up and down the coast and out into the Pacific. Knowing this is day one of four we paced ourselves: That translates to ‘we stopped for coffee quite often’.

It has been a very humid day so even with pacing we’ve been dripping with sweat. We had thought we might have a swim later in the day, but the gathering rain clouds put us off. We reached the Watsons Bay Hotel, where we are staying tonight, by mid-afternoon and substituted a shower for a swim. And the nice thing about the hotel is we only have to walk a few more meters to dinner.

All up today was about 25km including an unnecessary, but pretty, loop out to the Hornby Lighthouse.