Phil Sutherland (Phil Sutherland)

Completed: 13 November, 2020

Phil Sutherland thumbnail — **Phil Sutherland**
Phil Sutherland

Start date: 12 September, 2020
Age When Completed: 58
Direction Walked: Southbound

Track Towns and Supplies

Did you have any issues finding food/supplies? No

Your Story or Advice for Others

General Comments
This was an incredible way to spend my long service leave. It was a complete break from my normal too-busy life and provided a perfect opportunity for me to reassess what is important and what is merely habit. I went south to north as I liked the idea of 'walking home', and this was a good call.

Your Best Equipment
My Aku Alterra GTX boots, along with thick wool and thin wool liner socks. I had zero foot trouble for the entire end-to end. My Garmin InReach Mini worked brilliantly as tracker and messaging terminal (with SOS capability). I was never out of touch with family and friends, and they could follow along at home as I walked.

Your Worst Equipment
Nothing bad enough to tag as worst. All my gear had been well tested on previous hikes.

Advice for Others
I met several end-to-enders along the way who still thought that their mobile phone would be able to get a help message out to a satellite in an emergency even if they had no mobile coverage. I had to explain to them that this was not the case, and go through how GPS and phone networks operate. I don't think the Emergency 000 info on the hut noticeboards is particularly well worded, and this may contribute to these misunderstandings. When you cross Irwin inlet by canoe make very sure that you have _all_ your gear in the canoe before crossing. I got across, got canoe stowed and feet dried and booted up and put my pack on before realizing that my hiking poles were still leaning on the boatshed at the far side of the inlet.

Trip Details

How you completed the Bibbulmun Track:

All at once

Who did you complete the Track with? Solo (primarily)
Was undertaking your hike the PRIMARY/MAIN purpose of your TRAVEL from where you currently live? No

Your Experience

Favourite Section
The sections were all wonderful in their own special ways. The joy of the track for me was experiencing the changes and contrasts in vegetation and terrain as I travelled.

Highlight of your trip
Watching parasailers and raptors all soaring next to the wind generators on the south coast. Discovering how quickly my body adapted to the trail, so distances and hills which were hard in the first week or two became easy once the 'trail legs' were in. Meeting a vast number of interesting people along the way.