Lizzie
Thirty minutes later, they returned to camp and packed up their belongings. The, bacon, eggs and fresh orange had revived them, it seemed. An eagerness hung in the air.
Harrison and Ben followed a few minutes behind them and reached their camp just as a wide burly man in beige shorts and a matching shirt marched towards them.
‘Which one of you lads is the chap I spoke to on the phone?’ he said, flicking his gaze between Harrison and Ben.
‘That would be me, sir.’ Ben stepped forward and held out his hand to the man. ‘Ben Holmes.’
The man’s arm muscles bulged out of his shirt sleeves like sausages trying to escape their skin as he shook Ben’s hand. His face reminded Lizzie of a cinder block, large and square, with tuffs of thick white hair protruding from underneath a wide-brimmed bush hat.
‘Good to meet you in person, Ben.’ He stepped back and surveyed the four of them before turning back to Ben. ‘Ready to get started?’
‘Yes, sir.’ Ben nodded and hoisted his camera onto his shoulder. He stepped away from them and signalled a thumbs up to the man, who nodded and turned to face them.
‘My name is Al Tuckerman, of Al’s Rainforest Treks. Welcome to the start of what many believe is the most picturesque part of Australia. In about ten minutes’ time, we’ll begin day one of the Gold Coast Hinterland Great Walk.’ Al removed a faded map, laminated in plastic and splattered with dried mud, from his back pocket as he spoke. ‘Today we’ll be walking from the Green Mountains, here –’ he stabbed his index finger on the map ‘– to Binna Bura, here.’ He moved his finger along a wiggly yellow line. ‘Today is the longest distance of all three days. Twenty-one point four kilometres, most of which is up hill, so keep your layers close to hand. This is a subtropical rainforest. With changing altitudes we’ll see a changing rainforest, but also a big drop in temperature.
‘There’ll be a lot of wildlife to look at as we go along, which I’ll be pointing out. Platypus, bandicoots, wallabies, pademelon, pygmy possums and a whole lot of birds. Lamington National Park, which is the area we’re in right now, is also host to many endangered species of frogs. Look at where you put your feet and if you see a frog, don’t pick it up.
‘We’ll be walking at a steady pace with regular breaks. In the twenty years I’ve been a bushwalking guide I’ve always got my group to the campsite before dark, and I intend to keep it that way. Understand?’
They nodded as his eyes scrutinised each of them in turn. Lizzie sensed a movement behind her and looked up to find Harrison grinning down at her. He dropped an arm around her shoulder, causing warmth and excitement to fizz out from his touch.
‘Good. Now, as part of Al’s Rainforest Treks, all of the camping equipment is provided. This means that when you reach the campsite there will be safari-style tents set up for you, and your food will be cooked by me. We’ll be eating traditional bush tucker for the first two nights and at the end of the great walk, you’ll be invited to take a dip in Warringa Pool, as well as have a traditional barbeque and hog roast. Any questions so far?’
Lizzie shook her head.
‘What about going to the toilet?’ Jaddi asked.
‘There are toilets at the campsites. If you need to go for a crap at any other time, then you take this shovel, and this bag from me,’ he said, lifting up a small rusty shovel attached to a dark-green canvas bag, and find a spot behind a tree. Any more questions?’
No one spoke.
‘Time to partner up, so listen closely, because this is the single most important part of trekking in this rainforest. Your partner is your responsibility,’ Al said, slowing his voice so that each word had a pause before the next. ‘I’ll say it again – your partner is your responsibility. You look out for them, and they look out for you. If your partner stops, you stop. Never leave your partner.
‘Ben, you’ll partner with me; that way I can be your eyes when you’re filming. Pretty boy,’ he said, pointing at Harrison, ‘step away from your girlfriend and move over to pretty girl number two over there. You two are partners.’
‘But—’ Lizzie started.
‘No buts. I’ve been trekking this forest for twenty years and I can tell you right now that nearly all of the accidents that happen, happen to couples. They start bickering or acting all lovey-dovey and stop looking where they’re going. So your boy is with this pretty lady here, and you two –’ he pointed to Samantha and Lizzie ‘– can be partners.’
Disappointment weighed down on Lizzie. She’d been looking forward to walking arm in arm with Harrison through the rainforest, and shaking the loneliness of the past week. It was the same feeling of isolation she’d felt during her treatments. Never alone, but distanced from those around her by their well-meaning concerns.
‘Now, you’re all dressed pretty much OK.’ His eyes fell to Harrison’s trainers. He raised his eyebrows. ‘With the exception of pretty boy’s plimsolls, that is. Does everyone have a hat?’
Lizzie nodded along with the rest of the group.
‘Your hat will protect you from the sun and the rain, as well as bird droppings. So keep it on your head. Each pair gets one of these packs.’ He held up a small red bag. ‘It’s got clips to attach to your rucksack or your belt. Keep it safe and keep it accessible. Inside, you’ll find a basic first-aid kit, a topographical map of the route, a compass, and most importantly for this time of year – leach repellent. Slap it on now, and at every rest stop, or those suckers will be on you in a heartbeat. That just about covers everything. Before we go, does anyone have any alcohol with them? Anyone got a hip flask stashed away?’
No one spoke up.
‘Good. Because there is no alcohol on Al’s Rainforest Treks. I don’t deal with drunks and I don’t stop for hangovers.’
‘Anyone have any illnesses they need to tell me about?’
Lizzie felt all eyes, along with Ben’s camera lens, bore into her, but she kept her head down and her mouth closed.
‘Good. Then let’s get moving. We’ve got seven hours of walking to get through today, and it gets dark early in the forest.’