AWC Best Blogging Competition 2013
It’s lucky I’m writing this short post now, rather than at 7.00 pm last night. Right now I’m planning the next hike, but yesterday evening I was ready to throw my pack, boots and then my physically smashed body off the cliffs next to Cape Liptrap Lighthouse. My long suffering hiking sidekick, ‘the Smuffin’, had the same thought, but was incapable of a suicidal leap, as he was lying in the coma position on a gravel road attempting to introduce oxygen into his lungs that had long stopped operating. More on that in a minute.
Hopefully you’ve noticed something new in this blog. On the sidebar there’s a couple of massive, shiny badges which are linked to the Australian Writers’ Centre where I’ve been nominated in the Best Australian Blogs of 2013. That’s not all, as there’s a ‘People’s Choice’ award where punters like yourself can vote on a particular post of mine that’s been selected and nominated in that category.
The nominated post is the one titled ‘Hoarding House Cleaning 101’ which detailed the tackling of my dads extensive hoarding. If you click on the ‘Vote for Me’ badge it’ll take you through the steps to vote. This particular competition closes on 30 April, so there’s plenty of time to do so. I’m pretty humble about these things, but unfortunately humble is not going to win anything, so I’m going full throttle into levels of pathetic begging you’ve probably never seen before. Yep, this is the official, VOTE FOR ME POST!!! Did you miss that? Okay, I’ll ramp it up a bit more in bold. Here we go, VOTE FOR ME!!!
VOTE FOR ME.
VOTE FOR ME.
VOTE FOR ME.
OH SWEET MOTHER OF GOD, VOTE FOR ME!!!!!!!!!!
Phew, that was intense. This can’t soley be a begging post, so I’ll throw in a few more things about what’s been going on.
I’ve started leave and the hiking has well and truly started. The first stop was to take my new Canon 6D camera out for a spin. Mind you, I only got as far as Port Melbourne with Ben in tow. Actually, can you classify getting out of the car as hiking? Anyway, this camera is my new favourite toy, but I don’t think I’m ready to go walking with it just yet. Firstly it’s heavy and secondly I’m scared I’ll destroy it whilst walking, which is my usual method with any sort of electronic item.
So far, pictures have been nice to look at. Look, here’s Ben’s boots. In fact, if you can only have one pair of boots in your life, then the eight hole, cherry red Dr. Martens are a good choice.
That went okay, so it was time to take a picture of the navigation beacon off Port Melbourne. Who doesn’t like a navigation beacon as the sun goes down?
Then it was Port Melbourne beach with the Newport Power Station in the background…
This is all quite lovely, but you’re probably wondering what was going on in the first paragraph of this post? Oh yeah, I’m going to confront that walk on the blog, sooner rather than later, whilst the pain is still fresh.
A two day, 30 km coastal hike from Venus Bay to Cape Liptrap in Eastern Victoria doesn’t sound so bad does it? Well, that’s what I thought, but the tides weren’t in our favour, so we did the walk in reverse according to the hike notes, which meant the harder stuff was at the end. The warmest day this late in the season since 1940 certainly didn’t help, with the temperature hovering between 30 °C and 35 °C and a howling north-westerly wind ensured we both ran out of water. So, while the beaches looked nice…
…and the sunsets even nicer…
…blood had to be shed to negotiate inland scrub…
…and all of this and more, just to reach the smallest lighthouse I’ve ever seen.
Sounds great doesn’t it? I can’t wait to write it up in every grisly detail.
So, just before I sign off. Have you voted yet? What are you doing?! Actually, what I was meant to say is that I’ve found my new favourite photo location. It’s the old pylons of Princes Pier in Port Melbourne. Even with the wrong tripod which caused the camera to flop about, I was still happy to have captured a few snaps in calm weather at this spot…
VOTE FOR ME!!!!
Great pics Greg! Really nice.
You know I love to see people damage themselves in the name of hiking so well done there as well.
PS. I voted for you….Good luck mate.
Hi Darren. How did you do that so quick?! I only just posted it! Fast workers up north!
I'm glad a bloke who's endured a few injuries yourself can appreciate the pain! Actually, I thought coastal walks weren't meant to be about blood and guts? Unfortunately for us, this one was. I think there are more undocumented injuries, but I'd lost my mojo to photograph them due to impending death from dehydration!
Thanks for the vote! It'll give me a bit of entertainment for the next month. Lucky I'm going hiking in a week though, so I won't be boring everyone about this competition 🙂
That sentinels picture is awesome, I love it. Maybe it should be your header. I am off to vote.
Thanks Roger, you're very kind. Ben and I only stumbled across those pier pylons, so we weren't really equipped too well! I'm tempted to head back on a calm day with a proper tripod and have another go. I have considered another header at times, but I'll leave the same one for the time being.
Thanks for voting! If you're in for any blog competitions over your way, let me know!
Nice post(s)! Get it?!
Good luck with the People's Choice. I am debating whether to go all out or just ignore it!
Looking forward to the 2-day saga. I'm currently on my second day of a 3-day break from students (they're all on a school trip but this year I don't get to go). Goal is three posts written in three days and stashed away safely. I can then say I just got paid for three days of writing!
I was jealous as hell that you'd been nominated and I hadn't – but then I saw it was self-nomination, so I've only got myself to blame. So naturally I voted for you! But look out next year!!!!
I'm impressed by your humour. Almost!
Yeah, the pleading for the award is a bit brutal, but what can you do? The joys of blogging are fleeting, so why not go for the odd award now and again? Then again, your blogging has helped meet someone in the States hasn't it…?
I'm very impressed by your work diligence! Getting paid to blog is the dream, although I think you're doing it in a different way!
Red, if that competition relied on nominations from others, then they'd only have about 20 blogs to choose! Apparently last year, something like 70% were self-nominated? I think there's just over 1000 this year, so with that amount I'm pretty realistic about my chances!
Thanks for voting though! They all count!
Hi Greg,
Just started reading your blog and I'm loving it. Brings back lots of old memories of walks – the good, the bad and the downright ugly. Reading your Viking / Zeka Track walk, I remember going down the the Wonongatta River from Catherine Saddle and then heading back up the Zeka Spur Track to Vallejo Ganter all in a day. The other seven participants with me on that trip vowed never to go away with me again – a couple even kept their promise!
Just came across your photo of Princes Pier above and I love it. You wouldn't be interested in selling me a copy as I have a wall that it would nestle into nicely.
Hi Ashley, thanks for dropping by and taking the time to comment!
I'm not sure what happened on the Viking trip, but it's done a number on my joints. I haven't done any proper walking since!
Look, I'm a bit of a masochist to myself, but I think you've got a bit of sadism running through you. Subjecting your companions to do Catherine Saddle to VG in one day is pretty sickening 🙂 There's not enough hours in the day for me to attempt such lunacy! I have read about some blokes who can knock off the entire circuit in 2 days. It makes me cringe when I think about the pain of such an attempt!
Oh yeah, these photos came out alright. Thanks! I've never printed any before, so if you're still interested, maybe get me on my email address and we might be able to work something out? I've contemplated printing a few images over the years, so I might as well do some if you're looking for a particular photo.