Spicers Retreat have a 4 day Hike along the Scenic Rim which is located in the south-eastern part of Queensland, Australia. A total of 60kms of hiking over 4 days with the trails being a mix of Grades 4 and 5.
This hike includes, 4 nights accommodation in their lodges / eco cabins, all meals prepared by Spicer’s in house chefs and all alcohol…
Day 2… 18km Hike!
Spicers Mt Mistake to Spicers Amphitheatre Eco Cabins
Breakfast at 7am!
It was suggested that we could get up early and watch the sunrise but I heard the wind during the night and checked the weather temp and decided that because I could see the sunrise out my window so I would stay snuggled in my bed and look out the window admiring the sunrise! Only 1 person was brave enough to venture out so early to enjoy the sunrise….
Breakfast was delicious! Tea, coffee, juice, Muesli, plus English muffins topped with avocado, poached egg and hollandaise sauce. Another choice was an English muffin topped with shredded ham and poached egg or a Mushroom topped with a poached egg.
At 8am we were given our lunch packs and then it was packs on and ready to go!
The first part of the hike was uphill…. Of course lol. It was a long, long, long incline… it was probably about a 15% incline and seemed to go forever! We then moved into the eco tone. This is the transition from eucalyptus forest to rain forest.
As soon as we entered the Gondwana rain forest, the feeling of calm was felt instantly, the sheer quietness, the feeling of being in total solitude away from the rest of the world… it was very peaceful! The rest of the day we would be hiking under the rainforest canopy 😍
The calmness was short lived as that dam hill just kept going… our elevation was approximately 600 metres!
Our guides stopped us along the track about 2.5 hours into our walk to explain what was going to happen next… sooo they wanted to really immerse us into the solitude of the rainforest, to really feel and hear the beautiful nature around us. So individually we were sent off along the track, alone!!! I couldn’t hear anyone in front of me or behind me. It was very strange, a little unsettling at first but then I stopped, stood still, closed my eyes, took a deep breathe and really listened. Listened to the birds, the rustle of the leaves, listened to myself breathing… then I started to walk again for 1km enjoying the solitude. It was a great reminder of how amazing nature is and how lucky we are to have such amazing forests in Australia.
At the end of the solitude walk morning tea was waiting for us. Some tea, coffee, banana bread and oat slice.
After our short break we were off again. This long incline just didn’t seem to end lol
Half way along, so about the 9km mark, we came across an old log winder. It replaced the bullocks in the 1930’s and was used to winch the logs down the mountain.
On the incline again, but knowing at the top was lunch gave that extra incentive to keep the pace up lol
We stopped and had lunch and OMG it was delicious! It was a couscous salad with sundried tomatoes, spices, smoked chicken and to finish off, some grapes! I only ate half as there was alot in our lunch pack. I still had fruit and trail mix left….
Off we go again! At least now we had reached the flat or summit we should call it… sounds like we are professional hikers lol
By this stage I was thanking my lucky stars we were hiking under the rain forest canopy and not out in the open like Day 1 as it was very hot out in the sun. Our guides stopped us again… gave us some lollies… now this got me excited as on Day 1 when we were given lollies we were only 30 minutes from our accommodation.
But nooooooooooo
We were heading off our path and heading down further into the rain forest… 2.5 kms of Grade 5. It was a slower walk but more interesting weaving over tree roots, rocks and fallen vegetation. This was a more challenging part of the hike as you had to keep switched on, ensuring you were placing your feet in the right spots. This was definitely the highlight of the day.
Arriving into Spicers Amphitheatre again being greeted with hot towels, drinks and a gorgeous view is a perfect way to end our hike.
Tonight we were staying in Eco Cabins, with shared bathrooms and timed showers lol. Yep 4 minute showers for us… yes at the eco camps the showers have timers. After 4 minutes they shut off and you have to wait another 5 minutes before the water will start again. Trust me, there were lots of questions about can we sell some of our time to others, can we shower together and have double the time LOL
Dinner was baked eggplant with ricotta, Cauliflower puré. Cabbage pickled onion, Pumpkin bread. Dessert was absolutely amazing!!!!
WOW I couldn’t possibly eat any more food… another full day hiking, a full belly… yep you know it, off to bed again early for me!
Check out Day 3 adventures here… Scenic Rim Trail 4 day Hike – Day 3
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