The Happy Walk - Sydney Coast Happy Walk Pt8

Day 7 Saturday 10th March Avalon to Barrenjoey Lighthouse



Finally, after 7 years, I caught up with a friend I met on one of my trips to Hong Kong. Melissa took me out to breakfast at the Healthy Chef Cafe and we had a couple of hours to catch up with each other's stories. It was not long enough, after we said goodbye I thought of so many things I wanted to ask but I hope we get to catch up again.



This was just a short day, only 13 kilometres. I left Avalon at 10am and walked along the Whale Beach Rd which offered some impressive views over Palm Beach and across to Ku ring gai Chase National Park and Barrenjoey Lighthouse. I was almost there, almost finished. It was exciting.



I picked up my pace a bit because I had given myself only 3 hours that day to finish the walk. I did have a short break as I stopped for a yarn with an older fella while we watched everyone race out of the water after the shark alarm went off and the surf life guards took to their boats to try and scare it away from the beach.



In no time at all I was at the base of Barrenjoey Headland and starting up the steep Smugglers Track. This is a very old track, the wear on the stone steps cut into the side of the headland are evidence of how many people over 132 years had made their way up. That last push to the top took a lot of effort but I was rewarded with the most amazing, breathtaking, 360 degree views looking across Pittwater, the mouth of the Hawkesbury, across to Umina, Broken Head, Bouddi National Park and back to Palm Beach.



Euphoria washed over me as I felt the pleasure and pride of finishing the Sydney Coast Happy Walk. I stood there for some time enjoying the moment alone and in silence.



The day was still young and one of my old school friends was on her way to meet me with her family. When Mel arrived and stepped out of her car it was like 20 years just disappeared. Mel still looks young and beautiful. It was wonderful to catch up while we all had a late lunch at this groovy cafe/restaurant by the water and in the car all the way back into the city. I had no idea how far out Palm Beach was until that moment, it was an epic drive all the way to their house.



That night I went back into the CBD to attend the public talk being held by Sogyal Rinpoche to discuss his new book about life and death, The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying. He has a very similar way of teaching as HH The Dalai Lama with a lot of pearls of wisdom mixed in with plenty of good humour.

I felt comfortable with Mel and her family, I could already feel my energy recharging and I was very grateful that Mel made the time to sit and chat over a cup of green tea before going to bed even though I managed to get lost on the way back, not returning to her place until nearly 11pm. They put me up in their guest room for the night and, once again, I slept like a rock. Once my head hit the pillow I don't think I moved a muscle until I had to get up for breakfast.

I couldn't think of a more perfect finish to my Sydney Coast Happy Walk