Adrian Tregoning

A Scouting Mission...

Friday, 21 November 2008. This day would be an interesting one of exploration as well as frustration. Luke and I awoke to cloudy, but warm skies. Within an hour or two it was baking hot already and the clouds parted to let through the full wrath of the sun. Our dehydrated brains did not appreciate the welcome. I wonder if the beer consumed the night before had anything to do with it?! I had gathered some information from another friend of mine about a very big slide that was quite runnable in the area. Our mission, to find it.

The Upper Bushmans River – A park-paddle-hike-paddle-huck-paddle-back-down Mission

The following morning the sun shone brightly against an azure blue sky and altocumulus clouds looking down on us. The air was already warm and slightly humid and the camp site was deserted bar one other tent. There were no mechanical sounds to be heard, only the peaceful hum of the nature around us. This was exactly the type of place I could perpetually sit at, and just exist. I basked in the rapidly building heat and thought back to the previous days’ mission, and of the drive into the camp. We were lucky to see several small antelope as well as a massive spiral-horned antelope known as Eland, truly majestic creatures. As these thoughts drifted away they were quickly replaced with what the present day would bring. Day 2 of the trip had already started at 06:00am – it was Thursday 20 November 2008.