I left Perth YHA around 9.30 am and grabbed a coffee before boarding the bus to Kalamunda. While on the bus an older guy got on and forgot to tag his bus pass. The driver gave him a right old lecture! Don’t mess with Perth bus drivers.
I arrived in Kalamundu around 11.00 am and spent ages buying last minute supplies in the Coles supermarket. Coles is much better than Woolies.
I stumbled upon a British grocery store and had a lengthy chat with the owner who sounded more Aussie than her native Irish. I got my first bit of *trail magic, an out of date packet of Nik Naks!
I had a huge meaty pie at the start track and set off feeling bloated around 1.30 pm. I passed an elder lady a few km in who seemed to be struggling a little, but I would probably see her again at the first campsite, just 12 km from the start.
Not sure how I managed it but I somehow ended up near the start again, basically following the northbound signs (I am southbound). This added another 6 or 7 km on so my first day was nearer 20 km!
I arrived just before it got dark and was greeted by a nobo (northbound) walker. It wasn’t long before I was in my tent as I quickly cooked some pasta and was tucked inside my sleeping bag by 8 pm!
* Trail magic is when someone gives you something for free while hiking, usually food. Very common on U.S. long trails where some folk will even set up a huge picnic for passing hikers.