Curly starts with a rhetorical question, "Do you want to go to Brothers this weekend?”
“Hell yes,” snaps back the unnecessary reply.
But there is an involved process well in advance to take off day: there is a trip form (i.e. intentions, whose going and via what route, to where); rosters including slushy, fire and domestic that neeed to be negotiated with fellow expeditioners; then hut booking; and finally we’re off.
Well just about, field first aid kit, radio, spotters (sunglasses), then food and scroggen for the trail, then turn the tags…now you can go with your survival pack.
A weather window is a must, plus tide and swell considerations.
So the three amigos Curly, Sealy and Doc, head off along the east coast route to Brothers Point. It’s a scraggy beach walk with rocks, boulders & jump-ups. Also there is beautiful animal life to negotiate.
At Nuggets we pull in for a coffee and sanwich. We have only been on the road for one & a half hours, but it is such a significant spot, so you must stop. Here, rusting hulks of digestors crumble away as we ponder the lives of the people that manned them in the late 1800’s.
Five kilometres as the giant petrel flys to Brothers, but a bit of tussock dancing to be done before that. Now that will get your adrenaline up as you jump death defying gaps between wallows to get to the other side.
The reward is Sandy Bay Hut, where the remnants of the king penguin rookery hang out. Hardly peak season with a paltry 750 chicks congregated.
Brothers Hut is tantalisingly visable in the distance. Please sit and watch the amazing wildlife perform in front of you.
Into the hut by 1500 hrs and Curly weaves his magic with a loaf of bread in the oven. A few tunes on the guitar but an early night after a rewarding day's hiking.
A full moon with no wind and a foggy ethereal atmoshpere complete the day.
Ditto for the return journey with still very little wind…amazing fortune in all regards.
