Thursday 16th January 2014

We got to sleep in until 05.00 as there was no morning walk. However, it wasn’t a rest day, instead we had a field observation test which counts towards our Trails Guide assessment. I was pleased that I’d studied botanical names over the holiday as a few came up. This and the fact that things are starting to sink in meant that I got my best mark so far in field obs. I am still making stupid mistakes which I desperately need to cut out.

The test was over and done with in about two hours, then we had a lecture on ballistics.A dry subject but very interesting to know how it works and what happens from the moment you pull the trigger to when the bullet has hit its target.

The walk across the flood plain for the lead guide was a tough one, path finding was particularly difficult. I think we all felt a little uneasy with some of the routes we took through long grass and thickets of palm not knowing what we might bump into.

We spent the last hour of our walk weeding the wilderness. Moon flower is an alien species and spreads like wild flower. On the final approach to camp at Lala palm windmill there’s big patch that we conquered. A satisfying job especially when you uncover native plants struggling to grow underneath.