So often, one attempts to face the whole future at once. But we will not live that period all at once, only day by day. Don’t try to face twenty years. Face today. When that has been achieved, face tomorrow. You will find more and more ways in which you can cope.

The Chinese have a saying that a journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. There is no way you can take the fifteenth or the two hundred-seventh step, before you have taken the first.

It can be difficult to face going out again and resuming your regular activities. It can take more courage to face the little things than the big things in life. Going out shopping for groceries for the first time can be an ordeal.

Making the change more complete could help. Try a different store, a different day, a different time and go with a friend. When it seems very hard to decide what to do first, maybe it’s not very important where you start.

Choose a simple task and get started. Once you’ve begun, it will be far easier to set your priorities and you will have gained in confidence for already having achieved something.

While visiting Mallacoota and the surrounding region of East Gippsland again, my family and I went on another bushwalk and picnic to Genoa Peak.

Genoa Peak is situated in part of the Croajingolong National Park. This area of the national park is a delight for any nature lover with a third of Australia’s native bird species and with more than 200 species of flora (exclusive to this region) living here.

In the early morning we drove from Mallacoota to the town of Genoa. A few kilometres west of Genoa is the Genoa Peak Road. Driving through the bush on the way we saw a black wallaby beside the road. After driving some 8 km along the easy, smooth road through the forest we arrived at the carpark and picnic area.

The walk is a distance of 4 km (return) and takes about 2 hours, though with us ambling along with young children and stopping to look at things and rest, our pace is leisurely and takes us longer. We are not in a rush of course and a big part of the pleasure of the excursion is to explore and examine along the way and chat about the things we observe and experience.

The track is narrow and mostly steep, but moderate in parts. The walking track climbs through thick bush of tall trees, mostly she oaks, eucalyptus and banksias, with some other trees and shrubs. The forest trees prevent much sun from penetrating to the ground so there is not much understorey vegetation, though there are some grasses, ferns and correas in more open patches. Though it was a sunny and mild day it was shady and cool on our climb up the mountain. There are many rock
outcrops; large granite boulders covered in moss the length of the track. There are also lots of fallen trees and branches around, an indication of the stormy periods sometimes experienced here. This day was still and very quiet in the forest.

Although we saw plenty of fresh lyre bird scratchings in the ground alongside the walking track on this trip we didn’t see any of them. We did however catch an excellent sight of a glossy black cockatoo flying over us. We stopped at the Genoa Lookout, 400 metres from the top of the mountain to eat our lunch. The lookout has magnificent views around East Gippsland and north and east into NSW. From here we could see mountain ranges and unspoilt natural wilderness all over, except for a cleared area around the town of Genoa.

From the summit of Genoa Peak, there are spectacular views of the surrounding region, the forests, mountains, rivers and the
rugged coastline, Gabo Island and far out to sea. It is a beautiful place that provides a unique feeling of solitude and remoteness, without being too difficult to reach.

But it’s really the many small, precious moments that these times spent together in the bush, at the beach and other places, that give me the most memorable, touching and enjoyable reminiscences of our little journeys.

Steven
TCF, Vic. AU.