Day 22: Arriving at Hume Dam

22nd March! We woke early to a beautiful view over Lake Hume, its still water scattered with dead trees. We left camp at 8:30am, but almost immediately had to stop—Cy had a massive blister that had popped, taking the skin with it and leaving a damp, painful pocket inside his shoe. Out came the first aid kit. I cleaned and dressed his foot, padding it well enough to ease the pressure. Our goal for the day was Hume Dam, a 25 km hike.

It wasn’t as hot, and mentally we were both ready to finish our 340 km trek. We stopped at a few landmarks along the way and met Lauren and Mick, who were off on their own dirt‑bike adventure. They shared their stories and some fresh fruit, which tasted incredible.

We carried on and reached Bantham Bridge, where we bumped into two fellow Germans and had a bit of banter. Then came the crossing: a 1 km bridge with no footpath and no alternative route. People shook their heads at us, some even filmed us, clearly disapproving of the risk we were taking. But we had no choice, so we kept going. After that, we had to walk along the Riverina Highway—the only way to reach Hume Dam—and it became obvious that this part of Australia wasn’t designed for hikers, only caravans and big cars.

The final 4.5 km to Hume Village felt endless. But eventually we arrived at the cottage Tim had booked for us, and it was incredible. After 340 km on foot, stepping into a space with a kitchen, kettle, washing machine, and showers felt surreal. Ordinary comforts for most people, but for us it was a stairway to heaven.

We freshened up and unpacked, then wandered to a nearby café where Colleen greeted us with amethyst crystals and talk of spirituality. We ordered far too much food and ate far too much of it—our stomachs weren’t used to such large portions, and we both ended up feeling sick from overeating.

Back at the cottage, we caught up with family and Beverley to let them know we had reached our first major milestone. Everyone was thrilled for us. That night we sprawled out, watched Gladiator, ate snacks, and each slept in a big bed with real pillows and blankets.

Despite all the comfort, my sleep was restless. My back ached, and my mind wouldn’t settle. This was where we’d stay for the next nine days to recover from the arduous hike before beginning the next chapter: rowing the remaining 2200‑odd kilometres from Hume Dam to Goolwa, the Murray Mouth in South Australia.