Everyone left Lorne on the Thursday, except me. Roy and Robyn went off to Adelaide, Graeme, Rae, Mum, and Dad went back to Melbourne so Mum and Dad could go for their week in Fiji.

I stayed. I got a room at the Erskine River Backpackers hostel, and did some more hiking for a couple of days.

The snake sign is at the beginning of the trail to Allenvale. I walked up the beach from Lorne to the St. George River. I looked at the sign, decided I wasn't planning to camp so I wouldn't worry about it, and set off up the trail. It was a quiet and soothing walk, through the forest with singing birds, lorakeets and cockatoos and king parrots all around. At Allenvale I found the trail for Phantom Falls, and continued on. It was a bit uphill. Eventually, the trail went down into a canyon and another sign announced Phantom Falls. Phantom was a good name, certainly, because they weren't there. Down at the bottom of the dry canyon, an older man was having his lunch. I was a bit worried about that, as I was now about 10k from town, and as you may know, I read far too many true crime books.

As it turned out, he was the least of my worries. I went around a fallen tree and started walking down towards the staircase up out of the canyon, and things slithered out of my way. Snakes. Skinny little things. With brown heads. Snakes were turning their heads to look at me disdainfully, and then continuing on their way. I made some squeaky incoherent noises, leapt back, and went to turn around. More snakes. Still squeaking, I walked a few more steps. Three or four more snakes decided that they needed to leave one side of the path for the other side. I made some more noises, and then somewhere in my head, under the hysteria, I knew that I couldn't turn back, as it was too hot and I didn't have enough liquids left to hike back the 10 or 12 k I had already come. Presumably, since I hadn't seen a single snake until this point, they hung out in the canyon. The snake pit. If I could get up to the staircase and get out of the canyon, I probably wouldn't see any more. So I set off, stomping my feet and yelling, "Snakes, get out of my way, snakes, I'm coming through, I hate snakes, and you don't have ears anyway but it makes me feel better to yell, snakes, coming through" until I reached the staircase. Sure enough, once up and out there were no more. Although, before my heart returned to normal, something wrapped itself around my ankle and I went hysterical again for a second or two before I realized it was a piece of bark.

I don't know. I figure the guy sitting at the bottom of the canyon must have heard me. If so, I hope he got a good laugh...