A lot of us think of ourselves as bombproof whilst in the bush thinking we each have an inner Boy Scout that takes notice of things like the time of day*, the position of the sun, distant landmarks, the trend of ridges and creeks etc.
I was one until a couple of events in my past have now changed my thinking.
The first was up at Wedderburn prospecting through a forest of undifferentiated Mallee scrub, it was a heavily clouded day, no inkling of where the sun was, no compass, no gps, no watch -useless anyway, I became totally disoriented.
The second was in hilly country around Castlemaine again no gps, and I followed a side gully up over a ridge into another creek which I KNEW from the maps linked back to the bottom of the gully we parked in. Problem was the creek had banks so steep I couldn’t see over them and walked on past the gully I wanted by a considerable distance.
Younger and fitter then, I laughed the experiences off, but now older and less fit and with the realization that if those things had happened just on nightfall things would be much more serious.
* I have often wondered why Minelab have not bothered with a clock and alarm feature on their detectors as being reminded of the time for a prearranged rendezvous with mates could be worthwhile. It may also assist older people better manage their detecting time.
