We walked for too long, for too little, in Portland. So, after the first couple of days we started walking northwards, on what we got to know was the Great South-West walk GSSW. This is the camino which starts in Portland and ends in Penola in South Australia.

So, we were on the coastal walk and enjoying every minute of it, despite the raging wind and rainy interludes. There were huge caves covered by sand, and lashed by the sea. The variation on the cliff top was superb, gently undulating at times where little animals took refuge amongst the scrub all around.

After a day or so of great natural beauty we drove through the countryside and found Tarragal caves, immense with natural beauty. Skirting a huge lake, we made our way to to the huge sandy expanse of Discovery Bay.

Cape Nelson had a famous lighthouse and wonderful nature walks along the cliff tracks. We walked along a huge winding gorge filled with water, one of the great highlights of the walk. We met a couple of men on the pathway and fell into long and interesting conversations. Fortunately for me, one of them was a poet, so we talked about poetry as we walked.

Our last stop was in Penola, the end of the pilgrimage trail. It is a picturesque town in the Coonawarra region, and the home of Mary McKillop, Australia’s first Saint and who the track is dedicated to. Three poets were there to meet me dressed in concrete. Even though they could not talk, I read some of their poems, and all had the experience of knowing about, or walking, this famous part of the world.