East Gippsland Rail Trail – Tyers Lake Camp and a Strange Encounter

Still making my way along the East Gippsland Rail Trail—somewhere between isolation, exhaustion, and quiet beauty.

I had to double back to Nowa Nowa today to recharge my gear. Literally. The freezing temps overnight drained every battery I had—phone, power bank, and laptop. So I walked back into town, recharged everything, and hit the trail again.

On my return hike to camp, I bumped into someone unexpected—@liambushrod, a young British cyclist riding nearly the same route I’m walking. Turns out, he’s documenting his journey too. If you’re into long-haul solo travel and raw storytelling, definitely check him out: instagram.com/liambushrod

By sunset, I’d reached a quiet campground at Lake Tyers. Remote. Still. Alone.

And then—something strange.

In the middle of the night, I swear I heard footsteps outside my tent. Not animal. Not branches cracking. Bootsteps. Slow. Passing by. I held my breath. No torchlight. No voices. Just… a presence. I waited. Nothing. I don’t know what it was—but I didn’t sleep much after that.

That’s the thing about this journey: it’s not just physical. It messes with your mind. The silence starts to echo. The dark gets heavy.

But I keep walking.

Thanks to everyone who’s followed along or reached out. Even a message can lift the weight a little. And for those helping me keep going—through kind words, gear, or donations—you’re part of this story too.

Ways you can help

📖 Read my novel — Dark Matter: The Order of the Hidden Cross
Kindle: https://www.amazon.com.au/Dark-Matter...
Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Matter-Or...

📚 Early access to my next books (Moloch and 86400) on Patreon:
  / ianbayly  

💳 Direct support via PayPal (every bit helps keep me walking):
https://paypal.me/OneAussiesAdventure

📸 Follow my walk:
Instagram: @OneAussiesAdventure
Facebook: OneAussiesAdventure
YouTube: One Aussie’s Adventure


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