Bloom Locksmiths

08/08/2026

# # Chapter 6 — The Omens Were There

The training was finished.

Well... almost.

There was one final training walk planned up Mt Edwards.

Mt Edwards was closed.

In hindsight, this may have been an omen.

A sensible person might have interpreted a closed mountain immediately before attempting a 1,000-kilometre walk as Mother Nature gently suggesting:

*"Perhaps you should reconsider."*

The Gremlin interpreted it differently.

*"Training complete."*

Fair enough.

We headed for the airport.

We boarded the plane, settled in and prepared to fly to Perth.

Then we sat on the tarmac.

Apparently the plane had developed a fault.

Eventually the fault was sorted and we were airborne.

Excellent.

The problems were behind us.

Except then we started running out of fuel.

Technically, of course, the **plane** was running short of fuel.

This distinction offered surprisingly little comfort at the time.

So we diverted short of Perth, landed at another airport and returned to what was rapidly becoming the recurring theme of the journey...

Sitting on a tarmac.

Eventually we made it to Perth.

Surely that was enough trouble for one day.

Apparently not.

I'd booked accommodation for the night before the walk.

Unfortunately, I appeared to have selected one of the roughest parts of Perth in which to enjoy our final peaceful night's sleep before heading into the wilderness.

At this point, the wilderness was starting to look safer.

Never mind.

Tomorrow morning we'd be up early, fully equipped and finally on our way.

Except...

I'd forgotten some of the equipment.

So instead of an early start, the next morning involved finding somewhere to buy replacements.

By the time we had everything we needed, the carefully planned schedule was already disappearing into the distance.

We hadn't even taken the first step of a 1,000-kilometre walk...

and we were behind.

Looking back, the signs were there.

**The mountain was closed.
The plane broke.
The plane needed fuel.
We landed somewhere we weren't supposed to.
The hotel was questionable.
I'd forgotten equipment.
And we were already running late.**

Batman would probably have called those warning signs.

The Gremlin called them...

*"A good start."*

Next month:

👉 **Day One — we finally hit the Bibbulmun Track, immediately encounter a road closure nobody told us about, rely on the kindness of strangers to get through... and then manage to set dinner on fire.**

---

**To be continued... because turning back was never really an option.**

16/07/2026

The planning was finished.

The training was about as complete as it was ever going to be.

The companions had gradually vanished.

There was nothing left to organise.

It was time to leave.

Funny thing about adventures...

The hardest step isn't usually the first one on the track.

It's the one where you close the front door behind you and realise there isn't an easy way back.

The Gremlin, naturally, had no such concerns.

He was excited.

Western Australia was waiting.

The Bibbulmun Track was waiting.

A thousand kilometres of forest, hills, mud, rain and whatever else Mother Nature felt like throwing at us were waiting.

Batman simply nodded.

He'd stopped trying to explain things several chapters ago.

As the kilometres rolled by, excitement and doubt quietly shared the front seat.

One kept saying,

*"This is going to be amazing."*

The other whispered,

*"Have you completely lost your mind?"*

Oddly enough...
..both voices sounded remarkably similar.

The Gremlin solved the problem the only way he knew how.

He declared,

*"Too late now."*

And for once...
..he was absolutely right.

Next month:

👉 **The first steps on the Bibbulmun Track... where enthusiasm is high, backpacks still fit properly, and nobody has yet met the hill that changes everything.**

---

**To be continued... because turning back was never really an option.**

06/06/2026

Many → Few → Oh dear, it's just us now.

Training was progressing.

Not necessarily well.

But it was progressing.

The Gremlin was feeling confident.

The mission had been approved by Canberra.

The walking had begun.

The gym had been visited.

Surely the hard part was behind us.

Then something strange started happening.

People disappeared.

Not physically.

At least, not that we could prove.

At the beginning, there had been plenty of interest.

Everyone liked the idea of a great adventure.

A long-distance walk.

Fresh air.

Beautiful scenery.

Personal challenge.

The sort of thing that sounds magnificent while sitting comfortably in a chair.

But as the training distances increased, a curious phenomenon emerged.

Phones became quieter.

Messages took longer to answer.

Some people suddenly discovered important commitments.

Others developed a previously unknown affection for staying home.

One by one, the numbers began to shrink.

The Gremlin remained optimistic.

"They must be training secretly," he suggested.

Batman was less convinced.

He had seen this before.

People love the idea of climbing mountains.

Far fewer enjoy climbing them.

People love the idea of walking a thousand kilometres.

Far fewer enjoy the preparation.

By now, the Gremlin had started to notice something.

Every training walk seemed to have fewer participants than the one before.

Still, he refused to be discouraged.

After all, how hard could it be?

Batman simply stared into the distance.

The answer to that question was coming.

And it was carrying a backpack.

Next month:

👉 *The journey to the start line begins, and the Gremlin discovers that travelling to an adventure can be an adventure all by itself.*







---

27/05/2026

Lots of miles under the hood now.

01/05/2026

On my last training run up Mt Edwards, I passed a group of future adults — teenagers — heading up as I was coming down.

At the bottom I noticed a Kokoda Challenge bus, so I assumed they may have been part of one of the Kokoda Youth Foundation programs. It brought back a few memories.

In the early days, Bloom Locksmiths sponsored teams in the Gold Coast Kokoda Challenge fundraising event — including a team I remember as the “Mixed Nuts”, who did us proud and came away with a couple of trophies.

More importantly, it reminded me why I have always thought so highly of this organisation.

Kokoda Youth Foundation works with young people through challenge, discipline, mentorship, teamwork, community service and the Spirit of Kokoda — Courage, Endurance, Mateship and Sacrifice.

Having once sat on the fence myself, I have a lot of respect for any organisation that helps young people fall on the right side of it.

It is good to see they now have a presence in Ipswich as well.

For anyone who wants to learn more, support, donate, volunteer or simply see what they do:

Kokoda Youth Foundation:
[https://kokodayouthfoundation.com/](https://kokodayouthfoundation.com/)

Youth Programs:
[https://kokodayouthfoundation.com/youth-programs-we-fund/](https://kokodayouthfoundation.com/youth-programs-we-fund/)

Donate:
[https://kokodayouthfoundation.com/donate/](https://kokodayouthfoundation.com/donate/)

The Kokoda Challenge:
[https://www.kokodachallenge.com/](https://www.kokodachallenge.com/)

A worthy organisation, and one Bloom Locksmiths still thinks very highly of.

If you need more information about Donating, applying to Volunteer and how to join our Youth Programs, please reach out to our team and we'll be in touch!

21/04/2026

With the mission officially approved by absolutely nobody in Canberra,
there was now only one small detail left.

Preparation.

The Gremlin announced that training would begin immediately.

Batman asked what the plan was.

“Simple,” said the Gremlin.
“We walk.”

And so… training began.

There were walks.
There were hills.
There were discussions about “pace” and “distance” and “not collapsing halfway.”

The Gremlin approached it with complete confidence.

“How hard can it be?” he said.

Batman didn’t answer.
He just kept walking… slightly ahead… at a pace that suggested experience.

But the Gremlin had his own ideas about preparation.

Apparently, this included… strength training.

There was time spent in the gym.
There were weights involved.
There was absolutely no clear connection to walking 1,000 kilometres.

Still… it felt official.

At first, there was enthusiasm.

Fresh legs.
Big ideas.
Optimism everywhere.

But it didn’t take long for reality to start quietly tapping on the shoulder.

Distances felt longer than expected.
Hills seemed… unnecessary.

And somewhere along the way, a very important realisation began to form:

Announcing an adventure…
and preparing for one…
are not the same thing.

The Gremlin, of course, remained confident.

Possibly overconfident.

Definitely underprepared.

Next month:
👉 Companions begin to disappear… as the true scale of the journey becomes clear.