The Coomera River is a river situated in the Gold Coast Hinterland in South East Queensland, Australia. The upper reaches of the river flow from the Lamington plateau and the Lamington National Park.
Our overnight hike starts at Binna Burra at Lamington National Park. Both BrucieHi5 and myself met online here on this great Hammock Forum. We got chatting and decided to meet up and go hiking together as I was on holidays staying with my sister at the Gold Coast, First time for me hiking with another Hammock Forum Member and someone that uses a Hammock. Great not to get strange looks from ground Dwellers for a change. Those ground dwellers have no idea what there missing out on.
We met early on a cold windy day at our destination. I can vouch BrucieHi5 looks just like he does on video. I recognized him straight away, the hat was a dead give away.
A quick chat, on with our packs and of we went, within 10 minutes off comes the jacket, we where sheltered from the cold blustery conditions.
Only days before this overnight hike, I purchased a GoPro Hero2 HD camera, similar to what BrucieHi5 uses on his trip reports of late.
A new learning curve for me with my new camera. It didn't start of the best, Using a supplied headband with the camera attached I started filming, but I didn't realise at the time if I hold the on/off button down to long it changes from video mode to camera mode, what I thought I was filming turned out to be images taken. Not to worry, I worked this out before all the good parts of our trip.
I can now see why a lot of you hikers out there use extension poles or hiking poles to attach your camera onto, as I found with my GoPro attached to my head the footage is a bit to shaky for my liking, as you will notice in some of the footage in particular the first few minutes, when we really had the pace on. I must learn to slow down. On the 2nd day this was indeed what we done, took our time and admired the scenery as well as a few creek crossings.
Did I say a few creek crossings? That should be more like 12 creek crossings. We both got wet feet. I felt like a duck by the end of the day.
The creek was absolutely beautiful and not a single Leech was encountered, except for one that bruciehi5 found on his shoe on the 2nd day.
Being to avid hikers that love our gadgets and hammocks, we had a lot to talk about and we talked and talked and talked. BrucieHi5 showed me his setup and this nifty little tripod that had tent poles on the end of it. Got to get myself one of those.
One main disadvantage I found with the GoPro, if you could call it a disadvantage as it's easily rectified is the fact that the camera is enclosed in it's own waterproof housing, sound is not picked up. as the housing blocks any sound that can reach the camera's mike inside it's housing, bruciehi5 solution to this is by using a portable digital sound recorder and editing the sound into the footage. First thing I done after returning from this trip is purchasing a sound recorder I can take and use on my next trip reports.
I was tossed up what to do with this video report of mine, sound wise, I could play background music or see what I could do with what minimal sound the GoPro did pick up. I found in my editing software if I turned the volume up on the footage you can hear me talking, but unfortunately you can't hear bruciehi5. I choosen this path, not because you can't hear bruciehi5. because I think the video would still be more exciting than listening background music.
I hope you all like my first video report with my new camera, many more will follow and hopefully will improve. I have a lot to learn with trip reports.
A big thanks goes out to my new pal, bruciehi5. I had a great time hiking with you. We will have to do it again.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_p3dDnotolc
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