After picking Trev and Sharon up, we left at about 9:30am for Rackham, where we would start our 3-mile (4.8 km) walk following the maps and detailed printed directions (with photos!) I had found online.
On the way, it turned out we were going right past the house of some of our Kiwi friends, so we decided to drop in and say hi. Only the father of the family was up and about, but he very helpfully told us that there was nothing to see at Rackham, and we would be much better off starting our walk at Amberley and following the marked paths through the fields. We readily adopted this much more appealing-sounding walk, abandoning the former plan and all of its carefully colour-printed maps and directions.
Arriving in Amberley, we parked our car near the school and set off down the road. We soon found the “public footpath” sign pointing down a dirt road leading away from the town into the fields, and struck out with a bounce in our step. The fact that the track was covered in huge pools of water and white-coloured mud added a whole new dimension of fun to the walk, and was greeted quite cheerfully by all as we slogged and slid our way through.
Continuing on through the flat green fields and some small wooded areas, mud flicking up off our shoes onto our clothes, we climbed over stiles, opened gates, crossed wooden bridges, and came to lots of crossroads where we would hold a group discussion on which way we should go, based on which direction we thought Amberley was in. After emerging from one particularly waterlogged section where the mud had tried extra hard to swallow our shoes with a loud slurp each step, we crossed a stream on a narrow wooden footbridge and found a sign warning walkers about the patch we'd just come through: “CAUTION: [D]ANGEROUS MARSH”.
Throughout the day, we saw lots of wildlife: a couple of big white swans floating in the drains bordering the fields, flocks of ducks, a heron, a pheasant lifting off, and even two herds of deer running in the distance! We also saw lots of molehills – no moles though! At one stage we walked past a few houses and farms – three of which had gum trees growing – and saw cows and calves, horses, donkeys, chooks, and dogs.
Around lunchtime, we were back on a main road and sat on the end of a stone bridge beside a river to eat the food the boys had been carrying in their backpacks.
Once we reached the next village, Coldwaltham, we discovered that the road we had thought would lead back to the Kiwis' place actually led to the motorway. Sharon's hip was playing up so Trev decided to call Bruce (NZ friend) for a ride back to our car, but because his female family members were out shopping, he didn't have a vehicle. We were on our own.
We asked a pair of elderly locals for directions and were told that we could just walk straight along the aforementioned road, and that Amberley was “not very far”. We set off again, but soon left the road to cut across a field to the next village. Here, we came across two ladies walking some dogs and asked them for directions too. They directed us back through the fields, across some train tracks, and through the most challenging wet patches yet... on a path that eventually came out a few metres from where we had eaten lunch!
We were still a very long way from the car. At this point it was estimated that we had walked about 7 miles (11.2 km, give or take a mile) in 3.5 hours. Trev then tried calling a taxi, but because they had to come a long way to get us, the quote was just too much so that option was out too.
That left hitch hiking.
Back where we had eaten lunch, which was right next to an area where people park their cars before going fishing or walking, we asked a man how far it was back to Amberley. About 5 miles, he said. After about 30 seconds of conversation with our poor worn out selves, he offered us a ride (without being asked!) and we all gratefully jumped in. He had just dropped his son's football boots off so was heading home anyway, although I don't think he actually lived in Amberley. Five blissful miles later, he dropped us off right beside our car. Thank you, kind stranger!!!
After that, we drove to Brighton for a look around “The Lanes”, an area of great little shops, market stalls, a flea market etc. We had some nachos at The Earth and Stars, munched on some fudge (nowhere near as good as yours, Shell!), and found a Chinese grocery store where we bought a 2L bottle of sweet chilli sauce because we can only find tiny bottles here.
Brighton is one of the most interesting places for people watching that I can think of. There really are no words. Anyway, at one point we got a bit swept along in the crowded Lanes by a procession of very strange-looking people handing out leaflets and holding placards. They were led by a young man wearing fluorescent clothing and a multicoloured fluoro wig, shouting into a megaphone that we should all download his new single on Monday. Although we had never heard of him, he turned out to be Pete Bennett – a 25-year Tourette's sufferer (really) and 2006 winner of the UK's seventh series of Big Brother. Fancy that!!
After only an hour or two in Brighton, things were starting to pack up so we headed home. And that was our unusual day! :)
P.S. Today is Mother's Day over here – also known as “Mothering Sunday” – so Happy Mother's Day to those to whom it applies!
