Along the Nordkalottleden: Gear Review

My gear list was published prior to departure on the trip, however, there were a few late additions to the pack including a book (300 gms) waterproof carry case for the camera and an extra meal, so my pack weight was closer to 17 kg when I left home. As I have stated previously I was generally happy with my gear and it enabled me to complete the walk with a minimum of hassles, but there are always times when the gear is not optimal, for others it may be a different story. I will comment on the big three as well as some other items of gear.
Aarn Mountain Magic 55l pack.
Generally I was very pleased with the pack and certainly with the ability to carry 17 kg comfortably. There is no doubt I had probably pushed the pack beyond its comfortable weight limit but given that a days food weighed about 800 gms, after a couple of days the weight was approaching what was more realistic of a pack this size. The picture below shows the pack fully loaded with only tent poles and a sleeping mat attached to the outside.



The front balance pockets were full and each contained approximately 3 kg and did inhibit leg lift, after day one I reduced the weights to about 2 kg in each and this proved to be much better. One problem I had with the pack is the attachments to the top of the balance pockets, these a shock cord and cord locks, I do not believe that this the best design as the shock cord stretches and the cord locks slip when the bungy gets wet. I tied knots into the cords to stop them from sliding but still they stretched further than I would have liked. I am now looking at replacing the bungy with either dyneema cord or webbing straps. For my next long trip I may consider using the Featherlite Freedom as it is perhaps more suited to such loads and the attachments for the balance pockets are better suited to heavier loads.
Stephensons Warmlite 2C tent



I was very pleased with this tent, as I had said in an earlier blog post I had decided to err on the side of caution when taking a shelter for the trip. The tent withstood strong winds from the back the front as well as the sides, it was spacious for one and could be erected in under 5 minutes. The shelter only requires a total of 9 pegs and can be erected with 3. There was some minor condensation at the single layer cones at each end but the mid section stayed condensation free. There are two changes I would make to the tent, one, I intended to, but did not put silicone sealer on the floor to reduce the slipperiness, it will be done before the next trip. As it was daylight all night and the tent quickly warmed in the mornings it would have been nice to have an insect free refuge with the door open, I intend to contact Stephensons to arrange for a no seeum door to be added. But these are minor annoyances more than design deficiencies, I can strongly recommend the tent. Having experienced the wonders of Lapland I now feel it is possible to use an appropriate shelter with added bug protection, such as GoLite ShangriLa 1, Gossamer Gear Spinnshelter, any of the pyramid shelters from MLD or Black Diamond as well as tarps such as the Spinntwinn from Gossamer Gear. Of course in using such shelters, care will need to be taken in adverse weather conditions.

Nunatak Arc Specialist Quilt, kept me warm and comfortable through out the trip, nothing more need to said about such a fine product.

Cooking, I used a Primus Micron ti Stove with a mini Light My Fire striker. The stove worked flawlessly and I boiled approximatey 12 litres of water over the 10 days using less than a 250 grams of gas, I estimate there were 2 days left in the canister suggesting a usage of approximately 20 grams per 1.2 litres of water. For the next trip I may consider the use of a small wood burning stove in conjunction with either Esbit or gas, when the insects or weather make the outdoors less than pleasant. Options include the Bushbuddy Ultra and the FourDog stove LT1 with the Primus stove or a Monatauk Gnat.
Clothing
Haglöffs Oz Pullover, there has already been much discussion on the blog about the pullover. My perception was that water did bead in the beginning indicating that it was repelling water, but eventually became overloaded causing a build up of moisture inside. Given that I tend to perspire a lot this may be expected. However, with the air being dry the coat did dry quickly and as it was only used a couple of days, heavy duty wet weather gear was not needed and the Oz pullover did the job. I will use the Rab Demand pullover next time, though there is a weight penalty.

I used a Montane Featherlight Smock, which was excellent and with a Tilley hat along with a Buff I saw no need for a hooded windshirt such as the Lightspeed. My water resistant pants were the Featherlite pants and whilst in continued rain they do wet through I was happy with them and would use them again, they also make great wind speed measurers.



Merino; anything made out of Merino wool performed faultlessly, though my BPL Beartooth hoody is showing some wear and tear now and I need to consider replacements. Thanks to Joe at Thunder in the Night I now have an IBEX Hooded Indie to experiment with. My Ibex Liners performed perfectly and were ideal for protecting my hands from the mossies.

Vest; I did not take a vest, and there were times I wish I had, for use when the weather is a little cool or at rest stops, if I take one I would be deciding between the Haglöffs Treble Vest and the BPL Cocoon Vest.

Salomon Quest boots, after developing Plantar Fasciitis, and the long recovery period that followed I have been using Salomon footwear and have been very happy with them. For this trip I chose boots over shoes as I felt the more rigid soles would be better on the Talus etc, and I think this was true, however, the boots had a major drawback, lining, resulting in blisters. It is for this reason that I intend to return to Innov-8 Terrocs for all my hiking in the coming months paying particular attention to the activities that can lead to Plantar Fasciitis.



Pacer Poles, aluminium alloy, excellent as usual and even with a major fall the poles continued to work, albeit with a slight bend in one of the lower sections.

Camera; Olympus E-Pen 2, I was very pleased with the camera and am still learning how to use it, I was attracted to the Micro fourthirds in an effort to reduce weight, but maintain the quality offered by a DSLR. I also found that the user interface had some similarities with my Ricoh GX100 which made the transition a little less daunting. I intend to write a longer review on this camera in due course.

Along the Nordkalottleden Part 3: Jerta to Kilipsjärvi

After a windy night, it was quieter in the morning (however morning is defined when it is never dark) Whilst it was light inside the tent, I was not completely sure if the fog had lifted, I looked outside and it had but only a 100 metres or so.
Now into my usual routine cooking breakfast packing up and extracting myself from the tent and set about finishing the packing. It was apparent that the weather was improving and as I descended to Skaktardalen.
The Skaktardalen is a wonderful valley with a broad shallow river which according to the Norwegian guy I met was great for fishing, it would have also been a great pack rafting river in my view. Reaching the river I noticed a tent to my left and the couple inside were just beginning breakfast, I waved they waved but we never spoke. When I read the logbook in Pältsastugan it was apparent to me that they were hiking to Abisko along the Nordkalottleden.



Crossing the river I began to climb around the flank of stuora Nanna, by now the sun had come out and with a light breeze it made for pleasant hiking. Also in the back of my mind was an awareness that my sleeping bag was a little damp from the previous night so after a while I decided it was time to stop, dry out the gear and just plain relax. Which I did. I also noticed at this time what appeared to be a pair of Rough Legged Buzzards high up on the cliffs enjoying the warm air.

After a while of sitting I began to realise that there were a number of tents along the Skaktardalen, there did not seem to be much movement so I wondered if they were fishing, relaxing or avoiding bugs, though I doubt it was the latter, it really was a nice day.

I finally decided that the sleeping bag was dry enough and continued to sidle stuora Nanna finally descending to two unnamed lakes which drained to Skaktardalen. As I descended there was the inevitable heath, black mud and mosquitos, but again not enough to really trouble me. I was also taken by the 2 hunting birds, possibly Merlin who were soaring above the cliffs. Climbing away from the lakes I headed North East towards Dærthytta, a spot for lunch was found and I sat for a while just enjoying the sun whilst drying boots and socks. After lunch with a descent to Cievččasjávri brought mosquitos which were quick to rise from their shady spots among the rocks and I was quick to keep moving. They did not detract from the walk and I was forever looking around to see what I could inclduing a Sami village to the west. Ultimately I arrived at Dærtahytta, though my goal was further north.

After a break I headed north only to be confronted by a dead end valley and the only way out was up with a climb of about 100 metres across talus. I finally reached the top and noticed that at 950 metres there was still ice on the lakes. I continued across the rock strewn land scape till I found a campsite on the Øvre Dividal nasjonalpark boundary at about 1100 m.



Whilst having dinner I had a surprise guest, a Lemming, it did not seem too concerned by me, but should have been grateful that I was there while the Longtailed Skua searched for food. It was a pleasant evening and relaxing outside the tent was the reward for an enjoyable days hiking.


It was a little greyer the next morning, and I continued my onward trek north and given that I had had no telephone signal for 5 days I was hopeful that today may provide the reassuring option of sending a message to say I am ok. There was little climbing to do and I was soon at the top of the saddle before the long descent to Rostahytta. Soon I came across what was the most elaborate stone cairn I had seen so out came the camera.



I continued the descent past some lakes and was impressed by the sedimentary rocks with their many layers.





The gradual descent through grassy plains with wildflowers blooming finally led me to Rostahytta, my lunch stop.





I sat there enjoying the sunshine while taking in the views to the north and south, while doing so a Norwegian couple arrived with 2 dogs, they were intending to stay in the hytta and were happy to describe their hiking experiences in Nepal to me. I was also impressed by the size of the woodstack, that is some sauna they must have.



After a long lunch break I headed upstream along the Nordakalottleden. Soon you pass the trail though Isdalen, I have no idea why the trail continues along the valley, the trip through Isdalen looks much more interesting. The remainder of the day was spent walking along what is best described as a quad motor bike trail. Ultimately I found a place to stop and as long as the breeze blew there would be few bugs. The breeze did stop later and the bugs appeared.
The next morning it was calm, mild and very humid. So aside from the mosquitos it was not very pleasant and as soon as there was a climb you were sweating, but it was not raining. So I was wandering along as I do, when out to the left I noticed this peak and I said “WOW” it was Pältsan standing at 1442m. I found a spot to sit, take photos and admire it and the surrounding mountains beginning to realise that this would possibly be the last real peaks I would see on the trip.



After a break I set off towards Pältsastugen for lunch as I approached the stugan I met 3 Finnish hikers who were intending to climb Pältsan, apparently there is a log book at the top. I continued on my way never knowing whether they climbed it or not.
Arriving at Pältsa stugan I was met by the warden, he was very helpful in advising me of all the local beauty spots as well as showing me the two visitor books. The Nordakalottleden Book contained entries of those specifically hiking the trail. I was to be the first heading North (for 2010) with one other couple heading south. I sat around for quite a while with one excursion to the nearby waterfalls. It would have been easy to be seduced by the comforts of the hut, but I decided to move on.


So after a very relaxing time in the hut I decided to move on to a camp up high near the border of Sweden, Norway and Finland. It was a long climb from the stugan under darkening skies, two hikers passed me going south with big packs on, I assumed they were staying at Pältsastugen. After a long climb I reached the saddle as the rain began to fall. The landscape in front of me was a rock and grass covered landscape interspersed with lakes and snow drifts. As I descended towards the first lake I noticed a hiker heading towards me, he was a New Zealander who had been attempting to hike the whole trail only to be stopped by flooded rivers north of Kilipsjärvi.

We chatted for a while during which he suggested I should stay at Kuokkmajärvi a hut on the Finnish side of the border. We went our separate ways, however, he did note my smaller pack, his was the bombproof 90 litre Macpac Cascade. I continued across the barren landscape as it became increasingly dull (at 4 pm).

I finally descended towards Treriksröset (three borders). It was close to 8 pm by the time I arrived and I had the place to myself, it was some what humid and the insects were active. From here it was a short walk to Kuokkmajärvi, I met up with 3 Finnish ladies who were waiting for the remainder of their group to arrive. They advised me that there was a few mosquitos in the hut, upon inspection I decided a tent was a better option.





So with a 3 km walk in the morning the trip was all but complete. I enjoyed a late dinner and then retired for the night with the mosquitos in evidence but not in plague proportions, that was in the forest I was told.





There was a minor panic in the morning when I realised that the boat operated on Finnish time which was 1 hour ahead of my clock, but not to despair I still had plenty of time and sat beside Yinan Kilipsjärvi waiting for the boat to depart.
Alighting from the boat I walked up to Retkeilykeskus, and tested their showers, as well as the all you can eat buffet and their reindeer hamburgers.

Later in the day the bus to Tromsø arrived. There was one surprise left, the bus trip, which was perhaps the most scenic bus trip I have ever been on.

Along the Nordkalottleden Part 2: Gaskashytta to Jerta

I awoke around 4 am and realised how light it was, a quick peek out the door and I noticed the blue sky so I swung the door back and lay back down to enjoy the view, after all it was only 4 am. I slept for a while and awoke again to the wonderful view out the tent door.
I finally extracted myself from the comfort of the Neo Air and Nunatak quilt and set about making breakfast and the all important coffee, all of the time admiring the view. After a while I was packed and ready to head north along the Strömskardet valley before swinging east towards Vuomajavri and its accompany hytta. It was pleasantly sunny as I climbed and the views to the north and south ensured that I did not rush.
It was one of those days in the mountains that you dream off and as I climbed I savoured every moment
Eventually the trail swung eastwards and provided excellent views to the north in especially towards the high peaks surrounding Maddagaisi. After a while I took a break and happily just sat, no hurry no need to get somewhere in a particular time and with the thought of 24 hours of daylight in my mind it did not matter when I arrived at my planned destination, it was a great feeling.

After a long break enjoying the scenery and the views of reindeer I continued to climb only to meet a reindeer herd, this herd seemed in no hurry to move and I quickly had my camera out for a few photos.

The further I climbed the alpine grasses decreased and the talus increased, whilst climbing I noticed a hiker heading towards me, the first since leaving Björkliden. Interestingly the female hiker was from New Zealand, but lived in Tromsø, we chatted for quite a while about the lack of bridges and the route. Her companion was a Finnish Lapphund which was always keen to herd up the reindeer and thereby providing an interesting challenge for the handler. I decided to pass over the saddle and find a spot for lunch on the other side, so after traversing several snow drifts I began the slow descent to a grassy spot for lunch. With the sun still shining and dark clouds on the horizon I was still happy to enjoy the experience. Once over the saddle I had views to the east as well as south and north, it was fantastic and the number of reindeer herds did not decrease either.
After a long lunch I continued to descend towards the lake suddenly realising that there were a lot of mosquitos, much to my surprise as I was at 800 metres. I quickly found my headnet and repellant and regaining my composure I continued to descend, only to realise that the Long Tailed Skua also liked this area so as I waved away mosquitos and Skua. I watched as a pair of Skua harassed a lone reindeer that was separated from the herd. These Skua clearly did not take no for an answer.
I finally found a campsite near Vuomahytta, there were a few mosquitos around and the sound of the waterfalls provided a wonderfully orchestrated backdrop. Taking the time to clean up and relax I began to realise that as the wind dropped the mosquitos increased. Oh well cooking in the tent it is. So after a relaxing dinner considering the design features of the Warmlite tent I settled down for the night, instead of counting sheep I counted mosquitoes on the outside of the front door of the tent. “32 is the answer”

I awoke early the next morning and had a leisurely breakfast, before packing up it was cooler and greyer but generally mild and humid, with little or no breeze. With a descent into the Anjavassdalen I expected it to be sticky with bugs, I was correct.

The air was still so the views as I left the campsite were highlighted by the calm waters of Vuomajavri.


The descent towards Anjavassdalen was easy and I could soon hear the sounds of yet another fast flowing river.

The skies were darkening and it looked like it would rain, it did. However, apart from the peat bog sections and the small stream crossings, it was a pleasant walk. Though stopping, soon encouraged a lot of flying visitors to say hello. Eventually I came to the suspension bridge that crosses the outflow from Vuomajavri, with its magnificent waterfalls hidden in the trees to the south. There was a nice rest spot here complete with fire place firewood as well as an axe and saw.
After crossing the bridge there was a sign indicating a new trail which followed the river more closely, it was apparent that this trail had not been used a lot and at times was a little difficult to follow. However, it was a pleasant walk through the forest with commanding views of the river and the gorge near the junction with Divielva.


Soon it was time for lunch and with it still raining I had a quick lunch before the next climb out of the valley to Dividalshytta. Initially the trail followed the Divielva and the flood damage from winter was clearly evident. I began the climb as the rain stopped but with little breeze it was humid, however, I was able to watch the different birds play in the trees and soon I was out of an old pine forest which I had first entered on the west side of the Divielva.
In time I reached Dividalshytta and found a campsite with views to the west and North, it was windy up here and having pitched the tent I settled down to dinner with the luxury of cooking and eating outside and I was blessed with a wonderful view of the clouds illuminated by the sunlight.


The following day I had planned for a short day, which became even shorter as I arose to fog and visibility of not more than 50 metres. So I sat around in the tent reading, writing up my journal and just plain not doing much. So by lunchtime I was getting itchy feet, I decided to head up higher to see if the fog was thinning, as I climbed it became evident that there was less fog so I returned to camp and made lunch. While having lunch I met a young Norwegian guy who came down the hill. He and his mates were camped on a lake a few kilometres away fishing. He had recently had a knee operation (as evidenced by the crutch on his pack) and had decided to return home. With his husky at his side we happily chatted before he continued his trek to the car. He did tell me of the best fishing spot in the area and that last winter he had dog sledded much of the area. But with no Tenkara fishing was not an option for this trip. After lunch I climbed and as I did the fog dispersed and with occasional sunny breaks the barren rock strewn landscape was evident. However the high peaks of Jerta and litle Jerta remained fog bound, I climbed towards the high saddle and as I climbed I encountered fog and increasing strength winds, upon reaching the saddle I found what was sheltered campsite and settled in for the night hoping that the fog would lift by morning.

Björkliden to Kilipsjärvi: Part 1. Björkliden to Gaskashytta

The trip was the culmination of 12 months of planning after unexpected changes in 2009. I had decided to change the direction for transport reasons to a South to North trip along the Nordkalottleden. I travelled by XJ 2000 from Copenhagen to Stockholm Central and then the night train to Narvik, alighting at Björkliden RS at 11 am on Saturday morning.

There were many hikers on board the night train and most of them alighted at Abisko (both stations) and were presumably heading south along the Kungsleden.
It was a beautiful sunny morning and shorts and short sleeve shirts seemed to be the way to go. Having crossed the railway tracks I headed west along the north side of the line with views of Torneträsk further north. It was then I realised that “I am actually here and hiking along the Nordkalottleden.” it was a great feeling. The trail meanders between the railway line and road to Narvik, climbing a little and providing some views to the north, it was also evident that the sky was rapidly darkening.
So before long it was on with the windshirt and decisions on whether the Montane Featherlight pants should be worn. After about 2 hours I stopped besides Báktájøhkaluobbalat as the rain began to fall. It was here I cooked lunch and donned the Oz Pullover. After lunch I soon crossed the road and headed north in the increasing wind and rain, which was when I began to realise why I should have packed the Rab Demand and not the Haglöffs top. Aside from the rain and wind it was an undulating walk through low shrubs and trees and with a full pack it seemed like slow going.
I continued on finally reaching the bridge across Njuoraeatnu.



I began to realise that I would not reach my intended destination Lappjordhytta a locked DNT hut in Norway, instead I decided to stay at Pånostugan as the rain continued to fall. I reached Pånostugan quickly realising that I was wet through from the rain, especially on the top of half of my body and this was the second time that I had ended up wet when wearing the OZ pullover (when will I ever learn?)



Having arrived at the hut I set about hanging out damp clothes and deciding a fire in the stove would help to dry the wet gear. Fortunately there was some matches and I discovered how easily birch bark lights and I had a fire going in the stove and the clothes were drying. Much to my surprise, and to a couple from Narvik, who arrived to find me comfortably ensconced in the hut, when they had hoped for a quiet night. The rain had cleared by now and we had a chat about gear, the area and food. I appreciated their chocolate chip cookies. Given a long day tomorrow I retired for the night and was soon asleep.
I awoke to an overcast and windy morning and having eaten breakfast I was quickly packed and out the door. Whilst the couple slept on. There was to be a lot of climbing for the day having started at 380 m, I would climb through a pass at 950 m before descending to a yet to be determined camp.

Soon I was crossing into Norway from Sweden and would stay in Norway for the most of the trip.



With Lappjordhytta perched on a cliff top in the distance, I began the climb all the time admiring the scenery to the left and right and behind, with stunning views to the south.



After a little while I had reached the hytta and took time to enjoy the view and note appropriate campsites should I ever return to this area.



Soon I was climbing again with the wind behind me, something I began to appreciate more and more as the day progressed. Quickly I was out of the trees and climbing in the open slopes of Ganaśbaḱti, it surprised me to see small patches of flowers out in such adverse conditions.

As I climbed I encountered my first small herd of reindeer and soon after snow drifts, a pattern that would continue for many days to come. The mist began to to encroach as I climbed and it was not long before I had the first wind driven snowfall, the wind was strong up here and could easily blow me off balance as I climbed. I was however, very glad that the wind was generally coming from behind. Overall the1 trail is well marked but as I climbed higher with snow still on the ground some of the rock cairns (marked with a red T) were difficult to find. The remainder of the day was very windy and foggy at times and as I descended (or was blown) down the Luirevaggi valley, surrounded by snow capped peaks, I appreciated the ruggedness and beauty that surrounded me. The valley was mostly covered in shallow soft snow which made for slow going at times especially over the talus strewn landscape. As I descended I passed a Sami village, and finally I found a slightly sheltered place for lunch next to a small waterfall.


After lunch I continued down the valley only to be introduced to the Longtail Skua, now these seabirds nest on the tundra and unknown to me they are a little aggressive, so I suddenly found myself taking evasive action, though they never really approached more than 2 metres away. I soon learnt to recognise their call and keep an eye out for the white breast of the bird as they sat on a rock looking for unsuspecting hikers. They eat fish and live on lemmings in the tundra.

Soon I came across one of the first significant river crossings and was pleased to see that I could keep my feet dry as I crossed, then as I sat for a rest beside the river the sun appeared briefly and with a watchful eye out for a Skua I relaxed in a sheltered spot. I was soon on my way again it was getting late and it appeared it would rain again I looked out for a campsite beside the fast flowing Salvasskardet, and after passing a narrow gorge a flat spot was found and camp set up for the night.



With the wind still blowing insects were not a problem, but it was soon raining so I retired to the tent after a long and eventful day. This was to be my first night in a tent in Lapland with the midnight sun, but I hardly noticed the extra light as the sky was clouded over.

I awoke to another grey day, with much less wind along with the occasional mosquito. Today was intended to be a shorter day and it would take me through the small village of Innset also I would be in the forest most of the day.
I quickly found the access trail used by the quad motor bikes travelling to the Sami village and headed down stream towards Innset admiring the rugged valleys and surrounding snow capped peaks. It was also evident that the weather was improving with the occasional hint of blue sky. Passing across the large dam wall of Altevatn through the village of Innset, I noted the offer by the Husky Farm to come and collect hikers and provide them with accommodation for the night. I also noted that there is now a hytta in Innset named Altevasshytta (which was not shown on my maps). At the end of a gravel road out of Innset there is the familiar red “T” markings which take you towards the Koeivatnet a lake fed fast flowing stream passing through a small rocky gorge where the bridge is located. Well the bridge was interesting, would you cross this bridge?



I chose to walk about half a kilometre south and wade the thigh high fast flowing river. My boots, were no longer dry. After wading the river I picked up the trail now as it sidled around Lifjellet. Here there was no wind, some mud, more mosquitos and many boardwalks. It was on one of those water covered board walks that I slipped, resulting in a sore knee which slowed me down for a couple of days as well I had a slightly bent alloy Pacerpole. I never did like board walks.
So with many small streams and forest sections it was slow progress towards Gaskashytta. But with clearing views to the south across Altevatn there was always variation to be seen. Soon as I rounded Lifjelletangen the roar of the powerful Luodnavaggi river flowing rapidly towards Altevatn could be heard, the map indicated there was a bridge (I hoped so).



Sure enough there was one of the many suspension bridges I would meet, so I quickly crossed and headed to the hytta before looking for a campsite.

I decided to cross Strömskardet to the east of the hytta before looking for a campsite, only to be presented with a 3 metre wide chasm and a rapidly flowing river below. Hmmm ...



So down stream I headed, for about a kilometre and then found a crossing only about a metre deep and 50 metres wide. After sidling along the river bank and surprising some reindeer I found a nice campsite with views to the south and settled down for the night. Mind you the sound of the repetitive call of the Cuckoo, did make make me wonder about my sanity as well as how many more interesting river crossings there would be in the coming days.

Along the Nordkalottleden: Björkliden to Kilipsjärvi

I am back from a fanatastic trip. It will take me a few days for me to come to terms with everything I have seen heard and experienced in so many ways. There are many photos and notes to sort through, however some highlights include

1. Awesome scenery; over every rise there is a new panorama
2. Wonderful bird life, including the hikers friend the Long-tailed Skua
3. Lots of water
4. Mosquitos but for me at least they were not a significant problem
5. Many reindeer herds
6. Ideal fishing locations
7. Great packrafting opportunities

and much more

Gear I was happy with my gear choices though I will make some adjustments for the next long trip. I will report on this in more detail later.

Weather: in summary 3 days of sunshine, 3 days of rain, 3 days of wind one of which was also foggy, and there was even sleet on the second day.

Over the coming weeks I will write a travelogue of the trip. For now it is back to reality with family from Australia arriving.