The F U Wait & Brock Hawke on the Herbert River

Welcome back to Take A Hike! In this episode, your hosts Blair Woodcock, Luen Warneke, and Cherry Judge tackle a very relatable group hiking dynamic before diving into some extreme North Queensland whitewater rafting with special guest Brock Hawke.

The Infamous "F U Wait"

Have you ever been the slowest person in your hiking or mountain biking group? You push hard to catch up to your resting friends, but the second you arrive, they say, "Alright, let's move on!" and take off again.

You have just experienced the F U Wait.

Originally coined on the Dirtbag Diaries podcast, it is a phenomenon that happens to the best of us. Cherry admits she is often the one dishing it out without realising, simply assuming the slower walkers are recovering while moving. Blair, on the other hand, fully owns up to delivering it intentionally.

But is it actually a bad thing? Not necessarily.

"If you never get the F U Wait, you're not hanging out with people better than you, and therefore you're not improving."

Tips for handling the F U Wait:

• Embrace the push: Use the pace of faster friends to improve your own cardio and stamina.
• Stand your ground: If you need a break, just say so! Take your five minutes and tell the fast pack you will catch them at the next stop.
• Communicate: If you are leading a club walk, as Cherry does at Flagstone, build in a bit more leeway for the group.

Brock Hawke and His Herbert River Adventure

We were thrilled to welcome Brock Hawke, an adventure racer from Mareeba who has competed in events like Godzone, Adventure One, and GeoQuest. Brock recently guided Luen and a few brave mates down the Herbert River Gorge, and the stories are wild.

Whitewater Extremes

This was not a lazy Sunday paddle. The crew tackled a 30-kilometre stretch of the Herbert River over two days, facing massive rapids and serious drops.

• Constant Action: They hit a rapid every 100 to 200 meters, ranging up to Grade 4 and 5.
• Massive Drops: The team judges waterfall heights by boat lengths. At 4 meters per raft, fitting two and a half rafts down a drop means they were plunging over 10 meters!
• The 8-Second Swim: When navigating a massive drop, one of their crew, Sam, missed the ramp slightly and was sucked deep under the boil. He was held under for a terrifying 8 seconds before popping up to safety.

Logistics and Local Knowledge

Getting in and out of the gorge is an adventure in itself. The hike out involves a steep 1-kilometre climb with over 400 meters of elevation gain, all while carrying a 35kg raft, paddles, helmets, and camping gear.

Cowboy Camping: With heavy packs, luxury is left at home. The crew simply flips their rafts upside down at night and uses them as makeshift queen beds under the stars.

The Croc Factor: Yes, there are big crocodiles in the Herbert River. While the team only saw slides on the banks, the local croc population has grown to the point that the old take-out points down at Abergowrie are no longer recommended. As Blair joked, the best safety gear is just bringing a friend who is smaller than you!

Other Great Local Rivers

If the Herbert River sounds too intense, or if the water levels have dropped (which they do quickly in the dry season), Brock recommends several other local waterways for paddlers:

• North Johnstone River
• Beatrice River (steep and mostly rainforest-fed)
• Tully River (reliable year-round due to hydro plant releases)
• Lower Barron and South Johnstone

Make sure to tune in next week as we continue our chat with Brock Hawke about his international adventure racing! Until then, stay safe and have fun out there.