One of the downsides of camping is having to pack away your home in the morning. So, at first we didn't bother. To give increasingly aching limbs some respite free from heavy load, we retraced our steps back to the trail, knowing we could later cut back down to the campsite from the south side of the headland to decamp.

We enjoyed a spectacular, sun-drenched early morning walk around the famous pinnacles of chalk that mark the western end of the island, The Needles . Fortunately, the adjacent tacky amusement park had not yet opened its doors for the masses so we were able to soak up the tranquil atmosphere alongside the mighty chalk cliffs with crashing waves below, until Sam regaled Sophie with a detailed explanation about the processes of coastal erosion...

Re-laden, we made our way back up to the Tennyson Monument for stunning views across the island to the east, the English Channel to the south and the Solent together with mainland UK to the north. We stopped in the cheerful Freshwater Bay for a quick lunch, before ambling on over cliff tops, giving superb views of the crumbling coastline. The chines, steep sided narrow gullies formed by the vigorous downward erosion of soft clays and sands by rivers, are a special coastal feature of this particular area of the island. As we meandered along the cliffs looking out to sea, it was easy to imagine the smuggling trade of old going on along this relatively remote stretch of coast.

With daylight fading, we arrived at the Wight Mouse Inn to smash through a beer and burger before finding a fairly secluded spot, just off the trail to pitch our tent for the night. We would be adhering to the mantra of wild camping 'arrive late, leave early'. Sophie had a restless night as she worried about the tent being blown away, while Sam slept like a log.