Day 11.........

So, up early and a race to the showers to battle with the bugs.  I wont go into detail but those who know me well will appreciate how my OCD took a bit of a bashing......!

Now the main thing that this area has to offer if its forests.  Miles and miles of them.  And there are amazing, the trees are so straight and high and this makes the scenery so different from what I have been seeing.  There are beaches too, but the nature was what I had been looking for.

So my first visit of the day was to the Gloucester Fire Tree.  This is a 64metre tree that has been used since the early part of the last century to spot fires in the area.  Its not used now but the platform and the spikes in the trees that they used to use to climb up are still there.  And you are able to climb them. 

Now in Blighty you would not be able to get within a mile of these trees (there are 3 main ones dotted around) and you would not be able to climb without an hours training, a harness, skilled guide and safety net.  Now this being Australia there is just a sign that says 'don't climb in flip flops, don"t climb when it's raining and don't let kids climb it'.  Ok...........

I get there at 7.30am and there is not a soul there.  No one.  Not even the ranger who sites in the entrance to the National Park.  So. I go up about 30 rungs and think, this is stupid.  Wait till someone gets here.  Then I start to look at this bloody thing and say to myself, why.....!!!??

But I am determined to do it, I will conquer my fear!

The Ranger arrives and I inform him that I going to climb the tree and he just smiles and says, 'OK enjoy...'

Mmmmmm, now I think this is not such a good idea.  But when in Rome and all that.  Now at least there is someone who knows I am up the tree so that if I fall (and it would be no doubt to your death!!) at least someone knows I am there.  So with a cheery wave and a 'if I'm not back in 2 hours.....' I begin my climb.

Sweet Baby Jesus and the Orphans.  I was petrified.  I was climbing up metal spikes in the side of this tree, no harness, no net, no flip flops either I will add.  But I was determined not to give up.

So, 124 rungs, followed by another 12, then 8 on a ladder, lots of sweating and swearing resulted in a view that I would not have missed for the world.  I was 64 metres up and looking down on the tree canopy and the lands beyond and it was the most amazing feeling!  I was so glad that I had done it, and I was still there  on my own!!  But now came the time to go down.....  Dear God, all i can say is that was far worse than coming up but once at the bottom i was greeted by some other explorers who were looking for a thrill, and as I watched them shimmy up I thought, bloody hell i must have been mad......

It was still only 9am at this point so to celebrate by achievement I treated myself to a large flat white and a huge chocolate muffin and sat and pondered my next move.  It was to be the Pemberton Tram that meandered through the forests giving you a unique view of this wonderful place.  It was lovely.  Move on.

Next I decided to drive the Karrai Forest Loop which took you past some old and ancient trees, a dam and other beauty spots.  Got to the dam which was lovely but decided to push on through and check the other things off my list.  Little did I know that the next 10km was on unsealed roads.  Colin was not a happy boy.  Neither was his exhaust which i have a feeling may not last till the end of the trip!

At this point I was trundling through red earth, too scared to turn round and even more scared to stop in case I couldnt get started again so I drove the whole lot and when I finally got onto tarmac I heaved a huge sigh of relief!  And so did Colin (not sure about the exhaust and I am sure something pinged off halfway round...)

One more stop at another fire tree, the Diamond Tree, this only 54m high and the fact that my legs were still wobbling from my morning exercise and that the March flies were out in force (think horse flies but bigger with more teeth) I decided to head on back to camp.  The fact that 3 drunk teenagers where clambering up this tree also put me off.....good luck with that!

I managed to get some radio coverage on route back (been a bit hit and miss) and caught the tail end of a quite important message about some bush fires in the area and when I got back to camp the manager informed me that there were some in the area but they were not concerned as yet, they had been started by lightening the previous night.  So with that thought I settled in and enjoyed a nice evening with a couple of my neighbours, Lorne and Hayley, who were travelling from Perth.  So after much laughter, wine and merriment it was off to sleep.  Off to my new destination tomorrow, Denmark.