After posting last night I thought what do we do tomorrow and started to read the local publicity pamphlets, WHAT! the Gloucester tree is one of three fire look out trees and is not the tallest......
So when we awoke this morning I had to slide out of bed and before having to step down from the van onto the earth outside the door without the aid of a fireman's emergency rescue inflatable bed, I suddenly had the urge to rush out and buy a walking frame........ Needless to say whilst Pemberton is a town that bears a slight resemblance to something similar to normal, they do not have a walking frame shop. So two hours later when I am standing at the bottom of the Dave Evans Bicentennial Tree, thinking are you sure or what, I step onto the first of 165 metal bars sticking out of the side of this tree and move forward...... Stupidity does not come into it, insanity does when I feel the muscles in my thigh scream out saying oh no not again and for the next eight minutes I continue onwards and upwards until I am 75m (247ft) above the forest floor. YES, I did it and what do I get for it, I get a similar view to that of yesterday, tree tops.......... But then eight black Cockatoo's set off from a tree top with a squawk and I'm watching them fly through the forest from above them........
And now for the difficult bit, going down, because the bars are at different angles and different spaces, you have to look down so as to see where you are putting your feet but you can obviously see there is a lot of space between them and the ground at the same time........ I'm on my way down as a woman is coming up, I ask for her to wait at the 25m platform, which she gladly does. After asking me about the next bit, she comes down immediately behind me and jumps into the arms of her husband and child, she then pushes me out of the way and cuddles them properly.........
So when we awoke this morning I had to slide out of bed and before having to step down from the van onto the earth outside the door without the aid of a fireman's emergency rescue inflatable bed, I suddenly had the urge to rush out and buy a walking frame........ Needless to say whilst Pemberton is a town that bears a slight resemblance to something similar to normal, they do not have a walking frame shop. So two hours later when I am standing at the bottom of the Dave Evans Bicentennial Tree, thinking are you sure or what, I step onto the first of 165 metal bars sticking out of the side of this tree and move forward...... Stupidity does not come into it, insanity does when I feel the muscles in my thigh scream out saying oh no not again and for the next eight minutes I continue onwards and upwards until I am 75m (247ft) above the forest floor. YES, I did it and what do I get for it, I get a similar view to that of yesterday, tree tops.......... But then eight black Cockatoo's set off from a tree top with a squawk and I'm watching them fly through the forest from above them........
And now for the difficult bit, going down, because the bars are at different angles and different spaces, you have to look down so as to see where you are putting your feet but you can obviously see there is a lot of space between them and the ground at the same time........ I'm on my way down as a woman is coming up, I ask for her to wait at the 25m platform, which she gladly does. After asking me about the next bit, she comes down immediately behind me and jumps into the arms of her husband and child, she then pushes me out of the way and cuddles them properly.........
I am now walking, like I have never walked before and with the aid of crampons and a harness I get back into the drivers seat and head for Windy Harbour via Northcliffe, where I am hopeful of a rejuvenating Cappuccino........... Just how stupid can one person be, Northcliffe, Cappuccino in the same sentence........ It's another town of about forty houses, 9 roads, a School, a Cemetery and a Pioneer museum, which is basically someone's front room........ We get to windy harbour which is not a lot better and put the kettle on, whilst listening to some of the jobsworth volunteers arguing over cleaning the Sea Rescue Boat....... It appears as if the brave men who man the boat when at sea all managed to find something else to do instead of getting involved between Mr Ivor Gotta-Medal and Mrs Up Ones-Bottom..........
We do the sights and one of us who by now is impersonating a duck as he walks, becomes a naughty boy in the eyes of her who shalt not break any rules, as he disregards the No Entry / Path Closed sign and eventually gazes upon the natural phenomenon called 'Natures Window'. As he climbs back up hill he is thinking, in a weeks time, you will laugh about this..... Oh Scotty, please beam me up now.........
We drive the 50k back to Pemberton but drive straight past the campsite, "Where you going" I hear, I reply" to the doctors, my legs are jelly, they need some iron " we then pull into the Pemberton Hotel car park, go inside and I order two pints of Guinness......... Job done! I feel so much better and can 100% guarantee, I will not be climbing any trees tomorrow..........
We do the sights and one of us who by now is impersonating a duck as he walks, becomes a naughty boy in the eyes of her who shalt not break any rules, as he disregards the No Entry / Path Closed sign and eventually gazes upon the natural phenomenon called 'Natures Window'. As he climbs back up hill he is thinking, in a weeks time, you will laugh about this..... Oh Scotty, please beam me up now.........
We drive the 50k back to Pemberton but drive straight past the campsite, "Where you going" I hear, I reply" to the doctors, my legs are jelly, they need some iron " we then pull into the Pemberton Hotel car park, go inside and I order two pints of Guinness......... Job done! I feel so much better and can 100% guarantee, I will not be climbing any trees tomorrow..........
For those of you with the word "Why" on your lips, the answer is, "Because it's there and it's the biggest"............,
