With the sun rising, Amy and I headed to El Questro Gorge whilst Lynda stayed behind with Jess.  Amy and I planned to conquer the big boulder at the half way point and carry on to Mic Micking Pool at the end of the gorge.

Half the fun is the 4WD track in.  Whilst not challenging it contains a deep water crossing and winds its way through the Kimberley’s distinct vegetation to the beginning of the gorge.  Starting the walk from the carpark it is a rocky scramble along the river bed to the halfway pool.  The gorge on this section narrows as it closes in on the halfway pool with sheer cliff faces rising up from beneath you.  It is a beautiful gorge to travel through which get prettier the further you travel into it.

Safely at the halfway pool we sat and pondered how to get past the big boulder blocking our track…it is true that many people fail the challenge of scaling the big boulder due to having to wade through waist deep water to access the boulder.  What this means is that when you reach the boulder you begin climbing it with wet feet…which is exactly what you don’t want on a smooth slippery steep surface.

Well with shoes off and back pack held high we headed out to the big boulder.  Then the challenge of how firstly to get out of the water onto the BB and then how to climb it!  I pushed Amy out of the water to a safe perching point, handed her the back pack and balanced the hiking boots precariously on the BB.  After a few attempts I was out of the water perched on the boulder with a handhold and very small foot hold for one foot, Amy just above me holding on…what next.  I somehow managed to get one boot on my foot to give me a bit of traction and then at full stretch, with a lot of good faith in my rather bleak foot hold pushed myself up and across to another landing.  A slight slip and I was gone!  Yes…made it, hold onto Amy with one hand so she could collect the boots and then I dragged her to my ledge.  From there we both put our boots on and made the rest of the climb easily.

Back on the trail we quickly covered the remaining 2klm of the trip despite warning and notes on how difficult the track was.  Sure, it was challenging in parts but mostly just a whole lot of good fun as you tackled the big boulder and then the big series of boulder strewn across the gorge, the climb up the side of the waterfall and then finally the climb up and into Mic Micking Pool.

At the pool you are in awe of nature’s beauty.  The pool is small but enclosed by narrow sheer cliffs above you and the waterfall at the far end of the crystal pool is amazing as it freefalls onto rocks below.  We quickly undressed and took a surprisingly warmish swim (in comparison to other pools in gorges) swimming out to the waterfall and sitting underneath it on natures well crafter lounge chair.  We swam and played for half and hour enjoying ourselves and having some great fun together.  Several photos followed before heading back.

We descended the gorge quickly back to the big boulder (BB) and again pondered on a plan of attack.  I decided on throwing the walking boots 20m to dry ground.  Three out of four boots landed safely with one of my boots taking a bad bounce and a slight dip in the pool…minor casualty.  We then slid down the BB to the pool below, Amy taking an involuntary slide towards the bottom of the BB and an uncontrolled splash into the pool below.  I managed to stay in control and therefore kept the back pack dry.  A quick swim followed and then we walked out the remaining part of the gorge back to the car.

In the end the 3 to 5 hour return (without a swim) turned out to be about 4 hours with 1 hour of sightseeing and swimming.  In fact the walk out took less than an hour with a swim.

Heading back to camp we spotted J & T who had walked some of the Amelia Gorge and we talked about tackling Moonshine Gorge in the afternoon.

That is what we did, I did the loop walk trail and everyone else bugged out at the last minute and walked in the reverse direction just to the swimming hole.

My walk took me up over the range with fabulous scenery down onto the gorge and surrounding range.  Once up on top you descended down to the halfway pool where you could take a swim.  I decided not to and finally bumped into the rest of the group coming the other way some 500m past the waterhole.  We all retraced our steps so that those who wished could take a swim.  We lounged around at the water hole for some time before heading back to the cars around 4:30pm.  Halfway back to the car park I noticed that Jeff was struggling with Banjo on his back so I relieved him of Banjo and carried him back to camp for Jeff.

What was interesting about this walk and gorge were the layered rock formations which were balanced on a 45 degree angle and towered above you.  The gorge was wide and open and the walking difficult but the rock formations were the highlight.  The water hole I could give a miss and I really believe walking only 1 klm into this gorge will place you in the most interesting section of the gorge.

The other interesting part of the gorge is the long 4WD track to the car park at the start of the gorge.  The track follows the El Questro Gorge track until after the deep water crossing.  It then branches right and continues for several klms as it weaves its way to Moonshine Gorge.  You travel through a few rocky sections and a couple of creek crossings before arriving at the carpark.

Back at camp after nightfall it was time for a shower and for me an early night.

Bushman Bud…Enjoying Australia

Time for Joey Jess to summit this mountain.

Leaving Lake Tinnaroo at 5:30am we were caught out a little with the length of the drive to the walking track for the Bartle Frere summit.  This took us 1 hour and 15 mins meaning by the time we grabbed the back pack and sprayed ourselves with Bushman (for the plague like leaches) we hit the track about 6.50am.

Within the first 300m we realised that the climb was going to be torturous.  There had been heaps of rain the past couple of days and in places the track was water logged and extremely muddy.  This didn’t help the progress and it became a slow grind to the turn off to the waterfalls (about 1.5klm along the track…the name of the falls escapes me at the moment).  From here the track gets a little steeper in sections and the muddy overgrown track was becoming very difficult to negotiate.  You have to constantly watch where you are stepping whilst trying to follow the badly marked track which is in need of urgent attention…mark my words…someone will get lost on this track if it is not fixed.

The kilometres passed very slowley and Joey Jess was getting tired by the 4klm mark and we had a chat about continuing.  After thinking it through Joey Jess was happy to contine…the condition of the track and constant wiping off of many leaches were taking a toll.

We eventually arrived at Northwest Peak which seemed to take forever and stopped for a good break eating our sandwiches and realising that we had left some of our energy food behind…oops.  This seemed to refresh Joey Jess and we moved quickly from the Northwest Peak to the first of the two camps below the Bartle Frere Summit.  This was where the going got really tough and time was slipping away from us.  We had set a cut off time at 12:30pm for the summit and it was closing in on midday.  From the camp we had to negotiate about five massive boulders rising steeply up a small creek, all extremely slippery but not quite as dangerous as the Eastern side if you fell.  These were very difficult and took us a long time to climb over and Joey Jess was getting very tired by this stage and I started to question my decision to take Jess up the mountain…we were however, so close now that I wanted to give Jess every chance to succeed…so we pushed on.

After the boulders we then had to negotiate a running stream which after the rain was cascading down the mountain slope.  This was the last part of the mountain and completely unexpected as it was completely dry last time I came this way.  This was slippery and we both soaked our boots through.  We carried on though and came to the last 200m walk through rainforest…we had made it to the summit of Mt Bartle Frere…you beauty and good on ya Jess – what a climber and machine you are.  What great desire and determination you have in following your dreams and goals, I am so very proud of you for pushing through your limits and boundary conditions on such a tough climb and coming out the other side learning new lessons that will allow you to travel and accomplish even more in life.  You learnt many lessons on Mt Bartle Frere today, well done.  You gave it your best effort and succeeded by going the extra mile.  I love you and am so very proud of you!

We arrived at the top of the highest mountain in QLD at 12:40pm.  Unfortunately the peak was in cloud but we took the chance to take some photos at the peak next to the sign before having to get back down before nightfall.

I must say that I was a little worried.  It had taken us well over 5 1/2 hours to reach the summit and if we took the same amount of time to get back down we would be travelling on an overgrown track in dark…impossible, we would have to camp out and spend a very nasty night in a leach infested rain forest…that was all the motivation we needed.

We left the summit after about ten minutes and a phone call to Nanna & Gramps and Mum.  I pushed Jess hard to the Northwest Peak to try and make up some time.  We lost the track several times and I am thankful that I had the foresight to lay extra markers at places that were unclear.  We arrived at the Northwest Peak in good time and had a well deserved break.  I gave up my sandwich to Joey Jess and we continued on.  Down, down, down we went.  Time seemed to be slipping away when we heard the faint sound of Bobbin Bobbin Falls and realised we had come further than what we had thought…we were going to make it back to the car in daylight…you beauty.

On the track approaching the falls we came across a small snake sunning itself, trying to soak up the last rays of the day.  Try as hard as we could to scare it, we couldn’t get it to move.  We then started throwing sticks at the snake to give it a move on before realising that we would need to sneak past it.  It eventually moved just off the track and we squeezed past.

We arrived at the track to Bobbin Bobbin Falls and with new found motivation quickly knocked off the final 1 1/2 klm of track to the car.  Awesome and what a feeling of success.  We had climbed Mt Bartle Frere on a tough and very demanding day with the track in poor condition in 9 hours and 59 minutes…unbelievable effort by Joey Jess…I take my hat off to you my darling.  You did well today and achieved your goal.  You have now climbed some of the highest and challenging mountain peaks in Australia and are a long way to achieving your goal of climbing the highest mountain peak in every state…good on you…you go girl!!!

Check out the vids and photos…coming soon.

Bushman Bud & Joey Jess…Enjoying Australia

Check out the

After climbing Mt Bartle Frere and getting so close to the summit with Joey Jess it was time to hook up the Kedron and head back to Lake Tinaroo so Joey Jess could have a crack at the summit on the West Track.

Lake Tinaroo is such a beautiful place to relax and enjoy the calm waters of the Lake, no place better than at the Kuari Creek Camp, which now with the dam levels having dropped about 750mm there was a nice sand beach to play.

Looking at the weather we planned to stay at the Lake until Wedneday 6 October and summit the West Track of Mt Bartle Frere on 5 October 2010.

Planned activities at Lake Tinaroo were to swim and catch some freshwater Red Claw (marron if you are from WA) which are apparently a pest here at Lake Tinaroo – you beauty because they taste awesome BBQ’d in garlic butter.

So the days from 1 October to 4 October panned out pretty much as described above.  Setting pots for Red Claw and swimming with the kids.  Now the question has been asked, how do you set the pots for Red Claw without a boat…the answer use swimming noodles!  In fact this became a family affair morning and night and was great fun.  Bushman Bud and the kids took the noodles and jumped into the lake ferrying the pots out to various trees and underwater structure.  I would carry the Red Claw pot out on one noodle whilst swimming out on another noodle…the kids in tow on their noodles having an awesome time.  Each morning around 7:30am we would head back out to the pots and pull them up one at a time and then try to avoid the large strong dangerous nippers whilst you swam back with some angry Red Claw.  This worked extremely well and we got a great feed of Red Claw for lunch everyday.  Once we had found out the secret bait was boiled potatoe we did even better and caught some nice big Red Claw too.  In fact we were doing better than some with the boats…ha, ha, very funny.

We did also wonder back to the Coffee Factory in Mareeba to gorge on some more of their beautiful chocolate and enjoy tasting some more coffee…free of charge may I add.

Well, its now late on 4 October and time for Joey Jess and myself to prepare ourselves for the summit of Bartle Frere tommorrow.

Goodnight all.

Bushman Bud…Enjoying Australia

The day finally arrived to tackle Queensland’s highest peak, Mt Bartle Frere at a respectable 1,622m. 

Bartle Frere is in cloud 8 out of every 10 days so to get a day with bright sunny skies takes some doing.  Today was the day.

The initial idea was to scout the track so that Joey Jess could give the summit an attempt.  Jess has been asking me to climb the mountain ever since we hit the surrounds around Cairns.  So Hamish and myself (Bushman Bud) arrived at the start of the Western climb at 10:40am.  We knew this was late in the day to start the climb but were pretty confident that we could get up and back if we backed ourselves.  We set a cut off point of 2:00pm for the summit and set off on the track.

The first 2klm or so leads slightly downhill to Bobbin Bobbin Falls, a very picturesque water fall with amazingly fresh water to drink…you have to check out the falls when climbing Bartle Frere.  The falls are about 30-40m high and cascade down through the small gorge.  We left the falls for the return trip so as not to use up valuable time on the way up.

It is at Bobbin Bobbin Falls that the track starts to climb and this continues steadily right up to the Western Peak at 1,450m.  The trail is mostly through rain forest with some scrambling over, around or through large boulders along the way.

We moved steadily with little to no rest arriving at the Western Peak at 1:00pm.  Here we climbed up onto the granite boulders where you are greeted with amazing 360 degree views of the surrounding coastline and Atherton Tablelands.  It is also here that you can get a glimpse of the BArtle Frere peak for the first time…that is if you can work out which peak it is!  The surrounding country is full of small peaks which look like any could be the summit!.

Leaving the Western Peak we had one hour to get to the summit, this was going to be tough going.  We set off with new enthusiasm thinking that the summit was not that far away.  However this section of the track crosses a few saddles so you drop down about 200m before climbing 100m, dropping another 100m and climbing the remaining few hundred metres to the summit.  This makes the last 2klm quite a challenge and energy sapping.  Made worse is the condition of the track which has not been cleared for two years due to lack of funding.  Many times we had to stop to find the track and it is amazing that more people have not got lost on this section of track.  There were times when we were pushing through head height grass hoping to come out the other side and find a track marker…be very careful on this section. 

The last section of the summit is steep with some sections exposed to the sun until you finally arrive at a tree topped summit.  Therefore there is very little view of the surrounding country side other than one rock platform which leads you to spectacular views of the coastline.  These views are simply breath taking and although minimal are well worth the climb.

We arrived at the summit bang on 2:00pm after a torturous hour of hard climbing.  The torture was our own doing simply because we hadn’t left ourselves much time.  A more leisurely climb would not have been so sapping.

A quick lunch, photo and we were back on the track heading down.  Once again we had to retrace our steps several times to pick up the track…QLD parks really need to address this issue.  Put into perspective, this walk is to an iconic QLD location (being its highest peak) and the track was in diabolical condition…this in my mind was simply not good enough.

You always make up time on the way down but on this mountain it is probably not as noticeable due to many exposed tree roots which make the track unsteadyand uneven under foot and therefore at times slow going.

We did make good progress though and were back down at Bobbin Bobbin Falls at 4:45pm.  We wondered down the track about 100m which is steep and probably the last thing you want to do after pushing yourself realy hard for 6 hours.  The legs were a bit wobbly on the way down, but this was made up for easily with the fresh cool water.

Back up to the main track after 20 mins at the falls we were back at the car around 5:30pm.  What a day full of hard climbing and pushing the body really hard.  Got to say I love to trash the body in this way and it always feels good food for the soul.

So all in all, we probably spent 10 mins at the Western Peak, 15 minutes at the summit and 20 mins looking at Bobbin Bobbin Falls.  Soooo, setting off at 10:45 and arriving back at 5:30pm, (less the above) the climb took us 6 hours to complete.

My closing thoughts, certainly not the toughest or steepest climb…that belongs to Mt Bogong (Victoria’s highest peak), so where would I rate the challenge…probably the same as Cradle Mountain.  The downsides, the leaches and the condition of the track, the upsides the amazing (although) limited view from the summit.  Make sure you pick the right day and you will enjoy QLD’s highest peak.

What else can I say…I’am at the top…and you’re not…get out and give it a go!!!!!!!!!!

Bushman Bud…Enjoying Australia

Back in Tassie again after a very successful trip to plan further developments to the Bushman Bud website and blog.

Today it was off to Tasmazia near Roland in Tassie’s central north.  No 4WD or 4×4 ing but plenty of mind blowing confusion and adventure in the mazes.

We started out with a walk through Little Crackpot which is a minature village and great for the children.  There are also many little phrases posted on buildings for the adults to enjoy.  Into the mazes and Hampton Court that provided the initial challenge and probably the biggest challenge.  It was followed by Confusion Maze, Hexagonal Maze, Balance Maze and then the big Giant Maze.  When all said and done, we found the mazes rather simple and not very challenging and it was disappointing that the Giant Maze solution could be very easily solved.  I was a little disappointed with the park and the kids also had mixed feeling about the mazes, their highlight being cubby town which is quite neat.  For $55 not bad value but if you are tossing up between this and something else and on a budget I would probably go elsewhere. 

We also stopped in next door at Pancake Parlour which was full of tasty pancake treats.  I found the pancakes tasty but a little expensive.  The Trippleberry special was nice but not spectacular as you may think with a price tag of $18.95.  Kids pancakes where $8.95 for a pancake, maple syrup and a scoop of icecream – also expensive.  The milkshakes were great value though at $4.50, big and very tasty.

Leaving Tasmazia we went onto have a look at Lake Barrington which is only two klm’s from Tazmazia.  We had a quick look around because there was a rowing meet on their.  It looked like a nice place and there was plenty of camping space near the lake on the northern side of the road.  Certainly a good overnight stop.

Heading out of Lake Barrington, turning right we headed south and then turned right passing the sheer rock faces of Mt Claude, Mt Roland and Mt Van Dyke.  There are plenty of walking and riding trails through this area and summit tracks to all three peaks.  We have penciled a summit walk of Mt Roland into the calender to walk off the pancakes.

Get out and have look…

Bushman Bud…Enjoying Australia

So I left Mole Creek at 1:30pm arriving at Dove Lake at 2:45pm.  Most would see that as a little late to start the climb but for me this was to be a speedy, push it all the way climb, drop dead…well almost…kind of climb.  Off I went following Dove Lake to the steep section to Marions Lookout.  To the sign post at Marions Lookout I made it in 27 mins and 45 seconds (that’s right, Dove Lake to Marions Lookout).  From there it was the Overland Track to Kitcheners Hut at the start of the Cradle Mtn summit track – for this section of track 19 mins and 15 seconds.  Finally the summit climb…Kitcheners Hut to the Cairn Stone at the summit of Cradle Mountain…29 mins and 35 seconds.  So from Dove Lake via Marions Lookout to the summit of Cradle Mountain it took a total of 1 hour 16 minutes and 25 seconds…I surprised myself…wow. 

On the way down it was easier and I moved somewhat faster.  I really wanted to beat the one hour mark so I was prepared to jog where necessary to get under the hour.  Soooo, going down Cradle Summit to Kitcheners Hut 21 mins and 15 seconds, Kitcheners Hut to Marions Lookout 16 mins and 20 seconds and Marions Lookout to Dove Lake car park 20 mins and 20 seconds.  Total time down was 57 mins and 55 seconds…under one hour…yeah I did it…awesome.

Yes, I am a nut, a little crazy and find enjoyment in doing these things others would call silly.  I just like pushing my body to its limit and seeing how far I can really push myself.  Getting out of your comfort zone and pushing through boundaries is what it is all about.  The same stays true no matter what you take on in life.  Unless you are operating outside your comfort zone do you really learn anything or move forward…for me no…get out there and give it a crack and see what you can achieve…the results will amaze you.  Lets face it, just over 11 weeks ago I was 10+ kgs heavier and a whole lot more unfit and to achieve what I did today proves you can do anything you put your mind to.

So that was what Bushman Bud does when he is not 4WDing, camping or looking for adventure somewhere.

Bushman Bud…Enjoying Australia

Well we all made it up Cradle Mountain this time around.  Joey Jess (7) on her second run and Orangatang Amy (5) on her first attempt.  We followed the track from Dove Lake to the interection of the Overland Track and Dove Lake Track (about 300m from the carpark).  We turned left towards Dove Lake and followed the lake for 500m before turning right onto the Marion’s Lookout track (a steep track ascending the mountain almost directly up).  From the beautiful vista of Marions Lookout we joined up with the Overland Track and onto Kitcheners Hut and the intersection of the Overland Track, Face Track and Cradle Mtn summit track.  Onwards and upwards to the summit from there, including some great video blogs of the rock scramble showing some of the more difficult and steeper parts. 

After leaving the carpark about 11:45am we reached the summit of Cradle Mtn at 4:00pm.  The view was amazing with clear skies in every direction.  Unfortnately the metal disc at the summit showing all the other mountain peaks in the park was missing.  Was it stolen?  That would be my bet because it hardly needs maintenance!  It looked as though it had been souveniered similar to the Cape York sign at the northern tip of Australia.  What is happening to this great country of ours when these simple icons cannot be left alone to be enjoyed by all.

Anyhow, descending Cradle mountain we headed back to Marions Lookout and this time decided to follow the Overland Track back to Dove Lake car park.  This track is just as steep (if not steeper) leading down/or up from Marions (depending on which way you are going) so don’t be fooled that it may be the easier if the two tracks to Marion’s.  In fact my assessment is that it was the harder of the two tracks. 

The Overland Track is at least a couple of klms longer but does have the advantage of passing past a couple of beautiful inland lakes including the very quaint Wombat Pool.  We arrived at Wombat pool about 7:00pm and with the setting sun and Cradle Mtn and Marions Lookout in the back drop it was a very dreamy place indeed.

Back at the carpark about 7:40pm made for a long day.  The kids would have benefited taking the steep and shorter track back down from Marion’s Lookout, but hey, thats what happens walking in this great land of ours.

Cradle Mountain is an exciting climb and well worth the effort.  It is one of the places I relate to as a “place of breath taking beauty,” so get to Tassie and give it a go.  Apparently on a clear day the best views are early in the morning…so there is a parting hint.

Video blogs to follow.

Bushman Bud…Enjoying Australia

The weather has cleared and it is time to get the fitness level up to tackle Mt Ossa, Tasmania’s highest peak.  I have found a track into Mt Ossa away from the Overland Track which is a 36 klm round trip.  Far better than the trip up the Overland Track which is approx a 8o klm round trip.  I am planning to do the Mt Ossa trip in one day…so I need to be fit.

With all that said we are climbing Marions Peak and Cradle Mountain tommorrow.  Firstly because Lovely Lynda and Orangatang Amy didn’t make the climb the first time around due to sickness and secondly it will be a good fitness test for Bushman Bud and his Mt Ossa challenge.

The weather should be nice and clear up top with a sunny day forecast.  We will take off early and expect to make the climb within 7 hours.  Cradle Mtn is about 75 klms from camp, roughly about an hours drive from Mole Creek, so it will be a long day.

I must say though I am looking forward to getting up close and personal with Dove Lake and Cradle Mountain again…this part of Tasmania is spectacular.

Bushman Bud…Enjoying Australia

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzJS65mbxmc

This is a great drive through very scenic forestry and then up high to the scenic lookouts of Devils Gullet and Fisher River Lookout.  Throw in a side trip to Mackenzie Lake and the canals of its hydro scheme and you have a great day trip.  You could also combine a tour at either King Solomons Cave or Marakooper Cave.

The best route for this drive is to start at the Mole Creek Caravan Park at the intersection of Union Bridge Road and Liena Road.  Follow Liena Road through to Liena.  Once at Liena follow Echo Valley Road for a short while before branching right onto Gads Hill Road.  Gads Hill Road is a very scenic drive.  At the T intersection turn right into Olivers Road and this will take to a T intersection with Mersey Forest Road.  Turn right for a small distance before turning right at the sign post to Devils Gullet.  You should now be on Lake Mackenzie Road and 14 klms from the turn off to Devils Gullet Lookout (which is signposted).

Devils Gullet is a lookout over 230m sheer cliffs that have been shaped by ice and rain over millions of years.  In the distance is the vista of Cradle Mtn – Lake St Clair National Park and it many mountain peaks.  There is a board at the lookout pointing out the many peaks on display – namely Cradle Mountain off to the far right.

The lookout is a 530m walk from the car park on well maintained pathways.  It is level other than a 100m stretch which is a little steep in parts.

Leaving Devils Gullet car park turn right to visit Lake Mackenzie.  It takes a further 10 to 15 minutes to arrive at the dam wall.  Fishing, swimming and boating is on offer here as a moonscape lookout over the lake.  Following the road is the canal and aqueduct of the hydro scheme, which is worth a look itself.

The road finishes at the dam so turn around and head back.  About 5 klm past the turn off to Devils Gullet is the Fisher River Lookout.

The Fisher River Lookout is a beautiful vista over the Cradle Mtn – Lake St Clair National Park and highlights many of the towering peaks of the park.  Off in the distance is the famous Cradle Mtn and Mt Ossa (Tasmania’s highest peak).  There is a board which names all the various peaks you can see.  It is a great vista and well worth a look.

The lookout is best approached coming back down the road from Devils Gullet to make for easier parking and access.

The lookout is approximately 9klm up Lake Mackenzie Road turning off Mersey Forest Road.

Returning to the end of Lake Mackenzie Road turn right into Mersey Forest Road and follow the road back to Liena Road.  This completes the scenic loop.  Turn right into Liena Road which takes you back to Mole Creek.

Bushman Bud…Enjoying Australia