Saturday 31 October 2015

Canyoning - Down Under

This photo was taken in Claustral Canyon, one of hundreds of canyons in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney. These canyons are astonishing places. Narrow gorges created by water carving its way through slabs of sedimentary sandstone. Some are only a few meters wide and very deep.


As you can see from the photo, it’s a different world down here – beautiful weathered rock formations covered with moss and fragile ferns, underground watery caves with glow worms dotted on their ceiling, pools of crystal water filled with bright orange yabbies, chock stones and rotting logs, the occasional Lyre Bird or Tiger snake that’s fallen in from the top, and the whole scene pierced every now and then by a shaft of sunlight from high above.


To get into these canyons you need to abseil down slippery waterfalls 





and then wade, swim and scramble along the creek until you find a place to climb out. 


It’s an exhausting and exhilarating adventure.


I’ve explored many of these canyons over the years and had some challenging experiences, including a few bouts of hypothermia, getting benighted, and confronting an angry tiger snake that I'd disturbed as I clambered through a tight squeeze. I don't know who was more startled, him or me. I'm just glad he didn't strike when he had the chance - I can still see those angry fangs!!



One of the great things about these days is that I get to do them with some of my favourite people. They may look motley but in a tight spot when you need support, they're the best. Front row. Keith and Youngy. Back row. Neil, Simon and Ryan.


This is Kanagra Walls, location of Danae Brook, the 'Everest' of Canyons in the Blue Mountains.

A few relaxed moments before we head into the first of eight abseils in Danae Brook.


Pretty vertical this edge!


Over the years, canyoning has been an important experience I've shared with my boys - it's served as a rite of passage for them - and how well they navigated it! Here goes Simon at Danae Brook.




Lucky his old man is there to belay him (only slightly anxious!).


Very wet, and slightly relieved on arrival!


This slot in Pipeline Canyon is pretty narrow. That's Alex down there...


Where did he go??


Keith Castle, our fearless (and eager) leader on so many canyon trips. (If he had a tail it'd be wagging!)


Drying off after a wet abseil.


Alex on a more open abseil.


Guess who? Guess where?


Great adventures and great memories.













Monday 5 October 2015

Camino Dreaming

A camino down under and outback

We found our photos from last year's trip to Central Australia and began to dream again of a pilgrimage along the Larapinta trail, which follows a section of the ancient MacDonnell Ranges west of Alice Springs.


It would pass along a special track created by our friends Keith and Xanthan Black Cockatoo. 



Our resting place on Day 1 would be 'Whitegums', a sacred space cared for by Keith and Stella.




We might wake to one of Central Australia's extraordinary sunrises. 
Here's one from Stella and Keith's verandah.


From here we would pass through Honeymoon Gap


and through to Simpson's Gap - formed by erosion of the mountain chain over millennia.


The trail goes for hundreds of kilometres through this ancient and isolated land. It would be a profound spirit journey to share with friends.

Camino Larapinta... who's in??


Buen camino

Neil and Sarah

Friday 2 October 2015

Perhaps the truth lies ...

Wallace Stevens wrote, 'perhaps the truth lies in a walk around the lake'. So I tried it out on Wednesday morning.





I walked to this jetty where I sat for a while ...


And contemplated the view near ...


And farther away...


Met a finch


An ex cicada


A blue wren


And was greeted by the gum trees


I think he's right- perhaps the truth does lie in a walk around the lake!!