Mount Warning

Today was the first time I've climbed Mt Warning.  It's often been talked about as a possible holiday activity, but today it happened.  I went with my friend Michelle (it was her 7th time), and everyone who I told was so excited for me.  "It's tough - but the view is amazing" was said to me over and over. 

I'm really glad it was a cold morning, as it convinced me to wear 2 singlets, a tshirt, as well as a long-sleeved tee.  I also packed my raincoat, just in case.  Beautiful weather, blue skies, sunny with a few clouds here and there... until we got to the last bit of climb.  You can see how wonderful our view is.  A whole lot of cloud, which was so so cold.  This sign, proclaiming 'Glorious View' I didn't even read.  Past the trees, nothing but white.


 Now, I knew that it was a bit of a walk for most of the mountain, and then a chain to get you up the rocks at the end.  I was really nervous about this bit.  Probably if I'd seen photos of it beforehand, I would have said ummmm no thanks.  I imagined climbing up a cliff face, likely to lose my grip and go tumbling back down the mountain.  It was a bit like that, really, but more like rock-climbing (which I love, need to do that again...), especially the coming down bit.  Once over the first down bit - where I couldn't see over a bit of rock and was scared to lean back to find the next foothold, and having Michelle below me calling out the next one was a huge help - it was really fun.  I felt a bit like a kid who's been resisting the big slide who then wants to go again once they've tried it.  Also felt like a kid swinging off trees and getting my hands really dirty on rocks.

You can get an idea here of the steepness and climbing style of the chain bit.  Because it was so wet and windy, it was incredibly muddy.  Good thing I'm not a princess type as I was filthy.  The cold made our fingers numb too, so photos were less possible.

At the end of the Steep and Rugged bit, I was covered in mud, especially the hands from coming down that chain - although it's a bit hard to tell in the photo.

 Beautiful view (taunting us!) from the 3/4 mark.  After this, though, it really rained, bucketing down and totally soaking us so I, at least, could have passed as a drowned rat.

More clouds at 1/2 way - I love how the sun has just hit the white tree trunks.

The obligatory Toyota jump at the end.

Mount Warning as we drove towards the sea - still very cloudy and rainy...

Ted's Place

 This is the view from Ted's place.  Ted is an 80-something-yr-old from church, who has been building a place up in the mountains for many many years.  At least once a year he invites a crowd up for lunch.  Every time, I have declined the invitation.

I am not a very social person.  The idea of being in the mountains with a group of oldies... well, it's not a terribly inviting proposition.  At a Christmas party last year, I had a brainwave.  I much prefer playing at parties rather than being a real guest, so I thought if I took my trio up and played, I could still accept the invitation but not feel socially awkward.  Ted was thrilled with the idea and has been handing out invitations for about a month.  Because yesterday was St Patrick's Day, there was a bit of an Irish/green theme.  I didn't actually end up taking the trio, as my brother (the cellist) was running a half marathon this evening, but Jeannie and I played duos. 

I wore a green bracelet from the Eumundi markets, and lime green retro platform stilettos.  No pic of them just yet, but I'm hoping to wear them this week.  It seems there were as many comments about my shoes as there were our playing.

We started with Jigs, Reels and Hornpipes and then moved on to tangos.  This group (maybe 40 people, at a guess) was the most appreciative audience we'd ever entertained.  They danced, they clapped, they cheered and whistled, and all at the right times.  They even fed us.  After we'd finished, another guest (who happens to be an actor, entertainer, amazing brain) sang a song and told a story, and another guest sang a song also.  There were a few tears...

I was very glad to be playing (and therefore have only a short time for socialising), and very glad to have Jeannie there as well, but even gladder to have finally accepted an invitation to see Ted's place.