It was a cold, cold night! Hats on in bed! The wind shook the van and the rain battered down on us, but when dawn broke, all was still, clear and fresh. And to begin with, still cold.
It took a few steaming hot mugs of hot lemon and the first rays of direct sunlight before we started to thaw out. At least the climbing was going to be in the sun and conveniently close to walk to!
After a hearty breakfast, we walked up to our chosen area of cliffs, called the Organ Pipes. After only a few meters out of camp, we stopped for a while to watch a little 'roo' and his mum! They didn't seem at all bothered by us watching, so we stayed and watched the little cutie while he climbed in and out of his 'pouch'.
Then it was up and onto our first climbs of the trip (and for me, my first Australian rock climb!). We chose one of the easiest routes we could, so that we could get a feel for the rock type and the grades. It might have been technically quite easy, but it was a route of total quality - everything that we'd come for. Great rock, good protection, interesting lines and easy descents. And the sun was shining!
However, after completing the first three pitch route, we made an abseil then walked back to our bags. Moments later, it was raining heavily!? Clouds had blown in, unseen, from over the top of the cliff - we ran for the cover of a big gum tree. What good fortune that we were back in the ground. Phew. Then, just as suddenly as it started, the cloud blew over, the rain stopped and the sun was back out.
The rock dried instantly in the sun, so we chose our next climb - this slender spire - and set off up it...
Talk about good fortune, as no sooner had we landed back on the ground, the same rain shower passed over again! Once it had dried off, we decided to climb this tower..
The views from the top are extensive. There are fields and fields of flat farm lands that stretch on for as far as we could see. Below us, near the camp, kangaroos were bouncing around. It really felt like something I'd never seen before. A new horizon.
The climbing continued to be excellent..
And with convenient anchors for getting back down, once you've arrived on top of a pinnacle.
In the evening, we drove down to the village of Natimuk and arrived at the campsite just before sunset. Here, not only did we enjoy a fantastic sunset, but also had the luxury of an electric hook up, which meant that we could turn the heater on in the van for ultimate camp comfort!
The 'lakeside' camp site is suffering from a major water shortage. There are signs about swimming, waterskiing and fishing, but the last remaining patches of murky water are about 5m below the jetties and certainly not enticing me in for a dip!
As the sun set, parrots flew around the van and there are all kinds of strange and exciting noises in the dusk!
The Organ Pipes:
- Diapason 7**
- Piccolo 11**
- D Minor 14***
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