 |
19:28:30 |
||||||||
|
|||||||||
 |
|||||||||
 |
|||||||||
 |
|||||||||
 |
|||||||||
picture poll |
|||||||||
german version |
|||||||||
| |||||||||
|
|
© 2002-2004 Matthias Weiland,
|
|
|
Build on 11/05/2002, last update on 23/04/2023. |
Down in Down Under - Diary - 14/04/03
---13/04/03--- | table of content | ---15/04/03---
caves and trees and forrestToday we had to get up quite early, as we wanted to do quite a lot. First of all the caves between Cape Naturaliste and Cape Leeuwin were on hour agenda. Of course they all open after nine and you have to pay a nice admission for each of them - and there are at least ten. So we went on along Caves Road and decided to limit our caves tour to Giants Cave, which is supposed to be the most spectacular. As this one of course was closed as well finally there was just one option left if we did not want to wait and pay admission: we would have to do our entirely own tour through the cave. As the official tour is just self-guided and with your own torch, our own tour should not be much different. After a little climb the entrance was overcome. Then we went into the darkness. I have seen quite a few caves, but never experienced one like this. Usually you have decent lighting and a tourguide. Insofar Giants Cave was not beautiful, as you do not see very much with a torch. However the track through the cave was really amazing - probably even boosted through our own initiative. It took approximately one hour from one end to the other. The path of course consists of boardwalks, but just in little parts. Most of the time though, we went on pure ground, up some ladders, through narrow crevices and finally even using a rope along slippery rocks. At the end we originally had expected the exit to be open already, but when we got there, it was closed - eventually we found out later, that the whole cave was closed this day. So we had to think about alternative options to get out there somehow. A few metres above our heads an opening was providing access to the outside. However it could just be reached with proper climbing. I started to climb and suceeded and a little bit later David and Nicolas had succesfully finished this mission as well and the adventure giants cave was over.Now we went on in rain and drove through really nice green forest via Nannup to one tree bridge and four aces. One tree bridge is not as exciting as expected, as it is not working anymore. It is simply set up there in the middle of the forest and you can take a view. As the name says, a karri trunk is the basis for the bridge. Four aces neither was exciting, as at the place there was some information missing. According to Lonely Planet there were supposed to be four Karri trees older than threehundred years. Then we went to the giant climbing trees via Manjimup. Nowadays these trees can be climbed via steel ladders, which appear to be pretty dangerous. Originally these trees served as lookouts for fires. As this is done by planes and other modern means now, the idea was born to open these lookouts to the public. Climbing up and down actually is quite safe. As there is nothing but simple steel spikes and kind of a metal net up around the tree, it is quite a little bit scary though and not suitable for people suffering of vertigo. The first climb for us was 51m up at Diamond Tree, followed by 60m at Gloucester Tree. Then we went to Shannon National Park, where we did the Great Forrest Trees Drive. A little bit American. You can drive through the forrest on gravel roads for 23km and stop at certain spots to switch on your radio and listen to the information they provide - you do not even have to get out of the car. The question is just how you really can or better to say want to experience nature this way. Afterwards we went to Walpole and through the Valley of the Giants to our rest area for the night right next to the highway. |
||||||||||||
 top
|
||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
|
top
|
