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Published: January 1st 2011
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Climbing The Bicentennial Tree
Lachlan and Belinda at about 50m up. Very brave. Pemberton, 9/12/10. After finishing up with Augusta it's a quick trip to Pemberton where Lachlan was just hanging out to see the visitor centre and one of the giant climbing Karri trees. It's a funny thing but Lachy has developed this fascination with Visitor Centres, he just can't wait to get into them and try and spend his money on some of the junk they sell in these places. We got some very helpful info on a camping spot from the lady and went to look at the Gloscester Tree.
A word on the climbing trees, there is three Karri trees around Pemberton that have been utilised as bush fire spotting trees. To do this one needs to climb to the very top via spikes that have been screwed into the trees around the trunk much like a spiral staircase. Once you reach the crown there is then a series of platforms joined with ladders to get you to the very top, it is very daunting.
At the Gloucester Tree we needed to pay a park entry, being late in the afternoon we turned around and went to set up camp instead, that way we could pay in the morning and enter several parks on the one ticket. Lachlan was shattered as he was convinced we would let him climb the tree, one look at it and I was thinking there was not a snowballs chance in hell.
Instead of a tree climb we trundled through some lovely countryside out to the Big Brook Arboretum, excitingly this is a campsite not in a National Park so we could have a fire. Much excitement, also we had a camp host which meant no loud party goers, heaven in a campsite is possible. So, up went the tent, annex up, chairs and table out, the whole hog because we were staying for two nights. As darkness fell the temperature plummeted, I don't know how low it was but as Lachlan put it “I can see my breath.” We weren't fazed by the temperature though, we had a fire....with wet wood, that would hardly burn, it was just a fire that gave the illusion of warmth before we went to bed.
Despite the cold we had a good sleep, some breakfast and decided to go to the Bicentennial Tree first up in the morning. It was only a 15min drive to the second of the climbing trees which turns out to be the tallest of the three, 75m to the top, thankfully with a rest platform at about 30m. I was very hesitant, but eventually agreed to let Lachlan climb to the first platform with me right behind, it was a very nerve wracking event let me say.
Because of the way the spikes are stuck in the tree it would actually be quite difficult to fall through, there is also a second set of spikes above with sheep mesh fence at the sides. Despite the extreme safety measures it would be possible to fall still and the really crazy thing is there is no harness system or official people around, anyone can climb at any time.
So, Lachlan and I climbed to the 30m platform, the real scary thing is that the climb isn't exactly like a ladder, you're leaning forward the whole time and looking straight down the trunk at the ground which makes it feel like you could fall easy. I wouldn't let Lachlan talk, laugh or do anything other than climb until we got to the platform, Belinda couldn't look. Once we were on the ground again, Belinda climbed to the 30m platform and back down, meanwhile we watched a few people go right to the top and back again with Lachlan hassling me the whole time to take him to the top. My reply to these constant requests was “Lachlan, there is no chance in the world I'm taking you to the top.” He couldn't quite understand why so I had to explain that I worried the whole time that he would fall and that I'd rather fall myself than see him fall, he smiled and said “I won't fall Dad.”
I did eventually agree to take him back to the 30m platform where he could wait while I went to the top. Very bravely I left him at the platform and cautiously climbed to the top, at about the 60m mark I started into the branches and eventually the first of the top platforms, from there I could no longer see the ground and the ladders were only 3m or so high between platforms, easy stuff. It was an awesome feeling to make the top, a real feeling of having achieved something, I happily took some photos and tried not to think about climbing back down. Eventually my happy time had to end and I started back down , easy through the platforms, scary through the branches then – heart in my mouth as about 50m up I stepped on a loose spike, it dropped about 1cm (or one mile possibly) and I nearly died right there. Finally abut 15yrs later I reached the platform where Lachlan waited patiently for me, and we carried on to the bottom where I nearly kissed the ground.
It was good fun climbing to the top and now it was Belinda's turn, again Lachlan went ½ way and Bel went the rest, then very bravely I thought she came back to the platform, collected Lachlan and took him to the top. I was impressed and really happy that she did, Lachlan was incredibly stoked with his achievement. That pretty much wrapped up Pemberton, we stayed another night...OH, can't forget! That night I had pre-prepared some wood for the fire in the morning, cutting into little bits and drying them out so I could cook a camp oven dinner that night. I roasted some chicken drumsticks and vege's, Bel did some greens and we had the nicest meal ever and I fire burned warmly into the night, happy.
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