Southern Safari – Day Seven

Woke at dawn to low cloud cover and did the old man’s walk to empty the reservoir.  No one was around and I had a quiet breakfast of Weetabix in the kitchen on my own.

Other camper were just starting to rise as I closed down the clamshell tent and did my final packing before checking everything was secure on the trailer. 

Only a 20km drive to the junction to Bluff Knoll.  There was a lookout parking area beside the road and I stopped to take a few photos.  Bluff Knoll was concealed by cloud so all you see are more wildflowers beside the road.

  

One significant difference I’ve noticed between Oz and NZ is here you pay for access to National Parks.  You then usually have to make a second payment if you want to camp in the park.

The National Parks have become very sophisticated, they even have ‘pay and display’ machines that take cards.  The cost of my entry was $8 (senior’s concession).

 

A further seven kilometre drive to the Bluff Knoll car park where; to my surprise; I found three rather wet looking  men with head torches.  They had just completed a three hour return trip to the summit leaving at 4AM.  The top half of Bluff Knoll was covered in cloud which meant their plans of seeing a rising dawn had been a failure.

Ever optimistic, I thought the cloud might have lifted by the time I reached the summit.  Not wanting to be caught high up by the weather I had bought a day pack containing two fleeces, raincoat, camera and beanie.  I also had a 750ml stainless steel water in one of the open side pockets of the pack.

The summit path was well defined and sealed.  I thought “This will be a doodle!” and set off at a rapid pace to warm up the body.  After 350 metres the seal ended and I was on a smooth unpaved path with the occasional step.  It’s three kilometres to the summit and at 800 metres the steps started to get closer together and higher.  Thigh muscles that have received little serious exercise in the last decade started to burn.  The steps became even closer together and steeper.  At the halfway point a small voice inside me was questioning my decision (this is starting to hurt….. you don’t want to do this… there will be nothing to see at the top) I ignored the small voice determined to carry on. 

Several minutes later the toe of my right shoe caught on the top of a step and I tumbled forward.  The water bottle flew out of the pack side pocket and I was instantaneously concerned it would get damaged impacting with the rock.  fortunately its impact was cushioned when it hit the fingernail of my out stretched right index finger.  I said “Gosh that hurt” (or words to that effect).  Picking myself up I ignored the voice exclaming (I told you something would happen) and watched my fingernail turn black.

At two kilometres the voice was shrieking at me (idiot…. you’re old… what are you trying to prove…… turn back now, no one will be any the wiser….. remember you have to come down and that will be even more painful). 

Blocking out the shrieking I decided to press on for another 100 metres before reviewing my plan.  That’s when out of the cloud ahead of appeared a father and son slowly heading up.  Well I couldn’t turn round now!  One silent screaming step after another until I reached the summit where; as I anticipated; I could see nothing but cloud.

Father & son at the summit

Within a minute of me reaching the summit a ‘Fell Runner’ appeared behind me with a spring in his step and a smile on his face.  He wasn’t even sweating… Bast@rd!  He was dressed in a white T-Shirt and shorts with a small bum pack.

After a 10 minute recovery I stripped off the rain jacket and one of the fleeces before heading back down.  I’d only walked 200 metres when the Fell Runner came bounding past with a big smile on his face.

At the halfway point the car park started to appear

Hell, it looks a long way and I’m carefully doing one step at a time in an effort to ensure I don’t take a downhill tumble.

Zoom

The thighs are starting to feel like they are made of jelly.  At least I can still feel them and they work.  By now I’m meeting people coming up…. Do I look as exhausted as them?

Now I’m out of the cloud and it’s possible to see something

Reached the car park and looking back I can see the summit is still covered in cloud

It took three hours and twenty minutes to completed the trip.  Another off the bucket list!