Hello!!
Well… we’ve spent a quiet day today, nursing a few aching muscles!
The weather forecast wasn’t entirely accurate… and while half our hike was in cool and pleasant conditions… after lunch it deteriorated into feral.
Megumi is never going to go out with us again!!
We started in fine tour guiding style by providing a local wombat to hang out on the path with us…
He/she wasn’t at all fazed by the excited humans watching it eat and scratch its bum on the boardwalk!! So funny
Clearly this wombat has been there/done that and is quite comfortable posing for the camera (would have helped if I didn’t have the fisheye lens on but hey… can’t win em all!!)
Onward
Still happy
Its always nice to get into the little rain forest area with the stream and waterfalls running beside the path
And we continue steadily up.
Its enjoyable walking through the scrubby bush with the mountains looming behind!
Sign of a dry season… the lake is rather low and we could walk into the boat house!
We rested here, ate a muffin and talked to a group of Japanese tourists!!
I finally pointed out to Megumi where we were going!! 😀 (ie UP)
(But slowly)
As usual… the views got better – but the wind really started to pick up.
Fantastic effort! Got to the top of Marions Lookout – at least we got to see Cradle Mt while we ate lunch.
Doesn’t seem like a proper Cradle Hike without my lovely Cuz, Fiona!!
Jeff – looking like a mad professor, took my bandanna because his ears were hurting from the cold/wind.
Megumi enjoying her sandwiches overlooking Dove Lake
The plan after Marion’s was to walk over the plain towards Cradle then go down the Horse Track… basically a big loop.
We didn’t get far before:
No more views, but a temperature drop, sideways rain and plenty of wind!!
It was hard going – I was a bit worried about Megumi as she wasn’t used to this kind of weather nonsense… especially being actually out in it!!
We debated which way to return but stuck to the original plan.
I enjoy this kind of mad weather but when you have someone new with you its not the best way to introduce them to the area. You want to show it to them in the best way!!
The camera got put back in its dry bag for quite some time… I finally got a bit of a break in the rain and snapped some of the pretty moss.
By the time I finished mucking about Jeff and Fiona were lost to sight and Megumi was a little way ahead…
We all caught up again for a drink and rest on the lee side of a large boulder to get a break from the wind.
The view was murky…
Literally five minutes later…
Such a fabulous place!!
It was great getting back to the car and going to the lodge to get hot drinks, something to eat and sit by the fire!! Very cosy!
Quite the adventure but I suspect our poor guest might decline the next offer of ‘do you want to go hiking with us?’ !!!
Hope everyone had a great weekend and stayed a little drier than we did!!
Cheers!
Poor girl! It started out so nice! Hopefully she will give it another try. Beautiful pictures!
Thank-you Pam! I love it in any weather! Just nicer for visitors to see it – rather than the mist!! 🙂
We’ll probably do some big hikes soon as we need to be fitter for the Overland but I’d say we will be doing those alone!! Save the less tough ones for our visitor!!
It sounds like British weather! I hope it hasn’t put her off for ever! So beautiful.
lol – it did get a tad soggy! We’ll see what she says next time we suggest going for a hike! As I mentioned to Pam, we do have to do some more hiking to train, so faster than when we have guests or ones where we start loading up with packs. Its rainy and thundery now! Quite pleasant really… I am sure the garden is happy about a bit of a drink!