Hi everybody,
Yesterday was spent on 8.5 hours of torture walking to and from St Marys peak. Last time we were here several years ago I decided when we were at Tandarra Saddle which is about halfway up the really steep stuff to not go to the peak and have a leisurely 12km return walk along the flat pound floor. This time we were determined to get there Susan was hindered by her knees so it was a real struggle. As you scroll through the videos you will hear the cheery narrators voice being replaced by that of someone approaching exhaustion. While we walked up we were passed by all the other walkers on the trail. Halfway up from the flat section to Tanderra saddle who should we bump into but Monty Luke who had the misfortune to be my manager at Amdel. We stopped and chatted for a while and continued on. We weren't feeling to bad at tanderra and decided to push on. The terrain did not become any easier. Nearly to the peak maybe 80 metres short horizontally and vertically Susan was pretty buggared and after looking at a couple of the boulders she would have to clamber over decided she should stop and rest while i went the rest of the way. I clambered up as fast as i could due to the time marching on (it was 2 o'clock) and knowing that Susans descent would be slow with her knees. Very little time to savour the view before we made our way slowly down arriving just after dark at 6. Luckily i packed an LED head torch which allowed us to avoid tripping over rocks on the trail.
After tea Monty and his boys came around to sit at the campfire while the adults imbibed red wine and chatted. We have decided not to move on tomorrow since we will need a nurofen aided recovery to face the joy of packing.
Cheers Simon
......POSTSCRIPT
Thinking back over the past few days and reflecting particularly on the historical information at Hills Homestead I am wondering if what we are embarking on could be in anyway compared with out pioneering forefathers. The picture boards tell the story from Jessie Hill’s perspective; who as a 12 year old (in 1899) joined her father and older brothers to keep house for them. The luxuries this young girl speaks of are the planting of fruit trees (they would have taken years to mature) a long way from all the “necessities” of life today.
Hills Homestead
The house/homestead (now restored) comprised of two rooms each with a fire place and window adjoined by a central passage. No kitchen, no bathroom, how would a 12 year old have the skills to keep house?
Farming in the pound proved to be an arduous and unsustainable and was abandoned in 1914 after heavy rains destroyed the access road. Interestingly the clearings originally planted for wheat are still visible today!
Susan
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