It rained and blew like crazy all through the
night. It sounded as if there was a
hurricane outside our hotel. Hopes were
low until we opened the curtains and lo and behold – sun and blue sky were
making their way into view! The day was
fresh as the Aussies say. Clear, blue
sky and about 15 deg C.
We had a quick bite at McCafe for breakfast,
the fastest thing we could find and then hit the trail for Halls Gap and some
hiking. It took about an hour from Denkeld
and the scenery was great. Once we got
to Halls Gap we stopped at the visitor’s center to get the lay of the land. We were quickly informed that if we wanted to
see wildlife, the best bet was to walk the 2.5 km loop right there at the
visitor’s center. We had already picked
out some hikes for later in the day and they showed us where to start.
That loop around the visitor’s center was a
jackpot! Kangaroos resting and willing
to let us walk up close. Parrots were in
the trees and on the ground. Two
Kookabara’s in trees and again willing to let us come close. A nice little wallaby hanging around! Jackpot!
We grabbed a meaty pie for lunch and then
headed to hike the sundial. This was a
nice meandering walk that had a steep part at the end with superior
scenery. The woods were alive!
Do you remember when you were a kid and you got
your first box of 64 color crayons? I remember
there being many shades of green and at the time wondering what they were
for. Today, if I had any doubt, I know
what they are for because every color green was in the rain forest we walked
through. The ferns were healthy and a
main part of the forest. The smells were
amazing! There was eucalyptus at one
point and it made my nose tingle. The
sky was blue, blue. The trees ranged from
white to brown to burnt black from previous fires. The rocks were all bumpy and interesting; some grey, white, red, orange and more.
After we hiked the Sundial pinnacle we drove to
the Reed lookout and hiked to the Balconies.
Stunning views. In fact, we plan
to head back there tonight to capture the Milky Way!
Enjoy!
Cheri & John
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| Red Kangaroo |
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| Kangaroo |
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| Grey Kangaroo |
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| Kookabara |
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| Pied Crow |
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| View from Sundial |
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| View from Sundial |
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The Balconies   |
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