"Streuth what a great day" we cried as we drew back the curtains to see kangaroos grazing under blue skies to the cheerful chatter of cockatoos. Now this is what Australia is all about. With a days walking ahead of us we had to start with a good brekkie so struck out into down town Halls Gap for the Livefast Cafe as recommended by Marmie, our proprietor. Just a couple of long blacks and some "fruity toast" for us healthy walkers this morning.
Now I digress slightly here to pay homage to Australian toast. In England toast in a cafe or hotel usually comes brown or white, perfectly square and out of a plastic bag. Toast In Australia (Sharon you will be pleased to know this) is almost always from homemade sourdough either brown or white or in the case of ours this morning with added fruit and nuts. Now without doubt Sharon makes the very best sourdough bread in the world (I am looking forward to my baking lesson when we get home), Australian toast comes a close second though and is just the thing to fuel a days walking.
Our first stop after a short drive was the Wonderland car park. Our destination was the Pinnacle 5 k off starting with a steep climb (scramble really) up through Kings Canyon. A steady ascent then through rocky wood land past Bridal Veil Falls, through Silent Street and on to the awe inspiring Pinnacle Lookout with panoramic views of Fyans Valley down to Halls Gap. What a way to spend a Sunday morning. Retracing our steps back to the car we moved on to Reed Lookout with a shorter walk to the amazing Mackenzie Falls and then ended the day with a stroll to the Balconies Lookout for a last glance out over the Victoria Valley. Spring has sprung in this corner of Australia today. We did not encounter much fauna (a few kookaburra's and a tiny lizard that would make a match stick look chubby) it was the flora that took centre stage. Bright yellow acacia, red bottle brushes, purple something or others, kangaroo tails and of course eucalyptus trees as far as the eye can see. This most distinctive "Bush" environment depends on fire to reproduce. They need extreme heat to release their seeds and encourage fires by annually shedding bark and leaves and depositing a thick layer of tinder on the forest floor. In some areas of Australia there is active management of the land by controlled fire lighting, others areas do not have this policy I think to protect the mammals but whichever waybit goes bush fires in Australia seem to be a two edged sword.
The Australian Grampians were definitely worth us making the effort to drive up from the coast. The blue sky day made it of course but we now make the 6 hour drive to Adelaide with a song in our hearts and a spring in our steps.
It was really good to talk to Bunty and Bruce last night who are now settled into Lower Mill. Sounds like you have some sunshine too.
Thanks to Bruce (Penwarden) for wifi advice. It worked this morning in the cafe so I had time to quickly check emails