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Climbing Mt Royal

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I woke up, but decided it was still night, then a few minutes later daddy walked in and I remembered. We are going on a walk again today. So I got up. I decided that Jumping off fences is a very bad idea. Actually yesterday I was not trying to jump off but I kept falling, being blown or bumped off a fence kinda thing that I was trying to stand on. Now my back and legs were sore. (Foreboding of the pain I am in now). We left for Mt Royal at 5:20. 

Lake St Clair

Can you see the moon? It is just going down.

Up the road we went. Nasty road dirt it was and lots of holes, eroded bits and drops on the sides. Cold air surrounded us as we climbed higher up into the mountains. Soon we were climbing (after we got out of the car). Daddy started to tell stories of leaches..... I tried not to listen. I hate leaches. We walked along a track that leads around the bottom and along next to the mountain. Then we headed up along another track.  Some trees had fallen over it and there had been a landslide in one place. I used my hair (in a ponytail) as a scarf. We saw a few flashes of red and blue birds (Crimson Rosellas) occasionally, and heard many others. 

The morning sun filtered through the trees. We found lots of raspberry bushes, sadly none of the raspberries were ripe. Fern covered the ground and there were lots of black-boy plants. We reached the bottom of the ridge line and started to climb up it. Lichen grew all over many of the trees. There were also tiny, white orchids. 


 I lead the climb some of the time. As the sun got higher we discarded our jumpers. At one stage it looked as if we were nearly at the top. When I arrived there, yet another slope came into view, a steeper one. We had lots of short stops to revive (stiffen up) and to eat some vegemite sandwiches and Milk Arrowroot Biscuits and of course the maltesers. Sometimes the ground about another normal step away came up to over my head. So our climbing could be called scrambling or pulling ourselves up occasionally. The view took our breath away (at least the climbing to see it did).


My legs and back hurt a bit but the mountain view that stretched before us made up for it. We were on the highest, clear point, as in without trees so you can see. We could see such a long way, mountain range upon mountain range. The going could be dangerous, we walked along the very top of the ridge and you couldn’t very well walk anywhere else because the ground went straight down either side. We were walking on rocks mostly, large ones. Grassy plant sorta things grew all over them and in between them. The grass hid holes between rocks and also made the rocks slippery. 

I climbed around, then up onto some rocks that stuck way up, and had nothing (except for air) on either side. I really hoped they wouldn’t pick just then to go crashing down. Alice thought I had gone crazy when she saw me standing up there. She could have been right. Many of the rocks had mossy sorts of plants growing on them. 
The rock I climbed up onto.

 Next we left the spectacular view behind and entered a forest of twisted trees, giant fungi and masses of lichen that draped all over the tree trunks and branches. The lichen swayed in the breeze and reminded me of seaweed, except it grew on trees in the mountains not on the bed of the sea.

Notice how steep it is?
We walked and walked. The ground here had rocks in it most of the time and sometimes only rocks, they were as treacherous as elsewhere. I’m not sure if these were worse or if my ankles were already sore. I tripped and hurt my left ankle twice then as we started to slowly descend I found myself falling. Luckily in this place there were only a few rocks so my knees hit the dirt, and I also managed to not let go of the camera (twas around my neck, but my neck had got rather close to the ground). 
The lichen plant thing.. beautiful, one of my favourite things we saw today.

Orchids

 I survived, but went a lot slower after that. We kept climbing down the ridge line. Now the ground was rocks, large rocks that were rather strange shapes. The stringy green lichen still hung like ropes or fairy swings from the trees overhead (or should I say below us).  Daddy and I had a debate sorta thing on the way down. We arrived back at the car which we had left six hours ago. Every bit of my legs, feet and back had a complaint. But there were no leaches... No leaches but later we found one tick. Not on me though, I hope there is none on me. 
That is Lake St Clair in the distance

 Then I drove back home along the narrow, eroded road (if it can be called such).  I also found hats and sunglasses are very good for keeping things out of your face. Only one problem, they can sometimes impede vision. One time I walked right into a tree branch, which got me smack on the forehead. Then Alice tried to duck under it and missed. At other times I might have been amused but I knew exactly how she felt but to a greater extent. 

We had fun, I had fun. The beauty, and the mountain air, the photo opportunities.  Only problem is I, well my muscles seem to be rebelling, but other than that, what a glorious day, praise God!

 Though speaking of day, it seems to have finished, a while ago. I think I might just finish this..... Ok that took a bit longer than expected.

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About the Author

Clare Farrelly is a professional photographer. She is an Australian and lives in NSW Australia. In her free time she likes to read, do random crafts or sewing projects found on Pinterest, journal, write articles and stories. Most important, she is a daughter of the living God, saved by his grace.

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