Pine Valley

Holiday phase one complete. We have walked into Pine Valley, climbed the Acropolise (half of us, anyway), explored the Laberanth and returned to civilisation. I'l mix some more details in with the photos.


We took our boat across Lake St Claire so that we didn't have to pay a fortune to use the ferry.


We started our walk at Narcissus Hut (the place we finnished the overland track). Then carried our packs into Pine Valley.


Rachel crossing a log bridge on the way into Pine Valley.


Beck and an echidna on the way into Pine Valley. BTW it is only a three hour walk across flat ground into Pine Valley, nothing difficult.


When we got to Pine Valley all the campsites were taken so we camped on the helipad. it was clean and dry and we all fitted (just). Luckily no helicopters came while we were there!


Beck eating Breaky on the Helipad.


On the second day we climbed the Acropolis; which is a big mountain beside Pine Valley. It was a sleep climb out of pine valley, then we walked across a plateu before another steep climb up the mountain.


This is us with the Acroplis in the background. If you enlarge the image you'll be able to see the writing up the top which shows where each of us go to.


This is on the way up. When we were all still happy and confident.


When we reached a more dificult bit (where Kez stopped), Rachel freaked out. She started wimpering and arguing and saying how she wouldn't go any further. We managed to get her to continue; but after her episode, Keziah wasn't going any where near that track.

We got Rachel nearly to the top. She was all shakey and wouldn't climb through the last easy bolder field to the top. So Dad had to take her back down. That last photo is the highest Ray got.


This is the group that made it to the top! Me, Beck, Mum and Dad. Mum was really proud of herself cause she sais that twelve months ago there's no way she would've got there. She's also pround of herself cause last time my friend Jacqui's mum tryed to climb it she didn't get to the top cause of her knee.


Mum, Beck and Dad at the top of the Acropilis with Jerrion in the background (I was taking the piccy)


Dad helping Mum down of the Acropilis.

The next day we climbed into the Laberith. The Labirith is a plateu of little tarns which look like this;


This is the tarn we ate lunch near.


To get to the Labirith you have to climb out of Pine Valley again. This time a section of the track headed up a stream.


The only problem with the Labireth was the ants. There were these little black ants everywhere and every time you stopped they'd climb all over you and attack you. They didn't sting, just sorta pinched and it didn't hurt exactly, it was just really frustrating. So we ate our lunch in the only ant-free place we could find - a rock in the middle of the waterfall.


After lunch I went swimming in a waterfall. Well, not swimming exactly - more like a shower. I tryed two different bits of the waterfall - that one...


...and this one. Which one do you think lookes nicer???


And here I am back at Narcissus Jettty, right at the end of the whole thing, jumping into Lake St Clair. It was rainy and cold and everyone thought I was a freak - especially the Queenslanders who had just finnished the overland track. But Beck came and joined me. So I'm not the only frek. Except she only jumped in once. I jumped in again and again and again.