Karta Burnu Hut 🇦🇺 South of Pemberton
After enjoying another rest day at Karta Burnu. Every-other-day would be a rest day if I had my way!
The first port-of-call was a posh cafe in the swanky town of Manjimup.
Once, back on the trail and well away from Manjimup, the smell of a wildfire was ominous. Smoke rising in the direction we’re heading. As we’re on a dense-single-track and not very accessible to head off in any other direction, but back, it was a of concern. A wildfire can outrun you. Not sure about a bike, but if the backdoor is shut too, you’ve got a problem!
Fortunately, the fire turned out to be a prescribed burn i.e. set alight intentionally and managed.
With my mind on the previous excitement of seeing first hand, a prescribed-burn-cleanup-operation, I wasn’t totally focused fully on the road ahead. The road been, wide and clear! That didn’t stop me from greeting at close quarters, a Tiger Snake! And this one wasn’t small or in a hurry to move❗It soon was, when it realised I was in a bedraggled state, with arms reaching for sky hooks, legs going everywhere to try and stop, all in a haze of a mini dust storm! The serpent disappeared into the bush, and I was miffed as I didn’t get a selfie 🤳
Camp that night came next to a livestock pen against a backdrop of Blue Trees.
The following day was spent passing through farm-cattle-grassing-land. Never, ever, experienced so many flies! Thousands and thousands. One just gives up doing a helicopter impression, just accept it and try and ignore them. Easier, said than done! 🤣
Passed by the Gloucester Tree on the other side of Pemberton. This tree is famous because you can climb up it: woo-who! The steps are drilled-in-rebar. 😲
The tree has a platform 58m up. This was originally put in place as a wildfire-watching-platform.
Today, idiots tramp up it. One slip and you’re-a-goner! It’s more about egos and bravado from both sexes, that’s all!
Now, you could climb this tree: no safety nets, no harness, no safety lines, no hard hats, you get it, no safety whatsoever! But, as soon as you get back down and on your bicycle to ride off, without a helmet ‘on’, you ‘could’ get stopped by the police and fined! Why? Because the law deems it unsafe to ride without a helmet. This is for your own safety! 😂
FFS!
Photos generally shot with an Olympus TG5 – As I found out in editing, the HDR (High Dynamic Range) setting is not appropriate for shooting by hand, with moving objects and sunlight. But hey … they’re vibrant! 😄 Occasional use of a Google Nexus 6P.
Click on the map icons for photos.
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