Hiking in Australia
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Hiking in Qld Australia
Peter H BloeckerApr 18, 2020·6 min read
Why do people like to go hiking? Carry a rucksack and a long drive to get to the mountains, then an even longer exhausting walk just to look down from the top? Cannot be! Too much! I have told people about my hiking experiences in Germany and Norway, South Africa, New Zealand and finally in Queensland Australia, where some majestic and hardly known mountains exist, the names of which some people in Brisbane or at the Gold Coast have never heard of!
Mount Maroon? No idea, never heard this name! Beaudesert? Where in Queensland is that? Never heard this name! And why go there? What do you do there? There is nothing to do or see at all …
Hmmmm, of course I do not want everybody to go there and check the trails out, however today I wish to write about one of the most exhausting hikes I have ever done! One of the most challenging hiking experiences of my entire life!
I am not a very experienced and well trained hiker, however throughout my life I went hiking again and again, mostly because I had the time and felt like doing so. When in New Zealand for nearly 5 months in 1994 — not working at all, just camping and looking around the North and the South Island of NZ with my first wife and my two children, aged 15 and 16, who should have been in school then, as they did not have any school holidays for so long, we did a lot of hiking, because this is what you do in the beautiful places and National Parks of New Zealand. I will come to these experiences in another article.
My Brisbane based friend Marcel is a very experienced climber and hiker, and when he suggested to climb Mount Maroon at the QLD and NSW border, I got most excited! I could not imagine from my city life in Brisbane, that during a one day drive and hike we would be back on the same day at home. So of couse I agreed, and we arranged to start the day around 4 am to drive there and then do the hike, back in the evening to finish the day with a good bottle of Red near the University of Brisbane UQ.
We arrived after a two hour drive from Brissie and reached the car park at Mount Maroon around 6 am, early enough to see His Majesty in the mornig sun, surrounded by fog. A view I will never forget …I felt like saying good morning to GOD himself.
And all this in the backyard of Brisbane, only two hours away from our house! A completely different world, coming from a 2 million city! I could not trust my eyes!
Having mentioned my friend Marcel: Without him I would never have found, lest known this beautiful area! And I would not have dared to walk and climb to the top without any experiences nor training before. But my friend was confident, and to underline this, he was carrying a real rope around his shoulder in case we would get into trouble …
And into trouble we got, sure enough! After a few bends up Mount Maroon the track kind of ended, we had to really climb over some rocks! Not too bad, though, and a man cannot give up after 60 or 120 minutes, can he?
Well, we moved on and on, and in between the track was pretty normal and not too challenging, so after a few hours we were so close to the top, that an early return was liking giving up. And this is what you do, when you approach the top of the mountain: You keep walking on!
However when we had nearly arrived at our destination, some clouds had gathered out of the blue, and Marcel suggested to go down a bit and hide between some larger rocks, as a thunderstorm with flash and lightning and thunder was to come! I did not feel too worried, however being struck in this place far away from civilization and any help was not too pleasant! Not even Mobile Phone contact! So we did and found some shelter, walking 20 or 25 minutes down the mountain.
Having a bite and drinking a lot of water, we both felt great and good, and when the storm had settled and was over, we decided happily to walk back, after taking all the photos we needed to prove we had really reached the peak.
However, after this break of about 50 minutes, my legs were so sore that I could hardly walk, I felt like walking on needles! I had two walking sticks with me having the necessary support, and we did not have to rush at all, as the day was only half over. Obviously the only chance I now had was keep on walking, not stopping or resting at all, because the pain would even be worse …
And so we went, coming down the mountain a bit faster than walking up … and after two hours of biting my tongue, no talking any more, I just prayed that God was on my side and we would reach the car without myself giving up. Marcel was very supportive and did not put any pressure on me, which helped me a lot. Thank you, mate!
Of course this was not all: Being half down Mount Maroon, one of my soles of my hiking shoes suddenly came off, was loose and hanging half in the air, when I took the shoe off, inspecting it and holding it upside down.
Marcel looked at my camera and the string and suggested to use it to fix my shoe to hold the sole.
And so we did! For the next two or three hours the sole did not come off, and the shoe was totally ok, no pain in my foot, only the needle pain in my knees, the more I stood and waited, the more pain! So we just went on and on, kept walking until the car park was closer and our car was in sight.
After 12 hours of hiking, we had reached our car safely and drove home to Brisbane, reaching the city at Toowong near UQ around 8.30 pm. And Marcel had booked a table at his favourite Thai Restaurant, where we met his wife and had a superb dinner with a good bottle of RED and lots of water.
Never ever will I forget this hiking towards the top of Mount Maroon, and having visited the car park a few times since, I can hardly imagine it was really me, who reached the top of His Majesty with my friend Marcel when I was around 50 years old. This was wenty years ago!
Planning your trips from Alice Spring:
Larapinta Track
The Wilderness of Tasmania: Arthur Range / Victor Posnov
Read as well My Beach Walk in Burleigh QLD Australia
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Wandern befreit den Weltgeist.
My Beach Walks of about 50km per week keep me mentally fit & healthy and I can plan my day before I become active!
From the Gold Coast with best wishes
Yours
Weit wandern …durch D und EU und die Welt!
Zeitreisen und mehr – Australien und NZ und USA und Europe ….
More to come soon …. pls bookmark this site!
From the Gold Coast in Queensland yours
Peter H Bloecker
by phb
| Sehr geehrter Herr Bloecker, wo lassen sich noch Abenteuer erleben? Im Kopf ganz bestimmt! Verbinden Sie doch auf anregende und genussvolle Weise die Erkundung von Gedankengebäuden mit Stadtspaziergängen, Debatten mit Sonnenuntergängen und Logik mit Leidenschaft für Neues. Unsere Philosophen nehmen Sie mit nach Paris, wo die Existenzialisten schrieben, liebten und stritten, nach Berlin, wo die Fragen nach Kultur und Identität zum Alltag gehören, oder auf die Kapverden, wo Sie den Begriff der Gerechtigkeit aus anderen Perspektiven kennenlernen — und die Kultur und Musik der kreolischen Inseln. Wir freuen uns auf Sie! Herzlichst |
| Ihr Christopher Alexander,Leiter von ZEIT REISEN |
Hiking in Australia
- The Larapinta Trail (Australia): The Larapinta Trail is an iconic trail located in the Northern Territory of Australia. It stretches for approximately 139 miles (223 kilometers) along the West MacDonnell Ranges, offering stunning desert landscapes, dramatic gorges, and panoramic views of the Australian outback.
- The Overland Track (Australia): The Overland Track in Tasmania, Australia, is an iconic multi-day hike that takes hikers through the heart of the Tasmanian wilderness. It offers a diverse range of landscapes, including ancient rainforests, button grass plains, and rugged mountains, culminating at the spectacular Cradle Mountain.
- Great Ocean Walk (Victoria): The Great Ocean Walk is a scenic coastal trail in Victoria, Australia. It spans approximately 65 miles (104 kilometers) along the spectacular coastline, starting from Apollo Bay and ending at the iconic Twelve Apostles. The trail offers breathtaking ocean views, cliffs, lush forests, and beautiful beaches.
- Cape to Cape Track (Western Australia): Located in the Margaret River region of Western Australia, the Cape to Cape Track is a popular coastal trail. It stretches for approximately 85 miles (135 kilometers) between Cape Naturaliste and Cape Leeuwin, offering stunning vistas of rugged cliffs, sandy beaches, limestone caves, and diverse flora and fauna.
- Bibbulmun Track (Western Australia): The Bibbulmun Track is one of Australia’s longest walking trails, spanning approximately 620 miles (1,000 kilometers) through Western Australia. While it primarily passes through forests, it does include coastal sections, such as the stretch from Albany to Denmark, where hikers can enjoy the beauty of the southern coastline.
- Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail (South Australia): The Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail is a scenic coastal trail that explores the rugged landscapes and pristine coastline of Kangaroo Island in South Australia. The trail covers around 37 miles (61 kilometers) and takes hikers through diverse ecosystems, including soaring cliffs, dense forests, and beautiful beaches.
Last updated on Thu 18 May 2023 by https://peblogger.com
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The Enepitsi Trail is an easy hike along the Santa Clara River, following an old pioneer road (with the option of exploring many ancient petroglyph …
An easy hike along the Enepitsi Trail in St George
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Here’s a concise overview of the Enepitsi Trail:
- Name: Enepitsi Trail
- Location: Santa Clara River Reserve, near St. George, Utah
- Distance: Approximately 1.2 miles (round trip)
- Difficulty Level: Easy
- Trail Description:
- The Enepitsi Trail is an old pioneer road that runs along the Santa Clara River.
- As you walk between the banks of the river and the cliffs of Land Hill, keep a sharp eye out for prehistoric petroglyphs and pioneer graffiti.
- The lush vegetation near the water adds to the beauty of the walk.
- The trail is family-friendly and suitable for dogs.
- Please stay on the 2-track trail, as the surrounding area is private property.
- Cultural Significance:
- “Enepitsi” means “ghost” in the Southern Paiute language.
- Ancestral Puebloans and Southern Paiutes lived in this area and are closely connected to the land.
- The river corridor, which the Enepitsi Trail follows, was vital to both cultures and is protected as part of the Santa Clara River Reserve.
- Access:
- Start at the Tukupetsi trailhead.
- Follow the dirt single track, then fork left onto an old dirt road leading into the river bottoms.
- Keep an eye out for petroglyphs along the cliff face.
- Directions to Trailhead:
- From St. George, head north on Bluff Street for 2.1 miles.
- Turn left onto Sunset Blvd and continue 4.5 miles through Santa Clara.
- As you head up the hill toward Ivins, take the first left.
- Follow the dirt road to the large parking area for the trailhead.
- The Tukupetsi Trailhead is across the street from the parking area.
Enjoy exploring this beautiful trail and its rich cultural history! 🌿🌄🚶♂️🐾
Source: Conversation with Copilot, 1/6/2024 | Prompted in OZ by Peter H Bloecker, Director Of Studies & retired, not retarded.
(1) Enepitsi Trail | Bureau of Land Management. https://www.blm.gov/visit/enepitsi-trail.
(2) Enepitsi (Ghost) Trail – Hike St George. https://hikestgeorge.com/hiking-trails/enepitsi-ghost-trail/.
(3) Enepitsi Trail – Recreation.gov. https://www.recreation.gov/camping/poi/257199.
(4) Enepitsi Trail Hiking Guide – Back o’ Beyond. https://backobeyond.blog/enepitsi-trail-hiking-guide/.
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Traveling from France to the Channel Islands, specifically Jersey, is quite convenient. Here’s what you need to know about the ferry service:
- Condor Ferries operates the route from St Malo to Jersey, offering a high-speed service. The crossing takes approximately 1 hour and 25 minutes during peak season¹.
- You can book your trip with confidence as Condor Ferries allows free changes to your booking up to 48 hours before departure, with only the difference in fare to pay¹.
- The service runs directly on Condor Voyager on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday during peak season¹.
- If you’re traveling as a foot passenger, check-in will close 60 minutes before your scheduled departure time. For those taking a car, check-in will close 90 minutes before departure¹.
For the most up-to-date information, including timetables and prices, it’s best to visit the official websites or contact the ferry companies directly. Have a pleasant journey to Jersey! 🚢
Source: Conversation with Copilot, 01/06/2024
(1) Ferry St Malo to Jersey | Routes & Prices | Condor Ferries. https://www.condorferries.co.uk/ferry-routes-ports/ferries-to-jersey/ferries-to-jersey-from-st-malo.
(2) Ferries from France to Jersey – Direct Ferries. https://www.directferries.co.uk/ferries_from_france_to_jersey.htm.
(3) Guernsey-Jersey Ferry, Tickets, Schedules | Ferryhopper. https://www.ferryhopper.com/en/ferry-routes/direct/guernsey-jersey.
(4) Saint Malo-Jersey Ferry, Tickets, Schedules | Ferryhopper. https://www.ferryhopper.com/en/ferry-routes/direct/saint-malo-jersey.
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