Climbing a tree to the worlds best tree house!



Bicentennial Tree - Pemberton, W.A.



So we did it!! No, wait. I did it... then Matt felt obligated to not be beaten by a girl!! (a girl, who by the way, is a teeny bit skittish about heights... and when I say skittish I mean shite-scared!) :) About ten days ago, a few days into our trip - somewhere in the middle of the Nullarbor, Matt started talking about these fire look-out trees in the west that have dodgy looking pegs on which you can can climb 50-75 meters up into the tree tops. These trees were, and in some cases still are, key fire lookout towers that are climbed daily during the fire season by experts who then report any smoke spotted for further investigation or to engage the fire management plans. These Karri trees are tall. As you've seen in the previous post from the Walpole region...



Bicentennial Tree, Pemberton, W.A.

And luckily, the pegs are are strong! 130 pegs wind their way up the tree like a spiral staircase. There is a landing about 30 meters up which has a warning that indicates that the climb so far 'was the easy bit'. And sure enough, the pegs get a little bit narrower and the slope a little bit steeper...

Example of the pegs - Fire look-out tree W.A.

My shoulder hugging the tree all the way up... I surprised myself (and Matt) by making it all the way.


Starting the climb - Bicentennial Tree, Pemberton, W.A.



Nearing the top of Bicentennial Tree, Pemberton, W.A.

The five platforms at the top of the tree are separated by ladders - which are the wobbliest part of the whole climb! 

Making my way through the platforms, Bicentennial Tree, Pemberton, W.A.

Matt then had to man-up and make the climb. Apparently, last time he attempted to make the climb he gave up only 12 or 15 pegs up. About where he is in this photo!


Matt starting his climb - Bicentennial Tree, Pemberton, W.A.



Matt at the first platform - They tell you it gets steeper and narrower from here! Bicentennial Tree, Pemberton, W.A.



Matt nearly to the top of the Bicentennial Tree - Pemberton, W.A.



Matt at the top of Bicentennial Tree - Pemberton, W.A.

Now, there isn't a photo of me at the top... not because I didn't make it but because the photographer, ahem, couldn't 'see me'. But I did make it up there! I promise!