My ex-friend Rod...

We were up at a reasonable time with a quick breakfast and a bit of food into the rucksack and off on one of Rodney's Mystery Hikes! Soon we were at the crest of the Echo Point stairway descent.



Down over 900 [!] steps to a lower level but not the valley bottom of this geological apparition that is like a Dry Victoria Falls, or a Dry Niagara Falls. It was not for the feeble-hearted. We all gripped securely even when taking photos. we had frequent rest stops throughout. In all my travels I have never encountered such a steep and seemingly endless assembly of rock paths and stairs and steel ships-ladders that seemed to go on forever. Some of the stops and lookouts were absolutely knee-weakening, albeit breathtaking.





At the bottom of our descent, we stopped and congratulated ourselves on getting that far without a casualty. The next 2.5 Ks was quite pleasant, level with some up and down, undulating was a term I heard from a survivor later.



We thought that walking level would work some of our throbbing and now-starting-to-seize-up muscles work out. It didn't. We soon found ourselves at the bottom of the Funicular Railway. Some of us thought that that was the hike, 'now for the ride up'. Our Tour Organizer had a better idea....push on to the Gondola! Only 35 minutes . We did that and it was suggested by you know who that we do "The Circuit' boardwalk and paths back to the funicular, another hour.




Our dauntless leader condescended to allow us to have a bread and butter sandwich at the bottom of the circuit, this was consumed in seconds. Now it was UP to the funicular, suddenly a new set of aches entered our system on the 'up'. The spectacular and frightening ride to the cliff edge momentarily took our minds off of our throbbing lower limbs.

At the top, again, some of us thought we were 'home', not to be. "Let's do the Rim Walk" were the words my ex-friend uttered. [By now three of us were walking with distinct limps.] Somehow the journey back to the car was considerably more in distance than the lower route. Something to do with the arc of a circle longer than the distance between the ends I think was my conclusion somewhere on the route. I caught a glimpse of the lookout at Echo Point [our destination and earlier starting point] through the trees and that was it, I was off like a rabbit. To heck with my wife, Lyn and ex-fried who seemed to cherish every extended lookout, outlook, view-point, cave or side trail.


Soon the smells and sounds of civilization caught my senses; the smell of diesel and the sounds of idling motor coaches and chattering Japanese Tourists! I had done it!


Two highlights of the walk:

1. Two magpies trying to attack a large lizard over a meter in length during 'lunch'. [The lizard uses his tail as a weapon, I did not know that.]


2. Our late discovery of the fact that there are no toilets in the valley. That third coffee that tasted so good at 8 AM presented a bit of a problem at 10.30! [A series of sentries and a whistle signal system got the situation rectified.] I know how I did it but we were on a guard-railed board-walk that presented a challenge for the fair sex I assume.


The total time of Rodney's Mystery Hike was 5 1/2 to 6 hours, depending upon who you talk to.