The Bicentennial Tree - Pemberton

Arriving at the Dave Evans Bicentennial Tree; I had only planned to climb to the first platform of the 60 metre karri tree - well, I hadn't even planned that really.

Named after a local politician, the lookout was constructed to commemorate Australia's bicentennial celebrations in 1988 as opposed to older and functional fire lookouts. Easily reaching the first platform, the camera came out of the bag and the snaps began. I had removed my spectacles, as there was a fairly good chance of them slipping off on the way up or down, I wasn't climbing blind but I had to concentrate on the way up and down, I wasn't able to change my camera settings either but shooting on auto worked fine. I emptied my pockets but left my DSLR in its bag and began my climb with my camera slung around my back, I regretted that, the bag got caught on nearly everything on the way down. 

In my previous life working in underground gold mines; I was frequently climbing 30 metre ladders with my toolbag strapped to my back so this was nothing new, you couldn't see any further than your caplamp allowed so you just concentrated on where you were at - right here, right now. Well apart from the fact that I was 24 and I am now 44, losing muscle mass, fitness and gaining 20 kg in anything but lean mean muscle.

I made the decision to go to the top after standing on the first (halfway) platform, somehow my thought process told me there in no value doing anything by halves - so up I went. I was also wearing sandals, not my first choice of climbing shoes but as I was climbing rungs of a ladder, not the actual tree itself. A wonky left knee and arthritic neck doesn't really help my case for a fast climbing style.

A further four platforms up the top required climbing ladders and not spikes drilled and hammered into the trunk, the platforms were also caged so no chances of falling can occur. The top platform is complete with tin roof and caged with a slot for photographs, resting your camera housing against the platform isn't recommended as the swaying motion of the trunk affects resolution.

As the Warren National Park is out of town, the Bicentennial Tree is less frequented and hence less busy than the Gloucester Tree, this would be the choice of climbing trees. I was going to also climb the Gloucester Tree later that day when back in town, the lines to climb the tree somewhat shocked me - it was an easy decision to not to make the second climb later that day. I had been up the tree seven years prior so it wasn't as if I required the challenge, the crowd up top was noisy so I had no qualms about not making the effort.

As I was on the top platform admiring the view, a young guy climbed through and armed with a Nikon DSLR took a series of shots. I offered to let him down first as this young Swiss guy from Berne was pretty slick and I knew I would be holding him back. I was surprised when I made it to the halfway platform to see him walking away from the base of the tree, still plodding along I made it down and off to a meal at the bush tables with the local flies.