We have come to the city crag of Nowra just south of Sydney and Wollongong. with a population of 25000 its pretty bi. To make a change we will be paying to Camp and worrying about thieves and juvenile delinquents running around the camp. Just like being back at work. There is loads of climbing all over the city. Some crags are hidden in residential estates some are on sea cliffs. One area you climb in a caves directly under peoples gardens and you can hear the hovering (a sound I have not heard in months). One advantage of the city living is access to amenities. So looking forward to the new adventure. We are also near the beach.
Tuesday. Another day of rest. So we chill at the camp which is on the edge of a lake. We spend hours playing hack sack which we are actually getting the hang of. We have managed 2 and a half hacki’s, which considering we could not pass it between two of us a few weeks ago says something. We do still get in such a state of giggles that our sides hurt and we have to stop and compose our selves. Chris and I are the least effective at controlling ourselves which is nothing unusual. We are definitely the children in the group. We make our way to the beach and for the first time since the great Ocean road I truly believe I am in Oz’s. The sun is shining and we are on a beautiful beach with silver sand and blue sea, the sky is even blue today. We spend more time playing haci it really has become an obsession on our rest days. Due to our late morning and slow moans it not long before we watch the sun set. We take a romantic walk along the beach while watching the sky become red, pink and yellow. (Ok just too clear t up there was no romance really). We reluctantly head back to camp where we enjoy another shower. The simple things in live can give so much pleasure when you have spent months being a dirt bag. We are joined my more climbers who are living the dirt bag life styles. We spend the evening watching climbing movies on Neal’s computer the aim to give us inspiration and motivation for the projects to come. So in the middle of a field in a barn you have 10 climbers standing around a 13inch laptop watching hard grit. (An English climbing film we even get a fire going to stave off the frost that seems insistent on sneaking in on us. We have a large barn like building which we are allowed to use in the evening as long as we don’t leave any stuff in it. This is the first camp site that I have actually had to pay for. The owners don’t appear to like climbers but they tolerate us for $8 a day. They supply us hot showers and a sink with to water to do our dishes in. They have plug sockets around the barn which we are suppose to pay an extra $2 a day for. We also get a collection of steal tables and benches to do our cooking. We manage to waste the evening nicely.
Wednesday. Another slow morning. Filled with stretching, chilling and some skipping. I have got pretty skilled at this so we have moved it p a notch or two. Chris and I are trying to skip together for 10 skips then 20 and so me. If Chris is anything to go by I don’t think boys spent much time skipping in the play ground. We spend the entire day hanging about the camp amusing ourselves with this stuff and by reading a few pages of our books. We share r lunch with the peacock that comes to join us with 12 of its mates. We then decide to do something useful so we spend an hour walking up and down the hill searching for fire wood all very exciting. We watch the sun going down over the lake another amazingly impressive display of nature at its best. Dinner is 4 potato soup followed by tacos made with sausages rather than mince they were free food again. Another enjoyable relaxing day, which even includes some sun shine. I forgot to mention we are camping next to the animal park (Zoo) so we are woken every morning at 6 by the dingo’s they are hellishly noisy. The nights are disturbed by the wombats that keep banging about your tents. Then if you’re really unlucky to get to hear the creaking of parrots for hours every morning. A lot to be said for living in the city hay.
Thursday it’s raining again yippee. For a country that’s supposed to be in severe drought we have encountered so much rain. While in Natimuk we had 55mm of rain on that faithful weekend where I drank to mush. Now we have had 85mm of rain here how can that be? We are also told it is going to rain for the next 3 to 4 days how English a wet bank holiday weekend. But we go to the beech anyway. We look at the seat and toy with the idea of going body boarding but we but Neal give it a miss he manages about to waves then gives in. I still haven’t made it into the sea. We walk about and take in the sights. when you do the shopping remember never go when you’re hungry because all that happens is you come home with loads of junk food and nothing useful. Back at the ranch the 4 of us argue about the day and how many rest days we have all had. At it turns out 4 of use have no clue what the day is, we have to use the calendar on one of the mobile phones to work it out thank god for technology.
Friday. Were going climbing. Off to lot 33. A huge bouldering area covered in gravity. We are a whole 5 minutes from the main road and a 2 minute walk from the car. Which is kind of cool as its pouring again or maybe its still. We aim to kill ourselves in a few hours which shouldn’t be hard as its overhanging and mean. We try and take loads of arty shots in-between our individual boulder problems. We don’t last long before the skin on tips is worn out again, Nail is struggling the most in this area. We head back to camp feeling utterly used. Shaun decided not to come bouldering with us he went off with Ryan. Another evening freezing our butt off in the barn.
