Dad, Mum, Sharon, Bradley, Neil and I headed off to do the last important road for us to walk so that we can say that we walked all of Pitcairn Island (there are still a few small ones to do but we can complete enroute to something else!). So todays mission was to the Highest Point on the island. Basically we headed up and over to the other side of the island to pick up Palva Valley Road. We passed the radio station again but today it was a lovely fine and warm day. The walk to the Highest Point was relatively easy … maybe it was because we had to go slowly for Mum and Dad. Orginally they were only suppose to come to the radio station and then turn back but the insisted on walking to the Highest Point … although it is easy to get there the walk home still has to be done by them!
At the Highest Point there are distance markers to the rest of the world … unfortunately no Melbourne but there is a Sydney and even no Auckland but a Wellington!
We
stopped there and had a little lunch
The
view from the Highest Point isn’t the greatest on the island but it did give me
a good view of the ocean and just how clear it really is …
While
having lunch we could see threatening skies all around us and the showers that
may or may not hit the island
(check
out the curved trunk of the Norfolk Pine!).
Fortunately the rain didn’t hit the island.
At
this point we find a satellite marker
So
we had across the path to Garnets Ridge path.
The view across is fabulous of Adamstown so we all stop to admire the
view…
Once
at the steps to the start of the Garnets Ridge walk Dad decides to wait for us
but Mum insists on coming with us so we climb up and basically it meanders
along the top of a ridge with spectacular views either side – to our left (the
west side of the island)
And
to our right (Adamstown look east)
Mum,
Neil and Sharon are ahead of me and I am not quite sure where Bradley is …
flittering around somewhere!
This
is basically the track we walk along!
Since
Sharon is movie making I overtake and here is Mum keeping up with Neil
And
scrambling up some rocks (reliving her youth!)
And
here is Sharon and Bradley way way way back there!
Some
of the locals also out walking!
They
are wild goats.
Sharon
and Mum enjoying the view
Mum
and Neil decide to stop there … the wind is not strong up here today so Sharon,
Bradley and I decide to head towards the Norfolk Pine. You can see some of the path has disappeared!
We
get there quite easily and you can see the pine is not as big as the others as
the wind (which can be strong up here) has taken the top of it
I
am enjoying the view by myself as Bradley has had to wait for Sharon!
Sharon
has a tendancy to stop and video and not watch the path that Bradley takes to
get down the rocks so he has to always go back and show here where to go (he
covers a few extra kilometers due to the back tracking!)
The
end point of this track sits just above Christian’s cave and the view of
Adamstown is great so much that I can zoom in and Bounty Bay is quite clear …
Here
is Bradley climbing up the Norfolk Pine … somehow I don’t think it was wind
that snapped the pine in the past but the kids climbing it!
So
we make our way back and pick up Dad and head back Big Ridge Road to Flatland …
now our dilemma begins do we take Mum and Dad the short but steep way back or
continue down to the outskirts of Adamstown and let them climb the hill they
are already familiar with which is longer but easier … we opt for the
longer.
We
pass where the island sheds with tractors are and come across the old tractor
that we think was dropped by the New Zealand Airforce Hercules Plane 30 years
ago
We
pass a small patch of Pineapples
The
other day one of the islanders gave a small but late in the season pineapple
and it was so sweet and juicy.
Exhausted
we arrive back 4 hours after we started … I think Mum and Dad are tired as I am
guessing looking at the map that they have walked a loooooooooooooong way maybe
around 7-8km of not so flat walking!
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