Base walking ...

Nick and I walked around the bluff base this morning.

There was no trail as such but we picked our way - and sometimes followed the goat tracks also.

The ground was very rocky and we needed to watch our footing.  I wore boots and jeans to protect against the vegetation, as well as my usual hat and long-sleeved shirt to prevent sunburn.  It was a hot day but thankfully there was a pleasant breeze to make my layers bearable!

We've spent a lot of time on the bluff but this was our first time walking around the base. There were variations in the ground/rocks as we walked along, which was interesting.

We could hear small cicadas singing in the trees but I only saw one - and it flew off when it saw me!

There were several varieties of wild flowers and flowering shrubs. I've been working on identifying them.

We walked about a quarter of the way around before heading up the hill face.

The goats obviously sit in the shelter of the rocky outcrops often.  We took a rest there also, enjoying the cool and looking out over the distance - before doing some rock scrambling onto the plateau.  I'm not very good with heights, so was quite chuffed to have achieved the top!