Bushwalking

Being extremely free the last weekend (26 July), i took a morning and went bushwalking.

My destination??

<----- Mt Gravatt in Toohey Forest.

This post is mainly a photo post, just enjoy the green and the scenery. Bit disappointed though, cause i didn't get many good photos...

However...

There were 2 big highlights of the day :



1. I was chased by a turkey.

I'm pretty sure most of you'll are going either "Huh?" or "What?" and will most likely be laughing your butts off after reading that sentence.

Anyway, i was chased by a Bush Turkey. And if you're wondering where are it's photos, i can say i was too busy trying to get away from it. (How does a bush turkey look? Check back one of my old posts. There's a photo there)

Actually I'm not very sure if it was chasing me at all. But I'm pretty sure it was. It all started when i was walking down one of the trails when i noticed this turkey in the bushes.

Well, i see them pretty often so i just ignored. Then suddenly i charged at me. I guess it was some sort of surprise attack and yes, it did surprise me very much.

Then i did what usually works in Malaysia for scaring off animals, stomping my foot and going "shoo!" It did help a little. It would just back off for a little bit.

The scary part was, everytime i turned my back and started walking off. It would chase and follow. For every step i took, it in turn would take 2 steps (Hey, it's smaller ok?). Naturally i was spooked. I tried chasing it off a few times but it kept coming back. At one stage i just became so pissed and evil, i just wanted nothing more than to give it a good kick in the face (oh yeah~~) but I'm Lai Jian Wei la, please, i don't do such things.

After a while, i started sending out mental messages to the bird (yes it sounds stupid, but i seriously didn't feel like hurting the bird) " don't force me, or i am really going give you a good kick in the butt" In the end it did work (thankfully) and the ******* stopped following me. (*sighs in relief*)


Before i go on, the city you see in the photos? That is Brisbane city, seen from the peak of Mt Gravatt.












And this shiny area near the horizon? That's Moreton Bay. Beyond that is Moreton Island, one of my target destinations. XD










Anyway, here's the second interesting event...

For all my peers and the slightly older friends, I'm pretty sure you have read the poem "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost. For my kids, just go and find a Form 5 Literature Book then you can read the poem or just go and Google the poem.

I must say this poem has really inspired me in many ways. It also is very like me. I don't like to do what everyone does.

As i was walking around Mt Gravatt, there were many choice of trails. There was this point i reached a fork in the trail. And as the poem goes,

"Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear:
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,"


I took the path that was less travelled, had more grass, was more cramped....


And got lost.

Why? I made one of the most stupid mistakes. I can't believe i forgot to do this.

To all my kids, please please please don't forget this when you'll go jungle trekking. Always look back. Sometimes when you look in front, you think you see a trail but in reality it might not be one. The best way to check if you are really on a trail is to look back. Once you check and you cannot see a trail anymore, quickly turn back.

The reason i couldn't turn back was i forged a trail on my own for more than 5mins. When i finally discovered something wrong and look back, i had already lost my bearings and certainly the trail. As i was climbing, i became overly engrossed in my surroundings and forgot to check.

I will admit that i was EXTREMELY scared. Why? Not because i was lost, but because of the landscape. That day was a nice hot sunny day. The landscape had a lot of fallen logs and thick shrub. And do you know why these factors made me scared?

Snakes.

Australia has 9 of 10 most deadly snakes in the world. And i was stuck in the middle of bushland - prime snake territory. I tread very very lightly. The terrain certainly didn't help. It was full of good snake hiding places. Not to mention spiders. If i was bitten you certainly wouldn't be reading this entry now.

Anyway, since you are reading this i did make it out alive. How did i get out? Well, it wasn't that hard actually. Since i was on the slope of the mountain, i decided a forge a trail straight up. After all there was a lookout point on the peak. After about 15mins of pushing through dead fallen branches and shrubs, i reached a trail just below the mountain's peak.

It was fun all in all. Getting lost and being chased. But i can't stop stressing my friends and kids, please always go out prepared bring water and anything you might need etc. Also inform somebody where you are going and what time you should expect to get back.

Stick to clear well cut trails. I was lucky in a sense that the forest was small, so if i just kept of walking i would sooner or later find a way out. But please don't be like me and go do silly things. Silly things should be left to crazy people like me.

=D