So Sam and I have been slackers about our dates nights / days as of late and we decided we needed to start them again so we make sure to spend some good quality time together every week. Sam chose the activity this week which was a 2000 ft climb up a mountain to a sacred Aboriginal sight. The picture above is us at the base of the trail...we had to bike up a dirt road before we actually got to the forest (or bush as they call it here in OZ) :) That mountain behind us to the right is Mount Dromedary (as called by the 'white' people) but it's real, Aboriginal name is Gulaga.
The hike in Gulaga was gorgeous! It's a semi-tropical area with tree ferns and all sorts of large canopy type trees. I was having a ton of fun photographing all of the amazing plant life, which naturally slowed down the hike, but Sam held my hand and dragged me along when he felt I was going too slow! :)
Looking up at a tree fern
Sam practising for his modelling career selling exotic plants
Gulaga is sacred because of the amazing rock structures found on it. The stones are called 'tors'. This is one of the 'smaller' ones...which tells you how big the 'large' stones are... ;)
After a 1.5 hour hike we finally reached the sacred site. Because of it's significance to the Aboriginal people the trail isn't marked in any way. Lucky for us, Sam had minored in Aboriginal studies in under-grad and had been up to the site with a guide in 2007. Visiting the sacred site was an incredible, awe-inspiring experience! The site was particularly sacred for Aboriginal women and was filled with the most incredible natural stone-formation I have ever seen (and I have seen some incredible sites being from the Rockies). It is amazing because the stone formations are massive and reach to the tops of the trees, but yet, from the trail they are so well hidden, you would walk right past without even a glimpse. We didn't get any pictures of the stone-formations because, out of respect for the sacredness of the site, the Aboriginal people ask that visitors take no pictures and only talk in quiet, whispered, reverent voices. It was amazing. It was like you could hear God whispering through the trees. It is impossible to stand in that site and not feel as if you are standing in the presence of something bigger than yourself. The site is filled with these natural, massive, beautiful stones perfectly stacked in these gorgeous formations. I have never been so filled with thanks and gratitude for my Heavenly Father and for the beauty which he has orchestrated. I wish I could show you the site so you could understand the feelings we felt.....but I guess you'll just have to visit so you can see it for yourself. ;) In addition to magnitude of the beauty of the stone formations, the site overlooks the coast and you can see the clear, blue ocean forever. You're allowed to take pictures of the view, so that's the best we could do.... :)
On the way back down the trail!
3 comments:
Your pictures are amazing! Isn't it powerful to feel God's love for us when in the mountains? I love that when "mountain of the Lord" is used in the scriptures, it is referring to the temple. Mountains are sacred places everywhere they are found! I want to come visit and see all the amazing things you are getting to see! Maybe for my graduation present to myself.... How's January 2011? :)
What a date!!! :)
So beautiful. It's a whole different looking jungle/forest out there. Even East Coast to West coast here varies so much. I'm impressed at your dedication to date night. We stink at that, lol. Saturday night is usually our special night for dinner and we almost always bring the kids. I'm going to try and get babysitters when we get back to Colorado though ;) your date nights look much more original than ours!
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