Return to Hanging Rock

Hanging Rock is one of the most visited places in the Blue Mountains, thanks largely to social media. Every backpacker wants to get out there, jump across the scary gap, and perch on the narrow nose for a while, with the event appropriately recorded and posted.. Some even do base jumps or tight rope acts (look up a few YouTube videos if you really want to scare yourself!)






I took the precaution of giving my group a severe (but totally superfluous!) talking to about the perils of such activities, as spelled out on the official sign.

Strangely, it's not so well known among traditional bushwalkers, such as the members of my bushwalking club. So I like to take groups out there now and again to show them what they're missing.

It's a fairly mundane five kilometre walk out to it along a fire trail. When you get to Burramoko Head and the Baltzer Lookout you get the most spectacular views across the Grose Valley, amazing cliffs all around. And to the left and below, there is Hanging Rock, halfway detached from the cliff, and with a gap of a metre or so separating them.







Last time I went there three of the party made it across the gap, and the other three got stuck at various points along the final descent. This time only two of us did the jump, one of us even sitting for a while on that narrow nose rock. One stayed at the very top, designating herself the official long-distance photographer.

(Black & white photography courtesy Molly Huang)






The chap in red isn't me, but the black & white one is!

Too many tour guides, not enough tourists

In Bukittinggi last month there was a marked shortage of western tourists. The tour guides were most concerned. The European summer holiday season should have been under way, but so far only a handful seemed to have made it to West Sumatra's traditional tourist capital.

There seemed to be unemployed wannabe guides all over the place. I employed a couple of competent, established guides though. Here's Erik, polishing his car.

One theory was that the earthquakes and tsunamis of recent years had frightened people off. Another was that the ending of the Medan to Penang ferry service (due to competition from cheap airlines) had severed the well trodden backpacker route up through Sumatra. But travel has its fashions anyway. Destinations go in and out of vogue. And a lot of travellers go straight to Lake Maninjau or the Harau Valley these days. For old times sake I was staying put for a whole relaxed week in Bukittinggi.

I used Erik's services for two full day tours. Here he is, showing me how a designer rural fish cracker factory works.

And here's Rara, of LITE 'N EASY Tours. She did a magnificent job of looking after me for another couple of days.

 She came equipped with corporate umbrella, corporate fold-up chair, and corporate LITE 'N EASY Tour sign.