Mt. Warning / Wollumbin, northern New South Wales.

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Apparently Tom Hanks was also in the neighbourhood the day we climbed Mt. Warning / Wollumbin in northern New South Wales. The Aboriginal elders request that it’s not climbed, but we did, and so do many others. I get it – it’s a part of traditional culture – but I don’t see why that should stop people from climbing a lump of rock if they feel inclined. It reminds me of the pilgrimage trails in Shikoku and on the Kii Peninsula here in Japan that do not allow females to walk the trails. It’s 2020 – really?

It was a steady 10km return hike, something that the kids we brought over from central Japan had never done before. They said they were tired at the top, but they weren’t. They’re kids after all. Once we got back to the campsite they were running around as if they’d just woken up. Myself and Justin, however, settled down into our camping chairs around the fire to do nothing for the remainder of the evening.

It’s a well known hike easily accessible by car from the Gold Coast or Byron Bay and with the exception of the rock scrambling at the top (which is harder coming down), it’s an easy hike that almost anyone can do so long as you’re in shape. The kids did it, after all.

It’s always good to go hiking in a different country. It helps you appreciate the diversity of the planet we live on. Just watch out for snakes.