08.01.2023 from Boonah to Rathdowney

08.01.2023 from Boonah to Rathdowney

Do you know biolarm? No, let me explain it to you:

When 100 parrots or parakeets give a concert at 4:00 in the morning and don't stop until I can't fall asleep anymore, that's called biolarm.

So we get up early and continue to Rathdowney, a well-known place on the edge of Mt. Barney NP. We are the first guests at the municipal campground and will probably remain so. And let me tell you, since the 30 heavily motorized bikers left the pub across the street with loud engine noise, it has become very quiet in the town.

We inquire about the best hiking options at Mt. Barney and decide on the lower Portals, a 7.4 km hike that is estimated to take 3 hours (return). It goes steeply uphill, about 100 meters in altitude, stairs are supposed to make hiking easier, it's 30 degrees, the sun is relentlessly burning. Despite wearing a hat, using sunscreen 50, and bringing water, I have to call it quits after 2 km, there are still 2 km uphill to hike and then we have to go all the way back downhill. Hiking level 4 is too challenging. I just have to recognize it early enough, and it's not a big deal. We are on "vacation" and not on the run.

There is another path to a lookout, 2 km about 1 hour, level 4, which we initially give up.

Instead, we go swimming in the municipal pool, we are all alone, disguised as retirees, we only pay half price. Cool off once and then it's off to the campsite and walking to the pub.

Now we drink tea and listen to the singing of the parrots, or parakeets?

PS: There is no public Wi-Fi here, neither in the tourist information nor in the pub.

PS2: At dusk, hundreds of large bats fly out of their quarters. A great spectacle.