You would think that, being unemployed, there would be endless days of nothing, and a struggle to fill the time.  In fact, it has been completely the opposite.  I have packed more into the last two weeks than ever!  Lots of hiking and climbing expeditions, I've decided to pick archery back up, and of course a few job applications.  I've just received my first "thanks but no thanks", or "PFO" as we call it in the industry, and that was a bit hard.  "They" talk about a pilot shortage... but I've been unemployed for 16 days, and there is no offer of a job on the table yet.  I know I need to be patient, but it is hard being patient when there is a mortgage to pay!

Booloumba Creek hiking last Saturday

So many people came!

I started the week with a phone interview followed by aptitude/psychometric testing, and got the email this morning with "Thank you for expressing your interest... on this occasion we will not be progressing your application to the next stage."  Thanks... but no thanks.  A bit of a kick in the teeth - but I have to remind myself that it happens for a reason, even if I don't know what that reason is...

I still haven't heard back from the old company, even though a few weeks ago they told me they would offer me a command in Canberra.  It seems that the cogs move just as slowly as I remember.

In between, I've been very active.  Wednesday was my biggest day so far, starting with a 16km hike around Kondolilla Falls with Ben, finishing up with a nice cool dip in the pool near the start of the walk.  Ben tried to aggravate my grammar-nazi-personality by pointing out the "Great! walks" sign... which I ignored.  Back home, I got a quick shower, made a sandwich, and headed out again, this time to try my first outdoor rock climbing.  


A giant strangler fig at Kondalilla 

Another Strangler Fig that Ben decided to climb

The lookout

We went to the beginner cliffs at Ngungun, which are called "Andromeda."  The guy who was teaching me was very patient and chose nice easy climbs that I could complete, and it was a fun afternoon, although boiling hot.  I had already agreed to climb Tibrogargan for Sunset, but was beginning to feel regret as my legs and back were killing me from the amount of action I had already put them through.

Watching the sunset from Tibrogargan

The climb up Tibrogargan almost broke me.  I didn't have my Garmin watch so I don't know what my actual heart rate was, but I felt like it was beating outside my body.  Thankfully I realised how exhausted I was and stocked up on two bottles of Powerade to counteract the sweat streaming off me in the heat and humidity.  It was rewarding to reach the top and stop to watch the sun go down.  We then had dinner out of a little portable butane stove - a strange conglomeration of spicy ramen noodles and tuna, which sounds disgusting.  I tentatively agreed to taste the mix and found it surprisingly good, so ate my full portion.  Then we talked for a couple of hours, finally realising it was late and we should descend.

It was strange climbing down in the dark.  The rocks looked glow in the dark in the light of our headlamps.  It wasn't any more difficult than daytime, just different.  I would definitely do it again - but not on the same day as hiking and rock climbing!

It poured with rain on the drive home - goes to show how humid it was - and again in the night.  I got up in the morning and messaged my climbing buddies to say I wasn't going to do our next adventure unless it was dry.  They assured me that it was dry... so, with aching legs and a marked lack of energy, I got back in the car and drove back to Tibrogargan.  It was dry.  The sun was shining, the sky was blue, and at 0930 it was already 31 degrees.  I planned ahead and filled my bag with frozen water bottles - almost three litres total.  

The goal now was to climb up the front of Tibro - Caves' Route, but this time I did not have a harness.  I did, however, insist on wearing my helmet, and John and Stew brought ropes to hang down the hard parts.  I managed to climb the first section to cave 2 by myself, only using the rope at the very end, and my legs were shaking with fear by the time I pulled myself into the cave.  It is hard to keep climbing and keep oneself thinking straight when one's body is entirely letting itself down with shaking and sweaty hands!  

We barely made it into Cave 2 when the rain started.  It poured down, and we sat in the dry of the cave watching it, me at least feeling scared, but pretending to be nonchalant.  We weren't going to start climbing again until it stopped, and John said the rocks would dry out quickly, but I was still worried.  It was super scary climbing in the dry - what would it be like wet?

Finally, the rain stopped, and John went to explore.  He climbed up above Cave 2 and hung down a rope, saying the rocks were pretty dry again already.  I inched my way outside the cave.  The first rock to climb over - maybe a metre high and sloping - was still soaking wet as it was out of the sun, but the rocks past it looked okay.  I started making my way over the wet rock... and slipped.  It all happened so quickly, and John tells me "if you had fallen, you wouldn't have gone very far from there", but that doesn't make me feel any better!  Stew grabbed me by the handle of my backpack as I flailed around for purchase.  That was definitely a heart-in-mouth moment!

Watching the rain fall from Cave 2

Too steep??

Sitting in Cave 5 to see the view

If you look carefully, you can see John close to the centre of the photo

The climb from there wasn't as bad, although when we got to the Chimney and I saw the vertical rock above me that apparently we had to climb, I was thoroughly unsure again!  Stew kept trying to throw a metal boat anchor into the Chimney so that he could climb up - assuring John that it had worked before.  I could see John's doubt, but he went with it.  Unfortunately I wasn't videoing when Stew, a couple of metres up the chimney, hanging on to the rope, went flying backwards as the anchor slipped and narrowly missed John's head on the way down.  Stew wasn't hurt, but it gave us both a fright and we had no plans of trusting that anchor at any time ever.  Stew decided to give it another go, however, and this time made it up and tied the rope securely around a large rock so that John and I could hoist ourselves up.  I had a moment at the top of the Chimney where I didn't feel I could go any further and Stew and John had to help me onto a rock - very very scary!

Stew, right before the anchor came off and he came flying backwards! 

That was the last of the real climbing bit, and from there it was simply a heart-pounding sweat-inducing scramble to the summit, with me declaring I was going to spend the next day resting from climbing!

This morning I went for a quick archery practise as there is a competition this weekend, and am now spending the rest of the day watching Netflix and chilling.  I would apply for other jobs... but I can't find any more to apply for... or at least not that I'm interested in....