Andy Bateman

Its 11 am and 33 degrees...

After all our lazing on the beach we decided to do some exercise, we walked across the island, we caught the 9:30am bus after a late night out in the Banana Court (the local club). We got off just outside town and started to make our way into the centre of the island, its a few miles on the road until you reach the 'Jungle'.

The road walk was a nice steady climb past the islands power plant (a shed with a couple portable generators in it it seems), past some farms and to the 'car park' at the top. From here on in it was scrambling over and under trees, up banks, down banks, vertical scrambles up tree roots. Apparently a path but more like a mud slide. We made our way up the 7k and 350m height gain up to the Needle, a 60 metre high rock looking over the island, fantastic views of all the coast!We stopped there with a couple of american guys for lunch, then started to make our way down, this point was pretty much the half way point of the walk. Scrambling down, or 'falling' was just as hard if not harder than going up! Sliding down banks, paddling through streams, ending with a little paddle in Wigmores pool, a waterfall at the end of the hard part. All left for us to do was walk out on the road and back to our Hostel! showers and a good nights sleep.

Tomorrow we're leaving the Hostel to go stay in a beach hut for Becky's Birthday! (Toilets and Showers of our own! Hurrah!)

Here are some photos of the Island.

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Hope you like them!