At 61 meters up to the lookout, the Gloucester Tree in Pemberton is the world's second tallest fire-lookout tree, behind the nearby Dave Evans Bicentennial Tree (75m tall), and is one of only 3 lookout trees still climbable by tourists.

Built in 1947, the Gloucester tree was one of 8 Karri trees in the region made easier to climb so they could be used as lookouts for fires. Construction of the lookout consisted of driving 153 large metal pikes into the tree to form a spiral staircase, and a wooden cabin at the top which would be the lookout. In 1973 the wooden cabin was demolished and replaced with a steel and aluminium cabin and visitors' gallery.

The tree was first tested by Jack Watson, climbing up the tree with boots and a belt. It took him 6 hours to climb due to the 7.3m girth of the tree, and having to work his way around branches from 39 meters up.

On one of our trips down through the Southwest of Western Australia, we stopped by to have a look at the tree. The weather wasn't great, but I decided to grab my camera and have a go at climbing the tree. The first thing you a greeted with is a warning trying to convince you not to climb it...

It was no easy task negotiating the climb and getting around other visitors who were on their way down. With just the metal spikes as stairs, and a very flimsy wire fence around you, one bad slip could see you tumbling down to the forest floor. There were no safety harnesses, nets or anything else to grab hold of. There were just the spikes.

While I was climbing I stopped for a short rest, and to get a few photos of the forest from a perspective you don't always get. The view from about halfway up the tree was quite incredible. The forest floor below, the canopy of branches and leave above, and the woody tree trunks straight ahead.





When I got near the first platform, almost at the top of the tree, I took these photos, looking straight down. DIZZY!!!

I finally made it to the first platform, and had another look down.

When it was my turn (only 2 persons allowed up in the top lookout at a time), I climbed the remaining few stairs to the upper lookout. I was 61 meters up in the air, and this was the view.

After spending a few minutes catching my breath and taking some photos, I started my descent. It was difficult going, even harder than the climb up, as you had to keep looking down to make sure you got each foot firmly on the next spike below and didn't slip. Taking the 153 steps down was a real challenge, and when I finally made it to the ground my legs felt like jelly.

Would I do it again?

You Bet I would!!