Page 101 of Lost In Kakadu

They ploughed through the scrub ignoring the punishment to their skin. He dropped Abi’s hand and pointed ahead when he spied the orange sandstone.

In dramatic contrast to the surrounding green vegetation, it towered above them, full of hope and promise, a glorious sight.

They just had to figure out how to climb up it.

Chapter Forty-Nine

They held hands at the cliff base, like children before God’s altar. Abi looked up the escarpment and the floating clouds above gave the illusion it was moving. She placed her hands against the rock; the warmth of the day still emanated from it. Sighing, she shrugged her pack off her shoulders and leaned against the rock.

Mackenzie stepped back to examine the cliff. “There’s the cave.” He pointed above her.

She stepped out and shielded her hand against the illuminated clouds. The black hole in the cliff face was about three quarters of the way up. “I see it. It looks big.”

“That’s our bedroom for tonight.”

“Okay,” Abi said with scepticism. “How do we get up there?”

“I’m working on that.”

Mackenzie studied the rock face and then rummaged through his pack removing the rope. Months ago, he’d cut long strips from two parachutes and woven them into a strong rope that had proven useful on numerous occasions. As he laid the rope out in large loops, he occasionally glanced up the cliff as if he was judging the distance from the ground to the cave.

“I’ll climb up first. Then I want you to tie the rope to the bags andI’ll pull them up.”

“Okay.”

He put his hand on her shoulder. “Then it’s your turn. Tie the rope around your waist like I showed you and I’ll help you climb up.” Abi remembered him showing her how to tie a rope months ago. His patience had been tested then and she hoped now that it wasn’t wasted.

Mackenzie must have been exhausted but his look of determination convinced her there was no point arguing. Abi glanced back at the vertical cliff and doubted whether she could do this; her upper-body strength had never been great. But with reluctance she nodded. “But shouldn’t we wait until morning? At least we can make a fire down here.”

“Good point.” He unzipped the travel case and tossed the contents out.

“What’re you doing?”

“We don’t need all this stuff up there; I’ll fill this with firewood for the morning.”

“Mack, sorry to burst your bubble, but you could get all the way up there and find you need to come straight back down.”

He reached for both her hands. His lips appeared redder and plumper when his beard was full, and she focused on them as he spoke.

“Abi, don’t ask me how, but I know it’ll be perfect. Trust me.”

“I do. But don’t you think we should have a look before we go to all this trouble?”

“Nope.” His eyes twinkled with mischief.

Abi rolled her eyes at his enthusiasm. “Okay.”

“That’s my girl.”

That’s my girl.She liked that.

Together they sorted their equipment into two piles. One would come up with them and the other would remain at the base of the cliff. Abi wrapped the items to be left behind in a parachute while Mackenzie filled the empty case with wood for a fire.

When they were ready, Mackenzie launched up the cliff, digging his hands and feet into chinks and small ledges in the stone. The rope dangled below him like Rapunzel’s hair. Abi held her breath with every step he climbed. He made it look easy, which only increased her anxiety.

He reached the cave and moments later he disappeared into thehole. She judged the distance to be about five stories’ high. She heard him calling to her but couldn’t make out his words.

The excitement in his voice was electric.

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