Welcome to the GrayBear blog!  With much anticipation I write this first ever blog post here at GrayBear, and what a spectacular way to begin what will hopefully be a great collection of inspiration and interest...  This blog will always try to bring something fresh and new and hopefully inspire you to get out and encounter some of the things included in the blog... oh and some nice photos.

With that out of the way, let me introduce you to sunrise at Mt Warning on the far NSW Coast:

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Mt Warning, for those who aren't familiar with it, is the centre of an extinct volcano towering over the Tweed Valley on the far north coast of New South Wales.  Standing a proud 1,156m (3793ft), Mt Warning is the first place on the Australian Mainland to see sunlight.  Like a crazy man, I decided to see the sunrise from it's peak and set off at the ungodly hour of 2:15am in time to see sunrise at 5am...  it was dark.  But worth it.  It always amazes me how fast the sun actually climbs into the sky, within minutes, the murky dawn was thrown wide open.. stunning.

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The climb is a winding path of around 4.4km from the carpark at the base of the mountain to the summit viewing platform.  Its pretty steep in some sections, with the final 400m being a scramble with the aid of a chain...much needed after almost 2hrs uphill walking!  

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One of the Aboriginal meanings for Mt Warning "Wollombin" is "Cloud Catcher"... they got it right:

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Mt Warning and the surrounding rim is the largest extinct volcanic rim in the southern hemisphere and has some the worlds best subtropical and tropical rainforest.  Towering Flooded gums and massive buttress trees line the pathway to the summit of the mountain...the surrounding National Park is listed on the UNESCO World Heritage Listing in 1986 and is home to over 100 species of birds and rare trees including the Giant Stinging Tree, Booyongs and Flame Trees.

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If ever the chance is there to climb Mt Warning, take it.  Get up early and wait for the sun.  Worth every second.

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