Karri

In many ways the Dave Evans Bicentennial Tree, which is the tallest lookout tree (at 68 metres) in Warren National Park of southwestern Australia, is more like a circus totem than a fire lookout station.

We had a lot of funny ideas in mind during our recent Perth trip, and this tree is one of those. For one thing, I kept asking myself if I should let my daughter climb the karri tree (and without worrying as I follow her steps up and up).

Spiral pegs around the karri tree trunk make the climb less daunting - but still somewhat scary. There's even a tree-house cage station midway, swaying up to 1.5 metres in case of extremely windy day. And did I mention there is no safety net below?

Which is to say you'd better mind your step and put your foot down with each step. Make any split-second decision carelessly and you will never have chance to make any decision. Best not to speak at all in moment like this. 

My daughter didn't say much during her ascent. "Focus," she simply said few words to herself, "and don't give up." Rarely has a game captured so much attention so firmly - young and old, daughter and her dad. The first time she climbed the tree, she started to try few steps, gaining an internal sense of control, and came down. This isn't surprising. One has to sense the footing before going further up. I stayed behind and held my breath, whereas my wife had decided to take the lead. She climbed and asked my daughter to follow. I peered anxiously at the bottom of the karri tree (you know, broken arm, shattered skull and the like), wondering whether I should tell my kid (and my wife) to come down. Or, should I let her push her personal boundaries just a bit? Or, could I?

On my return flight, I happened to read a news story about playground behavior of Auckland children, who had motion sensors strapped to them (for monitoring physical activity, as a research project). The researchers talked the schools into relaxing outdoor play rules, including lifting bans on running, riding bikes or climbing trees.

Their success rate in persuading schools to throw the rule books out the window is marvelous on its own, but all the more astonishing in light of how allowing children to take "risky" play resulted in a drop in bullying and serious injuries. And, I'm serious, an improvement in students' concentration and behaviour in class. 
 

I wish I'd read the story before visiting this karri tree.