AROUND THE WORLD

BALL’S PYRAMID

Balls Pyramid off the southeast coast of Lord Howe Island Ball’s Pyramid is a remnant of a shield volcano and caldera that formed about seven million years ago. Ball’s Pyramid is 20 km (13 miles) southeast of Lord Howe Island in the Pacific Ocean. It is 562 m high, while measuring only 200 macross, making it the tallest volcanic stack in the world. Ball’s Pyramid is located at: 31°45′21″S 159°15′02″E / 31°75′58″S 159°25′05″E.

You can reach the Balls Pyramid by cruise boats and peer at it, or just enjoy my post, triangular basalt rock sticking 562m out of theocean, is officially the tallest sea stack in the world. The pyramid named after Lieutenant Henry Ball who discovered it in 1788 at the same time he discovered Lord Howe Island. The first person stap ashore is believed to have been Henry Wilkinson in 1882, who was a geologist at the New South Wales Department of Mines. Part of the southeast edge, Winkelstein’s Steeple, was given that name by an unsuccessful team of climbers. Balls Pyramid was conquered on February 14, 1965. A few had previously attempted the climb, including a young adventurer by the name of Dick Smith. He failed on that occasion due to a shortage of supplies, but returned in 1980 to complete his mission. There wereother difficulties to face besides the sheer rock face, including venomous centipedes, but I don’t know for sure about them. Climbing was banned in 1982 under amendments to the Lord Howe Island Act, and in 1986 all access to the island was banned too. In 1990 the policy changed to allow some climbing under strict conditions, which in recent years has required an application to the relevant state Minister.

Actually, nothing can stop you to climb Ball’s Pyramid if you strong enough to play death defining stands. Balls Pyramid is the sole remaining habitat of a species of giant stick insect that rediscovered in 2001, it should be the rarest insect in the world, and possibly the rarest invertebrate, and let it be, I just looking at this mystical Pyramid which obscured by the ocean.