Otford – Bundeena

Otford – Bundeena

We all managed to get off 9:30 train at Otford and sorted out gear which Tony had kindly picked up and brought from the club locker. Starting our ascent of the hill out of Otford, Alex asked if it was going to be like this the whole way. I reassured him that it wasn’t but started to get worried myself, I always forget just how long you have to go uphill at the start of this track. Heading down…

Lindemann’s Track

The trip began with a quick scramble off down some steep but short rocks to test the groups abilities and went without incident. We got some spectacular views of the Three Sisters backsides and a fantastic landscape shot for any shutterbugs out there. After the scenic view came a series of minor home invasions as we attempted to find our way out only to discover numerous side trails leading to various the backyards of the area. After alerting…

Otford – Burning Palms – Helensburgh

Otford – Burning Palms – Helensburgh

With the destination of the walk altered from the Blue Mountains due to trackwork, 11 of us found each other at Central and bundled on to the train for the hour-long trip to Otford. The climb up from Otford to the Pie Shop is the steepest part of the whole walk and it was good to get it over with right at the start. From there…

Corkscrew and Upper Bowens Creek South

Corkscrew and Upper Bowens Creek South

I had forgotten how beautiful Upper Bowens Creek South was until I did it again in mid-January with a Scouts party. The clambouring in the main canyon section required some level of nerve and skill, and I thought it would be excellent for beginners if simplified. I wished to eliminate the car turnaround on Bells Line of Road (not undangerous) and the 2 or 3 abseils (which are pretty ordinary). T2 advised…

Umina – Pearl Beach – Patonga & return

Umina – Pearl Beach – Patonga & return

Tom and myself arrived at Woy Woy station to collect the walkers who had indicated they were coming up on the train at 9.25am. One potential walker missed the train, and so did Jemma, who decided to catch the next one and get to Pearl Beach by taxi. That left 10 people coming off the train, with Angelo appearing to be a “no show”, or so we thought. Tom and…

Cowan to Brooklyn

Cowan to Brooklyn

14 of us met up at Cowan Station for the walk along part of the Great North Walk to Brooklyn Tim having driven up on his scooter). Unfortunately a couple of people missed the train at Central as they relied on their transport app to find the departure platform; the app was wrong! (More about transport apps later). But two…

Nude bushwalk in the lower Blue Mountains

Nude bushwalk in the lower Blue Mountains

Meet at 9:30am at Glenbrook Station. Sierra thinks she is the only female, but then come two more down the road from the toilets, so it’s alright. Kevin of the Bankstown Bushwalkers starts chatting with us. T2 tries to drop names, but can’t remember the names he is trying to drop, so ends up saying things like “that middle aged woman who abseils” and “that young, mid to late twenty year old guy”, and “that guy whose name I can’t remember who came on a trip with me a couple of years ago”. Somehow Kevin…

Helensburgh – Hacking River – Helensburgh

Helensburgh – Hacking River – Helensburgh

Despite the bad weather 5 brave walkers met up at Central Station for the trip to Helensburgh. We got off at Helensburgh in drizzling rain and having donned raincoats and put up umbrellas, set off for Metropolitan Tunnel. (Because most of the walk was through fairly open country it was possible to use umbrellas, not normally a standard bushwalking item). Metropolitan Tunnel…