Royal National Park: Loftus to Waterfall

Royal National Park: Loftus to Waterfall

Couranga TrackA computer “meltdown” affecting the rail system the previous day caused some anxiety about whether the trains would be mucked up on the Sunday. As it turned out the trains on Sunday (walk day) were OK. Not so OK for me though, as in the government’s usual wisdom it closed down all trains running between Strathfield and Brisbane for trackwork, thus requiring me to meet everyone at Hurstville Station instead of Central. While waiting…

The Castle & Monolith Valley

The Castle & Monolith Valley

We set off for long gully campground just after 7:30am from the Bhundoo Bush Cottages which was our basecamp for the budfest weekend. After a brief examination of the map to make sure we were on the correct track because the Byangee Walls track also departs in the same vicinity we set off.  We slowly started gaining elevation of a few hundred metres on the Kalianna Ridge trail which then continues as the castle walking trail once it hits the cliffline. From here…

Budfest 2018

Budfest 2018

This trip was planned to give both experienced and novice bushwalkers a chance to get together and have share a great location and some good company.  The Budawangs have lots of walking options ranging from the seriously strenuous Castle Walk to the more moderate but equally stunning Pigeonhouse Mountain track. Nestled between…

Kiama Coast Walk

Kiama Coast Walk

On Saturday 11 August 2018 I led a walk along the Kiama Coast Walk on the South Coast. Although not technically a difficult walk, it is 22km in its entirety. What I think makes it unique is it’s relatively “Un-Australian” landscape (I hear cries of Maaate, that Un-Australian!) being more like scenery you might see on the Irish or English coastline. It’s quite…

Ruined Castle

Ruined Castle

As you can see, a cast of thousands. I had overbooked like the airlines do, expecting a couple of people might drop out on the Saturday evening. As it turned out there was not a single “no show”! This walk was also on tracks often shunned by tourists, especially Federal Pass beyond the Scenic Railway, so there was little risk of causing a traffic jam on the more popular tracks. The Constellation…