The forecast of 34 degrees and a total fire ban on the sunday of the walk led to a check of the status of Brisbane Waters NP, and a preparation of a “fall-back” alternative walk. As it turned out, the park remained open; also most of the walk was under trees with shade, I decided it was OK to stick to the original plan. With two…
Two people couldn’t make it at short notice and two more missed the 8.40am ferry. It was a relaxed morning so the rest of the group waited and we got to know each other. When Aye and Ben 1 finally arrived it was 10.00am. We headed off up the hill in two cars, courtesy of Tim and Ben 2, stopping at the Visitor Centre car park (off Bluefish Drive). This offers…
Ian’s Iphone has been lost to the icy depths of the Kowmung, Bec can’t find her car keys and there are tens of brown and black snakes lazing around in the dappled sunlight, forked tongues darting in and out, daring onlookers to move within striking range. And yet, there is a definite calm and peacefulness among the group of 30-odd bushwalkers. The afternoon…
I grabbed two chocolate croissants on the way to Manly Wharf to meet everyone at 9.10am. Then it was off to the beach via the $2 shops to buy $5 hats for a couple of people in the group. Manly beach was already filling up with swimmers and we were in a for a great day. We followed the foreshore footpath to Shelley Beach, up to the car park and then down the gully (near entrance of the car park) to the rock shelf below. Despite a…
I have visited the Kedumba River many times, but always as a brief waypoint on the way on or off Mt Solitary. At the usual crossing points, unless it is flooded, the river babbles gently over small rocks, rarely reaching as much as a metre in depth, and with wide banks dotted with eucalypt and casuarina trees that allow for easy navigation. So I…
Again despite the weather forecast it turned out to be a nice fairly mild day for the walk. I met up with the walkers at Wondabyne Station and after the customary advice to look out for snakes, we immediately set off up the fairly steep climb to the top of the ridge above Wondabyne. This is…
The original weather forecast for the day was for “occasional showers” which for me was a bit of a worry given that I was coming out of a bout of Bronchitis which had been difficult to shift. As it turned out, the rain fell the night prior, and the day turned out to be nice. After meeting…
We all meant at waterfall station with the confusion of the exact spot but it wasn’t long before we were gathered at the start of the track. We headed down along the uloola trail that takes you to waterfall oval and then cross the oval back back on the fire trail again and turn on our trail. It was…
Initially 16 members joined, with 3 cancellation and 2 that never gave me a sign. It left one more that accidentally catch the Wollongong train and not Illawarra south line. Beside that we all made it in time and started our walk down to the creek at Karloo pool, where we had our first break waiting for one more member to join us, mean while at Karloo pool I was the only brave enough to dip in, taking account it was shading and perhaps to early for others. The water…
Saturday: we wake up to the sound of honking trucks, and gaze at a hideous brown hillside, scarred with brambles and burnt pine trees. We trudge beside the road for a few KMs till we reach a pine plantation. We see a kangaroo, and tramp along on Pardon’s Road, then Ruddy’s Road, with alternating stands of pine trees and bare desolate hills. We stop…