On the previous whale watching trip to Wattamolla, I had thought about exploring some routes used by rock fishermen. And I suggested this to Bob, and he was keen to explore them too, and he researched some of the sea caves along that bit of coast. So we headed down to Royal National Park and were joined by Nipper and Airdrie. We had a most interesting walk.
We started off from the carpark, up the old track (now a road) past the water tank, to the top of the hill, going south and then set off along the Royal Coast Track.
We soon spotted a Humpback Whale breaching –
And again –
We could look ahead and see our objective – the second of the two rock platforms south of Curracurrang –
On the way, we stopped and looked down at another rock platform we hoped to visit later on the way back.
More Humpback Whale activity –
New Holland Honeyeater
Curracurrang –
We walked along the track a bit further south, and then left it to visit the cliffs.
We could see our goal below –
Now to find a way down.
Bob checked out one possible way, but it didn’t seem to go.
Not much further along, we found these old spikes and used them to descend.
We then continued south along the rock platform.
We reached the sea cave we wanted to visit at a place the fishermen call “The Gulf”. It ws an impressive sea cave.
Looking up –
It’s a nice bit of coast along here.
On the way back, we found another way up the cliffs. This time staples embedded into the rock.
We climbed out this way.
It took us to the same spot Bob had looked down earlier and he thought it didn’t go.
After this, we headed south along the Royal Coast Track another few hundred metres to a good lookout. Here we stood for lunch and also did some whale watching.
Walking back, we spotted a Rock Warbler –
We walked back to the hill above Wattamolla, and then descended another rock fishermen’s pass – a dyke. This was slippery in places and requited care, but was mostly easy.
Then we were on the rock platform level again.
Down the bottom gives a different perspective to the cliffs. They are really impressive.
More Humpback Whale activity –
It had been low tide earlier in the day, and as it was now going up, we didn’t continue too far south, and returned the way we had come down via the dyke.
On thew way out, we stopped to insect the two reinstated horse troughs at Audley –
