On this day I combined two areas together. The main purpose was to see and photograph some waterfalls, but I was also hoping for some birds.
Dundundra Falls lies in a small reserve in bushland at Terry Hills. It is just up and join Ku-Ring-Gai Chase National Park. The topo map shoes the falls in Dardabong Reserve, but the information sign in the reserve has it as Dundundra Falls Reserve.
I caught a 197 bus from Gordon Station and got off at a stop near Larool Road. I then walked along Larool Road into the reserve. The only road in the reserve is a closed off section of Larool Road. From that, you need to look out for an unmarked track that goes down to the falls. There are two branches to this track that leaves Larool Road in two places and then join up. After that, the track, on my visit was marked by blue tape markers. The falls are about 500 m from the road.
The falls are quite nice but there are some weeds in the creekbed nearby. The surrounding bush is quite good on the ridges.
After photographing the falls, I set off back up the track and soon reached Larool Road. Near the road I could hear the call of a Sacred Kingfisher. I could not spot it, but further along the road, I did hear and spot another –
Nearby were a few New Holland Honeyeaters.
I then walked back up to the main road and waited for another 197 bus. During week days these come every hour during this part of the day. My visit to the falls occupied two hours. I stayed on the bus, to Ingleside, and then walked out Chiltern Road to the Chiltern Trail. My last visit here had been very quiet bird wise – and this was similar. But there were a lot of wildflowers out.
And I did photograph some birds –
Brown Thornbill
Eastern Spinebill
I followed the trail down to Lower Gledhill Falls in McCarrs Creek. They were quite spectacular after the recent rain.
I walked up the road to the upper falls – but the area was crowded out with striking school students. I then returned the same way back to Mona Vale Road and caught a 197 bus back to Gordon.