I made a quick visit to Malabar Headland National Park this morning. I had checked the weather forecast the evening before and it looked like the morning would be fine and the afternoon wet. I should have checked the forecast in the morning before I set off. It turned out to be the other way around – a wet morning and a finer afternoon. Nevertheless it was still quite nice in the conditions.
I did carry a bird camera – but did not use it at all. At one time, near Boora Point, I did spot a Peregrine Falcon flying towards Magic Point art high speed.
On this visit, I walked into the Park from Malabar, and then did a walk around the headland and finished at Maroubra Beach.
Here is Dead Man’s Gulch. It is the largest of two volcanic dykes on the Headland.
And on the Headland can be found a large remnant of Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub.
This structure on Magic Point is from World War II. It housed a search light. It is one of two building for this purpose. The other is located on the south side of Boora Point. They were used by the Malabar Headland Battery for locating enemy ships and range estimates. They were placed at elevations lower than the battery, to not dazzle the gunners. Each of these structures has an associated power supply building situated about 100 m away. These would have housed motors and generators.
Also at Magic Point is the second of the dykes –
There’s is a dyke on the northern Maroubra headland opposite the Grumpy Baker. Walk down the stairs then north. There is a red rock in the dyke. Would be interested to know what it is.
The rock could be weathered basalt at a guess. There are a lot of dykes along the coast of Sydney visible in the rock platforms. Eg at Clovelly.
Yes, you’re correct. I found this on the web. Basalt is usually grey to black in colour, but rapidly weathers to brown or rust-red due to oxidation of its mafic (iron-rich) minerals into hematite and other iron oxides and hydroxides