Day 47 of lockdown. I enjoyed a nice morning walk accompanied by Valerie. We met at Dulwich Hill High Rail Station, and then walked along the Greenway to the end of Hawthorne Canal and then back to Hawthorne Light Rail Station, where we caught a tram back home.
Not far from the station, we saw new cycleway development –
One of the reasons I had suggest this walk to Valerie, was because I wanted to check out progress on this cycleway. Not much has been done so far.
At Arlington Station – we saw this rocket. I could remember on at my local swimming pool when I was a kid. We use to climb up ladders inside and hang out at the top level. Unfortunately most of these park attractions have gone – or like this one – locked up and closed to kids. Deemed too dangerous.
There was also a ice street library. We saw several of these on our walk.
At Waratah Mills, we inspected the old grain silo – now repurposed as housing.
At the Waratah Mill Station, we enjoyed seeing the big trees.
Its near here that you can see Long Cove Creek – the original waterway. It was a mangrove surrounded creek in colonial days, and then the lower part was converted into the Hawthorne Canal.
At Lewisham West Station, we looked at a sculpture, and more repurposed old flour mills.
There is a rather small park here.
We then lade our way to the underpass under the main western railway line. Here we could see the remnant of the old Whipple Truss. A very interesting bit of engineering history that has survived.
Nearby, between the railway line and Parramatta Road, is a small park that is often used for inspiration by local philosophers and poets.
Crossing Parramatta Road, we continued past Taverners Hill Station along a nice path between the rail corridor and the Hawthorne Canal.
Here is the portal to the tunnel to the old Kegworth Estate.
Past Marion Street the Greenway takes on a different character. It is flanked on one side by a long park.
Here bees have made use of a bird nesting box for their hive.
This is one part of the Greenway that the cycleway has been completed. Its a nice wandering path.
And a short way on, after crossing to the true right bank there is another sculpture –
Next to it is a small wetland.
We sat down to have a snack. While we were eating we spotted a Pied Cormorant hunting for fish.
It soon caught one.
But this was soon released. Too small? or not tasty enough or perhaps poisonous?
Soon after, second one was caught, and also released.
And not long after that, it caught a much bigger one.
It was amazing to watch it being swallowed.
After that we continued to the dog area and had coffee, and then caught the tram back to Dulwich Hill from Hawthorne Station. A very pleasant excursion.