I once again joined Brian Everingham and other walkers from the National Parks Association of NSW for a very pleasant walk from Wattamolla along the Royal Coast Track to Little Marley and back the same way. This is one of my favourite sections of the coast in Royal National Park.
In the party was Brian, Elaine, Anne, Helga, Sue, Judy, Derek and myself.
While meeting at the carpark, I photographed this Superb Fairy-wren –
And this Stinkhorn – Aseroë rubra –
We had two creek crossings. The first, Coote Creek, near their carpark, required us to take off our shoes and socks.
The second crossing – Wattamolla Creek, we could just cross by some large leaps.
This bit of the walk goes through some great coastal heathlands. There are many wildflowers and birds.
New Holland Honeyeater
Spotted Pardalote
Eastern Whipbird
Beautiful Firetail
We soon arrived at the coastal cliffs.
Here there is some Aboriginal art –
And Aboriginal sharpening grooves –
We then watched a passing pod of Humpback Whales.
Perhaps it was one of the young whales going the wrong way? The pod had come back.
They swung around and then kept going north.
We keep walking north.
We think this was the same pod of whales doing another circuit –
Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo
We had lunch on the small headland just to the south of Little Marley Beach.
Australasian Gannet
Little Pied Cormorant
Crested Tern
Coast Groundsel – Senecio pinnatifolius
After lunch we started walking back.
Beautiful Firetail
New Holland Honeyeater
Wattamolla Creek
And we even found some very early Flannel Flowers out –
Many thanks to Brain for leading the walk, and for a lift from Sutherland.