After visiting Sassafras Gully the day before, I thought it may be worth a walk along the Two Valleys Track at Wolli Creek. I did not expect to see much fungi, but was on the lookout for birds and insects.
The fungi turned out to be quite poor. Not much was out. I spot a nice slime mould on a log at one place. Continue reading
I did a short walk down Sassafras Gully – from the track at Sassafras Gully Road to Glenbrook Creek and then back to Springwood via Magdala Creek and Fairy Dell.
Tiger (wasp) Moth
I was principally looking to see if any fungi was out after he ran the week before. I was disappointed – I spotted very little fungi. But at least I could enjoy a very pleasant walk and a refreshing swim at the Lagoon in Glenbrook Creek. Continue reading
A wet day was forecast, so I thought a visit to the zoo could be nice. If there was rain – then I could shelter looking at the indoor animals such as the nocturnal house and reptile house. My previous visit had been only two weeks before. But on that visit I had missed the new baby Tamarin monkey, and there also been some new additions – more baby Squirrel Monkeys and a new baby Fenec Fox (called a “kit”).
As it turned out, soon after I arrived, it did rain – and it was heavy. So at first I retreated to the Reptile House and spent a fair while there. Each visit to a place like this, different snakes and lizards are active. So there are always plenty of subjects to observe and photograph. Continue reading
A very hot weekend was forecast. Dan was coming up from Canberra with friends to celebrate his birthday and had proposed a weekend of canyoning with a camp at Barcoo Swamp.
Rocky Creek Canyon
Claustral Canyon
With the hot weather forecast, it sounded ideal to get out and visit some cold canyons. A total fire ban was in place and there was the possibility that some of the national parks would be closed. But checking online on the Friday evening and Saturday morning showed Wollemi National Park was still open, so we could at least camp at Barcoo Swamp and visit some of the nearby canyons. Continue reading
I headed with David Hufton down to Tahmoor Gorge for some photography. It was cloudy earlier in the morning – nice conditions to photograph waterfalls and a gorge. But when we arrived most of the cloud had burnt off.
We walked down from Rockford Bridge to the Mermaids Pool, and then spent some time photographing. I used my small drone to get some video of the area. Continue reading
I was up at Springwood visiting a friend and I decided to use the remainder of the afternoon to do the short walk from Faulconbridge to Springwood via the Victory Track and Sassafras Gully Track. During most of the walk it was raining. This was one of my motivations.
On a trip the week before down the Victory Track I had been on the lookout for Eleanor Falls. These falls are not marked on any map I have seen. This includes topographic maps and old parish maps that are available online. The only mention of them that I have seen is in an article by Jim Smith in “Hut News” published by the Blue Mountains Conservation Society. Jim includes a postcard photo of the falls (published around 1910) – Continue reading
Stu and Enmoore had organised a day of canyoning up the Blue Mountains. We didn’t decide what canyon to visit until the day. The forecast was for a very hot day (greater than 30°C), so we wanted a wet canyon without a big walk in or out. We ended up deciding on Clatterteeth Canyon which is a section of Du Faurs Creek at Mt Wilson.
In the party were Stu, Enmoore, Wendy, Roscoe, Davyd and myself. We set off from the fire Station at Mt Wilson and soon reached Du Faurs Creek and the start of our canyon. Continue reading
There is at present a very alarming development proposal to relocate a private golf course to public land at Barton Park near Arncliffe. If it goes ahead this development will be very detrimental to important remnant wetland areas in the Cooks River Valley. Submissions to oppose the development close on February 10, so urgent action is needed.
Landing Lights Wetland
At present Kogarah Golf Club occupy a site closer to the airport between the M5 and Marsh Street. They propose to vacate that land for a high rise housing development and move south to a large area of public green space. Their proposed new site contains the important Landing Lights Wetland and other wetland areas between Spring Street and Eve Street. Other sections contain cycleways, sporting fields, remnant bushland, and the old St George Football Stadium (closed for many years). Continue reading
I joined Digi Dave for a nice day of paddling along a part of the Woronora River, then lunch at the Woronora RSL Club, then in there afternoon we paddled up Forbes Creek.
Digi Dave had his sea kayak and I had my packraft. Continue reading
This was a very pleasant day at the Zoo. I went with John, his young sons Jasper and Sebastian, and Stephen and Eva. We started at the Finches – which were certainly very colourful.
