Blue Mountains Weekend – a Walk and a Canyon – 2 – 3 April 2016

Posted on April 4, 2016 by Dave Noble

I travelled up the mountains with friends John and Chuin Nee and their two young boys, Jasper and Sebastian. At Blackheath, Chuin Nee head off to Heathcliff to join Enmoore and Stu for a day of climbing. John and myself took Jasper and Sebastian on a nice bushwalk nearby at Porters Pass.

Jasper ready for some canyoning

Jasper ready for some canyoning

We walked down the track to Porters Pass, where Jasper and a great time playing in the creek. Then we continued on to Colliers Causeway – the track that goes under the cliffs to Centennial Glen. We then headed up into the Glen and had lunch at the end of the small canyon.  Continue reading →

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Sassafras Gully Fungi – 1 April 2016

Posted on April 4, 2016 by Dave Noble

It had been a while since I had visited Sassafras Gully and I was not that hopeful of finding a lot of fungi because there had not been too much recent rain.

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This turned out to be the case. I had a good look around and didn’t find too much. I walked down via the track from Sassafras Gully Road and walked to the Lagoon at the junction of Sassafras Gully and Glenbrook Creek and returned via the Wiggins Track. Continue reading →

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Lane Cove Valley – a Look for Fungi – 30 March 2016

Posted on April 4, 2016 by Dave Noble

The day was intended as a fungi walk – looking to see if any fungi and slime moulds were out after fairly recent but light rain. Despite a lot of searching, I didn’t find a lot of fungi out, but it was a pleasant walk.

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I started out from Thornleigh Station and walked the short distance to Thornleigh Oval, and then down tracks that led to the Great North Walk track which I then followed down the valley.  Continue reading →

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Balls Head and Berry Island – 29 March 2016

Posted on April 4, 2016 by Dave Noble

This was a pleasant day of walking around part of the shore of Sydney Harbour. A good friend, Stephen, from Hobart was passing through Sydney and had most of the day to spare before his flight home.

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So I met up with Stephen and also Rob at Waverton. After a coffee, we headed off towards Balls Head. We went via Waverton Park, past an old industrial area which is now public parklands, and past an old marina to Balls Head. Continue reading →

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The Budawangs at Easter

Posted on April 4, 2016 by Dave Noble

Wendy invited me to accompany here on a walk at Easter. She wanted to walk in either the Ettrema Area or the Budawangs. We did not decide which area until on the drive down. Our favoured option was Ettrema, but on the way down there was a fair bit of rain and we thought the Budawangs with its abundant camp caves may be the better option in the conditions. As it turned out – it did rain each day – but only at night.

View from Sturgiss Mountain

View from Sturgiss Mountain

We turned off the Nerriga Road and followed minor roads that led towards the Endrick River. It had been a long time since I had visited the Budawangs from that side and since then the access has changed. The road we were following went to a locked gate, but nearby was a sign with a map showing bushwalking access to Morton National Park. We could park and follow markers through private land to the Endrick River and then enter the park. Continue reading →

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Bola Creek – a Look for Fungi – 24 March 2016

Posted on March 31, 2016 by Dave Noble

I headed down to Bola Creek in Royal National Park for a look for fungi after recent rain. It looks like the rainfall has been only light as our findings were fairly modest.

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Here are some of what we found –  Continue reading →

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Canyoning in the Wollangambe Wilderness – 23 March 2016

Posted on March 31, 2016 by Dave Noble

Bob and myself headed up the mountains with the intention to visit a canyon in the Wollangambe Wilderness. It was a canyon that surprisingly enough Bob had not visited before. Bob, after all, had been on many exploratory trips into the Wollangambe Wilderness, and been on many first descents of what are now well known canyons, back in the early 1980’s.

Looking down the first abseil in the canyon

Looking down the first abseil in the canyon

I had visited this canyon before, several times and was keen on another visit. We had planned to go a week or two earlier, but had been put off by wet cool weather. On this day the weather was fine and a lot warmer. But not too warm given that there was a fairly involved walk to the start of the canyon. Continue reading →

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Leura Forest – a Look for Fungi and Orphan Rock – 20 March 2016

Posted on March 29, 2016 by Dave Noble

After recent rain, I thought that a return to Leura Forest could be worthwhile to look to see if any fungi was out.

Postia casei

Postia casei

I walked down from Leura Station to Leura Cascades and then walked down the cascades and then descended a lot further down to the valley at Leura Forest. On the way down, there had not been too much fungi out, and this was also the case around the forest. The fungi that was out was similar to what I had seen the day before at Mt Wilson – some small buttons and jelly fungi. Continue reading →

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Fungi at Mt Wilson – 19 March 2016

Posted on March 29, 2016 by Dave Noble

I went on a field activity organised by the Sydney Fungal Studies Group Inc to the Waterfall Reserve at Mt Wilson.

Stinkhorn - Mutinus borneensis

Stinkhorn – Mutinus borneensis

It had been raining lightly during the week before the field activity, but not enough for a lot of fungi to be fruiting. Still, it was an interesting outing and we did find some nice fungi and slime moulds. Continue reading →

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Sassafras Gully – A Look for Fungi – 18 March 2016

Posted on March 21, 2016 by Dave Noble

I went on a walk down Sassafras Gully at Springwood to see if any fungi was out after recent rain. The rain had only been light, so I didn’t expect to see too much.

SG18Mar16-8

As it turned out – there was not a lot out, but I did find some interesting things. Continue reading →

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