Sassafras Gully – Orchids, Fungi and Cascades – 17 – 18 January 2016

Posted on January 19, 2016 by Dave Noble

Sassafras Gully is a very pleasant and popular place for daywalks. But at the junction of Sassafras Gully and Glenbrook Creek there is a very nice campsite, next to a large swimming hole. I had been there plenty of times but never camped there. I thought I should remedy this.

SGJan16-12

It is a short walk to the campsite. I left Springwood about 1 pm and walked down Sassafras Gully via the very good track that starts from the end of Sassafras Gully Road. I stopped and ate my lunch a short way down the track – at the ruins of an old stone structure. I don’t know what this structure was – perhaps an enclosed picnic table? Online historic records show a building called “Rest House, Sassafras Gully“. This does not have a stone base, and from the photo looks like it may have been in the upper part of Magdala Creek – perhaps at Picnic Point or Fairly Dell? Continue reading →

Posted in Blue Labyrinth, Blue Mountains, Bushwalking, Slime Moulds, Wildflowers | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Waterfall to Heathcote via Kingdom Come – 15 January 2016

Posted on January 16, 2016 by Dave Noble

It had been raining a fair bit recently, with a big storm the day before. Looking at the  weather radar, it looked like the rain was ending, so I caught a train to Waterfall arriving not long before noon. I was hoping the creeks would be up a bit, which would be good for photography.

Waterfall near the Kingfisher Pool

Waterfall near the Kingfisher Pool

What is good for photography however, is not always good for walking. A lot of the first part of the track along Heathcote Creek was quite wet. I soon arrived at the Kingfisher Pool. There are plenty of interesting cascades nearby and I spent a fair while trying to photograph them. Continue reading →

Posted in Bushwalking | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Canyoning in the Blue Mountains – 13 January 2016

Posted on January 14, 2016 by Dave Noble

Last year, I had visited been on a trip to a new canyon first descended by Tom Brennan and party. My friends Bob and Doug were keen to visit this canyon and I was happy to visit it again.

HTCJan16-6

It was a hot fine day as we headed up the mountains. After parking, we headed down a fire road and then into the bush to the start of the canyon. On the way we passed a fine cluster of Large Tongue Orchids. Continue reading →

Posted in Blue Mountains, Canyoning | Leave a comment

Powerhouse Museum Visit – 12 January 2016

Posted on January 14, 2016 by Dave Noble

It had been many years since I had visited the Powerhouse Museum, and thought it was about time see what had changed, and also to compare the museum to the huge Deutsch Museum in Munich which I spent two very full days in on a recent trip to Europe. Unfortunately there are current plans to close The Powerhouse Museum and sell the land to property developers. This is despite increased visitation.

PMJan16-1

When I was young, I was a frequent visitor to the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences, the predecessor to the Powerhouse Museum and located in an old building in Harris Street, not far from the present Powerhouse Museum. The old museum had many things  to interest a young person interested in science and technology, andI think my favourite exhibits there were the computer that you could challenge to play O’s and X’s and the Planetarium. I also found all the cutaway motors quite fascinating. Continue reading →

Posted in Sydney | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Coxs River Packrafting – 9-10 January 2016

Posted on January 11, 2016 by Dave Noble

Recent heavy rain in the greater Sydney area meant that a lot of the river were running high. Dan was keen to come up from Canberra for either a canyoning trip or for some packrafting. One of his suggestions was to packraft the Coxs River. It had been a while since I had been down this river so I thought it could be a good trip.

CRPJan16-9

One problem was that the river gauge for the lower part of he river (Kelpie Point) was offline, so we didn’t really know the river level. The gauge on an upper part of the river at Glenroy Bridge (on the road to Jenolan Caves) indicated the river was up, but not that much. Some friends had packrafted the Grose River on the Friday, and reported quite high water levels. Continue reading →

Posted in Blue Mountains, Packrafting | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Lawson Waterfall Walk – 7 January 2016

Posted on January 8, 2016 by Dave Noble

I was heading up the Blue Mountains with Bob for either a walk or canyon. Recent heavy rain had made canyoning unwise, so we had settled on a walk, and on the way up, after some discussion we decided to visit the waterfalls near Lawson. These waterfalls are very beautiful, and are quite impressive after a period of rain.

LW7Jan15-7

After a stop at the Lawson Cake Shop, we headed to the park on the north side of the town and then set off for Dantes Glen. Near the start of the track were a good cluster of Hyacinth Orchids. They did look a bit bedraggled after the rain however. Continue reading →

Posted in Blue Labyrinth, Bushwalking, Grose Wilderness, Wildflowers | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Wet Day at Wolli Creek – 6 January 2016

Posted on January 8, 2016 by Dave Noble

It had been raining in Sydney for a few days, and I was keen to get out. I was constantly checking the  weather radar seeing where it was raining, and on the day, it did look a lot less wet up the Blue Mountains, and that is where I should have gone. But I had left it a bit late to get away, so I did a short trip to Wolli Creek along the Two Valleys Track between Bexley North and Turrella.

Wolli Creek at Turrella

Wolli Creek at Turrella

As it turned out it was raining for the entire duration of my walk. Light rain, but it did not relent. Continue reading →

Posted in Bushwalking, Sydney | Tagged | Leave a comment

Canyoning at Mt Wilson – 30 December 2015 – 1 January 2016

Posted on January 3, 2016 by Dave Noble

I recently spent an enjoyable few days at Mt Wilson in the Blue Mountains. It was also good to catch up with my friend Sarah and her boyfriend Damian. As well during our stay a few others came up to join us to help celebrate the new year and for some canyoning.

MWNY15-20

On the first day – I visited Whungee Wheengee Canyon together with Sarah and Damian. It was only a few weeks since a previous visit but the canyon was a different. The water level was a bit higher – making the duck-under sections more interesting. They all had air gaps – but not much of an air gap. Continue reading →

Posted in Blue Mountains, Canyoning, Climbing, Grose Wilderness, Wildflowers | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Boxing Day Canyoning Trip – 26 – 28 December 2015

Posted on December 29, 2015 by Dave Noble

I went with Wendy on a very nice canyoning trip in the Northern Blue Mountains. Since the weather forecast was for cool weather we chose to visit some of the drier canyons on the western side of the plateau.

Wendy in The Dry Canyon

Wendy in The Dry Canyon

It was looking very stormy as we headed out onto the Newnes Plateau, so we decided to camp at the head of the valley at the Dry Canyon. At the second campsite, there is a small cave – a good place to sit if it is raining. Continue reading →

Posted in Blue Mountains, Canyoning, Wildflowers, Wollemi National Parks | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Red Gum Park and Minnatonka Falls – 24 December 2015

Posted on December 29, 2015 by Dave Noble

Red Gum Park at Bullaburra was one place I had never visited, and I had a few spare hours on Christmas Eve, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to make a visit. I found it an interesting place.

Small Tongue Orchid

Small Tongue Orchid

I got off the train at Bullaburra, and crossed the new bridge over the highway and walked the short distance to Noble Street and down that to DeQuency Street to the track. The track was in good condition and a sign indicted the presence of a local bush care group.  Continue reading →

Posted in Blue Labyrinth, Blue Mountains, Bushwalking, Wildflowers | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment