John and Chuin Nee had invited me to go climbing with them at Thompsons Point at Nowra. It helps to have a third person – so one of us can look after their young son Jasper.
The weather was perfect – and we and a nice drive down through Wollongong to Nowra, with a pitt stop at Berry. We then drove out to Thompsons Point. Continue reading
On a recent trip, I had been to Kellys Falls at Helensburg with Digi Dave. On that trip, I had suffered a careless misfortune. When rotating a polaroid filter off the camera lens it had unscrewed and fallen down a waterfall. It hadn’t gone all the way – and had rested on a small slippery and sloping ledge about one and a half metres down. Since then, with no recent rain, I thought the filter may still be there – so was keen to see if the filter could be rescued. So, I returned, again with Digi Dave, and this time we had a rope, harness etc. The filter was still there and was quickly descended to and grabbed. It seemed OK. Now what to do with the rest of the day?
The Helensburgh Tunnel
I was keen to check out some of the six old abandoned railway tunnels in the area.
We headed to nearby Helensburgh and drove down to the station. Near this are two old tunnels. Both are very easy to access – and indeed can be seen from the road to the station. Continue reading
An interesting occultation occurred last night. At 9:22 pm Saturn went behind the moon for about an hour. I managed to get a few photo using a telephoto lens.
Saturn just before the occultation
Unfortunately some clouds obscured the moon just when Saturn went behind the Moon. Continue reading
It was time to head back to Donkey Mountain in the Wolgan Valley. This time we only had a small party – John, Chuin Nee, their young son, Jasper, and myself. This would allow us to only need a small campsite – and we could camp high up on the south western end of the main peak.
I had long wanted to see what sunset would bring from that end of the mountain – with low light on the two towers that lie to the south west. Continue reading
I had read about this pass many years ago. Father Frank Bendeich had written an account of its first ascent in The Waysider, the magazine of the Catholic Bushwalking Club of Sydney (No 131, July/Aug 1975).
Dog Face Gully from the Landslide
According to the article, Father Frank had attempted the route a few years earlier, but had turned back part way up when he found his party were unwilling to follow him any more. He had set out again with Tony Boyd and this time had been successful. Continue reading
I spent two days last week photographing in Royal National Park. This time I ranged between Bundeena and along the coast to Little Marley and then between there and Loftus via Winifred Falls and Audley.
Here is a selection of some of the photos I took. Continue reading
It had been raining. A tiny amount. Enough to entice fungi out? Perhaps? But probably not. I wanted to check out Bola Creek again, so headed down there with Digi Dave.
There was not much fungi out, but there were as always, interesting plants and animals, including a large flock of birds that all of a sudden took off from their perches in the trees. An amazing sound as they simultaneously took to flight. Continue reading
This was a nice out and back walk with Wendy, from the Golden Stairs to Mt Solitary to camp on top.
I was hoping for good photographic light and conditions. It had been quite windy for a while, and now, only light winds were forecast – so I was thought that perhaps we would get a bit of valley mist. No! It was very still, but it had also been too dry? Continue reading
I took part in the Sydney Fungal Studies Group Inc field activity day at Wolli Creek. This was a joint activity with Wolli Creek Preservation Society.
On the day, we met at Girrawheen Park at Earlwood and then divided into groups to look for fungi in different section of the Creek. I joined a group going from Bexley North back to Girrawheen Park. Continue reading
The weather forecast was not good for this day. It was supposed to be cold and very windy. Bob was keen on a daywalk, and so we decided that it would be better to walk in the Lower Blue Mountains.
I had walked through Glenbrook Gorge a few times recently, but had never climbed up to Mt Portal and nearby Tunnel View Lookout. They seemed to be worth visiting, and also from there it is not far to Euroka. Tracks and fire roads link all these places. Continue reading
