I got up very early for this walk. By very early I do mean early! A train to Bondi Junction and then a short walk down to Bronte to arrive before the sunrise.
It was a beautiful morning. I was surprised by the number of people that were out and about when I got down to Bronte. Cyclists on training rides, swimmers in the surf and rock pool, many many joggers, groups doing set exercises in the picnic area – on a Wednesday morning. Continue reading
This weekend was Albert’s birthday walk to the Red Rocks.
I went up the mountains early with Digi Dave and we later met up with Roger and Jeremy at Katoomba. Before this we had been out to Narrow Neck to look for some reported pink flannel flowers that were in flower. We easily managed to find them – very close to the climbers carpark a short way out along the Narrow Neck Rd. These plants, Actinotus forsythii, are quite rare – and need two things for long dormant seeds to grow and then flower – a bushfire and then a fair bit of rain. I had last seen them a few years earlier at Kanangra Walls. When they do flower – its an amazing site. They burst into flower in profusion! Thanks to bushwalker and botanist Wyn Jones for letting me know about this flowering.
Claustral is one canyon that I try and do at least once every summer.
Bob was keen to do it as well, so we set of up the Bell Rd for the new Claustral Carpark. This is a bad place – surrounded by piles of rubbish, broken glass and the smell of turds. The sad signs that that seem to be present at every pull off place adjacent to a major road. Continue reading
Another birthday weekend – this time both Dan and Sarah had birthdays to celebrate – and wanted to celebrate in the bush.
Our original intention was to do a two day canyoning trip – down King George Canyon and then along Explorers Brook and back up lower Thunder Canyon – a great trip. But not one well suite to the weather forecast. We met up at Blackheath – and after some discussion and during heavy rain – we set off for Kanangra Walls – our walk was going to be to the Kowmung River.
Sarah had never been through the Bulga-Denis Canyon and was keen to visit that part of the Kowmung River. Continue reading
Don, with his daughter Elata were celebrating birthdays at a party at Ingar – a nice picnic and camping area in Blue Mountains National Park that is accessed via a fire trail from the Kings Tableland Road out from Wentworth Falls.
Jamison Valley from Sublime Point
I headed up the mountain early, on the Friday afternoon with Digi Dave and we headed out to Sublime Point at Leura for some sunset photography. Continue reading
The last part of my walk was the easiest. Just about all on track walking.
I crossed the Mersey River just above Fergusson Falls. I was hoping to get some photos of the waterfalls and gorges along the river – which are very attractive. However, the lighting was now very poor for this. Bright sunlight. The worst lighting for waterfall shots! Continue reading
I left the Walls of Jerusalem area via Dixons Kingdom and Lake Ball. I had been down to Lake Ball many times – but the more recent visits had been around the eastern end and then out to the Chinamans Plains. On other trips where I had headed down to Lake Adelaide from the Walls, I had gone via Lake Salome, Wild Dog Creek and then cut cross country as a shortcut to the Lake Adelaide Track. This shortcut is both easy and very scenic – with several beautiful tarns and some amazing cushion plants. But it had been a while since I walked around Lake Ball and so that was where I headed this walk.
The track down to Lake Ball is faint in spots, but the route is easy. Along the Lake there is a good track. Growing around the lake was the first fagus (deciduous beech) of the walk. Continue reading
The Walls of Jerusalem are a very beautiful and special place.
I walked up from the lower valley up to the Jaffa Gate and then followed the boardwalk track to Dixons Kingdom. I continued on through the pencil pine forest to the Damascus Gate – which lies between Halls Buttress (Solomons Throne on some maps) and the Temple. I went a short way into the central valley and set up camp under a thicket of pencil pines. Continue reading
A return to one of my favourite places.
I had taken a flight to Launceston and had got dropped off at a Backpackers in Launceston. Next mission was to buy gas cylinders and get a National Park Pass, and then to go to the Queen Victoria Art Gallery and Museum to see the Wilderness Photography Exhibit. This was very worthwhile – the highlight being the Olegas Truchanas Audio Visual of Lake Peddar. I sat through this several times (I came back the next morning) – it is terrible what we have lost! Continue reading
On this weekend I did two separate canyoning trips – both good days out.
On the Saturday, I headed up with Doug and Nick for a more remote canyon. This canyon had only one short abseil but lots of swims. It was very warm weather so we didn’t mind these. Continue reading
