Bobbin Head: locked-down and lonely

 

Another peek at Peak Hill

I like to get back to Peak Hill at least once a year. It's in the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, near Brooklyn. I refer to it as 'everyone's favourite pointy peak'. It might just be me though, as there strangely weren't many other takers the other day. My bushwalking club's getting a little tame in its old age.

At 200m, it's actually a little lower than Porto Ridge, along which you approach it. That's another of the confusing things about a Peak Hill outing. The third is that however many times you do it, you can still get a bit disoriented, such are the contortions of the geography and the transient nature of the obviously-not-quite-trafficked enough track. Of course I'd told them I knew it all so well that I hadn't needed to bring my GPS. Actually, we didn't get very lost, or for very long!

Some excellent indigenous rock carvings below and to the west of Porto Ridge.

 

A lesson in procuring a tiny taste of bush honey.

More rock art. This time it's a group of ochre hand stencils in a rather fine and well-hidden rock overhang.

 

 

 

 

 

Atop the pointy peak.

It was lost and now it is found. A rather stressful few minutes for this bushwalker. And it proves again that the best way to locate a lost phone is to ring the number. Dozens of times if necessary, and while wandering around lost for the second time, after losing it while lost for the first time!
 

 

Back down to Brooklyn along the big ugly concrete strip section.

 

 

Hawkesbury view from Porto Ridge.

(Some photos courtesy Eirlys V, Fred G, and Robert M)

Once more to Murray Anderson

A few weeks ago I visited Ku-ring-gai Chase's Mt Murray Anderson via the gruelling off track route. See here: Last month's trip. As reported, I was delighted to discover that there was also an easy way, along a pleasant little bush track. So this time I did it that way. It was a pleasant half day stroll.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I even had time to thoroughly explore the extensive rock platforms, with their many indigenous carvings.

West Head tracks and treasures

I'm leading a bushwalk soon along a selection of the tracks and fire trails that lead out on either side of the West Head Road in the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. So I did a quick recce the other day, to remind me what was what and which tracks would best suit for a 25 km total walk and a mix of experiences.

I settled on the following itinerary: the Waratah Track, the Willunga Track, the Bairne Track, and the circuit walk formed by the West Head, Headland, and Resolute tracks. Between them they provide some nice long leg stretches, some great water views in all directions, the chance of wildlife sightings, and a good selection of aboriginal artworks. I stumbled on several examples of rock engravings that I'd been completely unaware of before. National Parks deliberately only signpost a few of the more accessible ones, but if you keep your eyes open and explore the many flat rocky areas you come to, there are lots more to be seen. There was a 'Red Hands Cave' too, close to the much touristed West Head. I'd been unaware of this one, but it was in fact one of the signposted attractions.

A frequent highlight for me of walks around here is the sighting of a snake or two. In particular a beautiful diamond python will often be stretched out and sunning itself across the fire trail. No such luck this time. Although it's been an unusually warm and sunny winter, it's still not quite warm enough to lure them out of their seasonal slumber. Won't be long now. And it won't be long before we can start looking for the Waratah flowers. There was lots of birdlife around, though no sea eagles soaring above on this occasion. But there was a very cocky brush turkey hanging around Red Hands Cave.

I think I've put together a good little day's outing for the bushwalkers.