Death adder

 "I really don't like the thought of bumping into anything with a name that starts with death", wrote my English sister, when I sent her this photo of a death adder (Acanthophis antarcticus).

Neither should I. But I just love these things, and so far they've always been too sleepy to be very offended when I've invaded their personal space.

We encountered this one fast asleep in the middle of the Engineers Track on the lower Grose River. Our fearless leader stepped right over him without noticing. I was second in line, and pulled up sharply. The lady behind me made everyone in the valley very aware of its presence with her loud screams!

Never poke a sleeping snake with a stick, is a well-known rule of bushwalking. Well, fearless leader did exactly that. No problem, we lived to tell the tale, and we did wake the thing up, and hopefully he slithered off into a better hiding place.

The lower Grose, where everyone goes

Not quite everyone, but a lot more than go to the Upper Grose (see here: 2019 post  )

The other day we did a very scenic circuit, incorporating the Avoca Lookout, two crossings of the lower Grose River, a surprisingly navigable section of the Engineers Track, and a return via the fire trail route. It was a nice day out.

Here we are descending the steep track below the lookout.

Then, down near the river, we crossed layers of debris left by the big flood of a few weeks ago. A river crossing would have been rather unimaginable back then.

A couple of hours later it's back across via the quicksands. Then up the big long fire trail, and back out to the car.

Rockdale 2216

 

I explored Rockdale today. Lots of interesting shopping and eating experiences to be had here.

I had an excellent burek for lunch at this Macedonian burek bakery. I'll be back!

Not pink and not that super!

The full moon at this time of year looks a bit bigger than at other times, because it coincides with the perigee of the moon's rather elliptical orbit. Hence the usual 'Supermoon' stuff in the media. Worth noting, but not really all that spectacular an event.

This year we've been hearing about the 'pink moon'. That's a new angle. Well it isn't pink either. Pink moon is apparently a North American term for the full moon at this time of year, because it coincides there with the blooming of a pink flower, the creeping flox. 

I had a look anyway, just in case.

 

Caddies Creek - the dark side!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A shopping trolley in the creek, and a tastefully decorated toilet cubicle. It is Western Sydney after all. There's only so far upmarket a suburb can go.

Caddies Creek, Beaumont Hills

 
 

There's a nice little park, with walkways, a scenic lake, and appropriate wildlife in Beaumont Hills. It provides a nice alternative entry route to Rouse Hill Town Centre, we found.

Normanhurst to Thornleigh the long way

I took my bushwalkers the long way from Normanhurst to Thornleigh the other day. It's two minutes by train, or 20 minutes walking along the street the quick way. 

But we did it via a nice little four-hour circumlocutory bushwalkerly way. Creeks encountered: Waitara, Dog Pound, Berowra, Tedbury, and Zig-Zag.

 Upper Waitara Creek

One slightly tricky bit along Waitara Creek: you have to use a (thoughtfully provided) rope to descend a small cliff.

We're down now. The scenery is a bit dominated by the sewage pipe above our heads. Its contents are destined for the West Hornsby wastewater treatment plant, and it smells appropriately.

 

 

 

 

(Photo: Karen T)

Up the Dog Pound Creek Hornsby-Westleigh link track now, emerging near the Westleigh Fire Station.

After following the Great North Walk for a while, we head up onto Stringybark Ridge, and across the paddocks that used to be the Hornsby Pony Club.

 

 

Then it's a leisurely afternoon tea at Thornleigh's Monday Morning Cafe.

Curl Curl beach and waiting for whales

It's about to be whale-watching season again, and there have been reports already of sightings of northbound cetaceans. 

So I killed two birds with one stone, by going to Curl Curl to look for them. I'd never really explored Curl Curl beach or nearby headlands.

 

 

 

A beautiful day, and I'm sure I'll be back to try out the fine-looking ocean pool sometime. But no whales this time. Lets give them another couple of weeks.

Spider wasp1 : Huntsman spider 0

And I think that's the usual score. I encountered this scene near the beach this morning. 

An orange spider wasp was dragging its zombiefied huntsman spider victim towards its lair. It's big and it's a striking orange and black colour. It paralyses its victim, and then entombs it after laying an egg on it. The hatched pupa goes on to feed on the spider s it grows up.

I was intrigued to find this story about this very activity in the London Sun, no less. If you want a good scary Australian spider story, or snake story, or maybe a surfing duck or two, check out the UK media! It's often all they want from Australia: London Sun article

Photos 1440

The State Library runs lots of excellent exhibitions. One of the ones on at the moment is Photos 1440*, and it's a collection of fine works from the Sydney Morning Herald's staff photographers.

It's been quite a year for news, and for photojournalism, what with droughts, fires, floods, and a pandemic.

Here are some of the pictures relating to these and other momentous events.

 

 

* There are 1440 minutes in a day, by the way.

The Great North Walk part 2: Macquarie Park to Hornsby

 

 

Crossing the upper Lane Cove River on the approach to Thornleigh

 

A rather enormous lace monitor (goanna)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lunch break at the Berowra Creek crossing just north of  'The Jungo'. There's another group over there. And would you believe, they've got one of our club's members in tow. (Seemingly not against her will though.)

Afternoon tea break at the Fishponds, and they look like they're needing that break. It's been a good long hike.

Prior to that final ascent up the 326 stone steps, another short break is in order.

They all seem keen to come back next month for the next stage. Stay tuned!

Here they are on the 'Bridge of No Return' over Tedbury Creek, at today's half-way mark