Ben Bullen pagodafest

 

With my imminent departure to a new life in a more northerly location, last Thursday's Gardens of Stone expedition may well have been my last such Thursday Survey. Living National Treasure Harold found us yet again a totally new area to explore (for most of us, not for him).

We were in the Ben Bullen State Forest, not too many stones throws from the Mt Piper power station, which is indirectly responsible for the subsidence damage to some of the pagodas and other formations around the area.

The good news is that, after decades of campaigning for it, a Gardens of Stone National Park is finally to be created. Details aren't yet widely accessible though.

Mostly you're away from such sights, and from the trail bike trails, and then it's a fabulous wilderness. A pagodafest even!

Mt Wondabyne and Kariong Brook Falls

I was in Brisbane Water National Park yesterday, checking out the way between Patonga and Wondabyne. I'll be there leading a bushwalking group next week. It's embarrassing if you get lost, I find. Shouldn't happen now.

And I was able to remind myself just how scenic the Kariong Brook Falls are, and to admire those views of Mt Wondabyne from its approach.

Ku-ring-gai Wildflower Garden

I think it's 20 years since I last visited the Ku-ring-gai Wildflower Garden in St Ives. I think there used to be an entry fee, and that might have kept me away. There isn't one now, and I can report that it's well worth a visit. They've done lots.

 

There are picnic facilities, lots of educational signage, short tracks, long tracks. Some are bush tracks, and there's a bicycle track.

 

 

There seems to have been some hazard reduction burning here recently. It's a bit contested, whether this does more good or harm, and how best to do it when we do. But from a photographer's point of view, there are always spectacular images to be got,with the resulting colours and patterns.

No bugs

 

We're in the process of selling our house, so we need to take an interest in termites. They're not good news if you're selling a house.

 

 

Came across these ones today.

 

 

Not in the house though! They're on a fire trail in Hornsby Heights.

 

 

 

The pest inspector gave the house a clean bill of health. Here's his official report below:

Glenbrook Creek and the Portal and Tunnel View Lookouts

 

It's one of the Blue Mountains' classic walks. We started from Lapstone station yesterday, and made our way down to the Nepean River and its junction with Glenbrook Creek.

 

 

 

 

 

The ascent to Portal Lookout is quite steep and in parts, quite exciting. At the top, we found they'd erected a fence, and a sign that said 'Abseilers Only'. We weren't quite abseiling, but I think we qualified.

 

 

From the top you get to survey the Nepean River and western Sydney.

Then it's a somewhat boring walk along recently sealed roads to Tunnel View Lookout, where you watch the trains on the other side of the valley, going in and out of the tunnel that cuts through the big bulgy bit.

Down then to a horribly crowded Jellybean pool for lunch, and a 3 km boulder-hop down the creek and round to the start point again.

The Great North Walk part 5: Cowan to Brooklyn

On track again, after a few months of Covid induced hibernation, my bushwalking club's Great North Walk adventure resumed yesterday. Twenty two fully-vaxed and certified bushwalkers turned up. And what a great day out!

 

Lockdown art: pet rocks and painted spoons

 

 

Walking in the Beecroft Reserve the other day, I came across what I thought at first was an amazing exotic species of blue fungus! Then there was a white one too. Both had specks of other colours on them. What a find!

Alas, they soon got better and better, with pictures of elephants and things on them. Maybe not so natural after all!

 

Down the track a bit was another clue: a great little collection of painted spoons, standing guard around the scout hut.

Lockdown bushwalk #137: Galston's secret electric garden

 

It started as a conventional enough bushwalk along fire trails, starting at Galston, near the swim centre and Hayes Park.

Before long I was circumnavigating an amazing 16 Hectare paddock, buzzing with electricity, power pylons, transformers, switching machines.

 

 

Must be handling half of Sydney's electricity supply, and it's got a very low profile, and can't really be seen from any of the surrounding roads. Funny that!

Fire trails of Lockdown 2 - Westleigh's Western Trail

 

Further explorations up Cockle Creek

I ventured into deepest unexplored bush country this morning. Or that's what it felt like. There were hints of disused walking tracks. There were no other humans to be glimpsed, but a large wallaby hopped past at one stage.

Yet the M1 motorway was just above and to my east, and the suburbs of Wahroonga and Asquith were a couple of hundred metres away to either side. What a discovery!

 

 

 

 

I'd entered this secret world by way of an opening in the bush at the end of Stokes Aveue, Asquith, and I exited with the help of a fortuitously placed footbridge which led to a track up to King Road, Hornsby.

 

 

 

 

I think the footbridge is there to service the mysterious 'Chemical Dosing Unit' which is located near there. I feel the need to research this more, but suspect it's more to do with removing nasties from the creek than with adding them.

Taffys Rock from Cowan

 

This one's an old favourite. Down to Jerusalem Bay from Cowan station, up the big up, and turn right at the top. Then it's a few zigs and zags and ups and downs, and a few hours later you're there!

It's a great little walk, especially on a gorgeous sunshiny day like yesterday. And usually you see no other parties. Yesterday was exceptional though, with Sydney's current Covid 'latte lockdown' bringing out exercisers by the million. At least they presumably weren't clogging up the shopping centres.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Along the way there are several interesting rocks, caves, crawl holes, and an aboriginal carving or three. Lots to see.

Taffy was in fact a Welsh-born bushwalker called Dorothy Townson. She died in 1948 in a particularly unfortunate bushwalking accident on the Overland Track in Tasmania, involving a snakebite and a sensitive part of the anatomy. I'd often been told the cautionary tale while living there, and only recently made the connection with this Sydney bushwalking location. The memorial plaque was placed here because it was her all-time favourite place.

It's also one of my favourite places. It was the destination for my first overnight camping trip with All Nations Bushwalkers more than 20 years ago, and I've brought many groups back there since.