CENTRAL COAST - 1 TO 16 JULY 2021

 

1 JULY

I woke feeling much better.

We drove over to North Entrance. I had a kayak and Jacinta walked along the shoreline.

The sky was very contrasting between clouds and blue as blue skies. The water was the clearest I have ever seen. I saw a number of fish and a large stingray swam under the kayak. The birds were out in force around the small island north of the old fishing cooperative. There were pelicans, cormorants, ibises, ducks and my personal favourite Royal Spoonbills. I love the way these birds foraging so majestically and in flight their wings flap slowly. Never in a hurry.

As Jacinta was walking the shoreline, we caught glimpses of each other. J

4 JULY

A bike ride on Umina and Ocean Beach.

The first ride for awhile due to virus for both of us. We rode about 5km on the hard sand next to the shoreline. There were a lot of people walking and a lot of dogs. The surf was small but there was still a number of surfers out. The scenery was pretty – looking out to box head or towards northern Sydney.

5 JULY

 Spent most of the day working in the backyard. So much to do! In the afternoon, we had a fire burning off some of the vegetation excess and watching the sun set.

6 JULY

A check of the surf. The conditions were perfect but the tide was low and most of the waves closed out.

8 JULY

A mountain bike ride at Bouddi National Park.

A ride along the turkey and NW ridge tracks and for a change I did the whole of the cliff track. The track was smoother than the last time I ride it but it is still rough with a number of spots where I stopped due to boulders and thick tree roots. One section was steeps with rocks and tree roots, haha, I walked it. Maybe next time. It was fun doing it. The next tracks were the Strom and ferny tracks which were more flowy and fun.

11 JULY

A bit more rain this morning and then it lightened up. Off for a bike ride at Bouddi National Park.

There are restrictions regarding exercise travel but my choice for the ride was within the 10 km limit.

The car park was packed at Wards Hill but there was one space left. I rode the tracks leading to the Strom Lookout. Surprisingly, the track was only damp so it was very firm and fun. It was a bit difficult on some climbs especially, over boulders as I lost traction a few times. Still a great ride. I continued further across the road from wards Hill carpark and rode the narrow tracks there. There were some inspiring views across to the north and Brisbane Water.

12 JULY

A hike at Rumbalara Reserve.

We parked about halfway up the hill to walk the grass tree trail. The southern side was awesome – metal stairs, base of cliff track, huge overhangs, lots of ferns and grass trees, the call of the occasional bird, some awesome views and even one or two benches to rest awhile. The northern side was much drier and the vegetation was less luxuriant. A great hike!

13 JULY

A surf at Wamberal Beach. The waves were manageable and there was only a few surfers out. There was an occasional good right with a bit of power.

15 JULY

A kayak on Wamberal Lagoon.

I parked at Remembrance Drive , Wamberal and launched the kayak. The water level of the lagoon was high. I was able to paddle between casuarinas that were at other times on dry land. There was a bit of wind so the birds were only in sheltered spots. Towards the end of the paddle, I came across an abandoned swan’s nest. There were two eggs in it but the water had reached the eggs themselves. The cold would have killed the newborn.

16 JULY

A mountain bike ride on Daley Point tracks in Bouddi National Park.

I parked at the Wards Hill carpark. There were a lot of tracks on this ride that criss-crossed the main trail leading to the rock carvings. Some of the tracks were too hard for me in sections and I had to walk it through. Most of the tracks were free flowing with trees and rocks to enhance the skill level. A fun ride with some good views over Brisbane Water.