CENTRAL COAST - 1 TO 8 DECEMBER 2022

 

1 DECEMBER

A hike to and around Seymour Pond in Katandra Reserve.

I parked and started at the picnic area at the end of Katandra Road. Heaps of parking spots. The tracks are sign posted and easy to follow.

The track was easy with some ups and downs and a few awkward steps that pass through open forest and into dry rainforest. Lots of ferns, vines and buttress tree roots. The pond is very pretty and can be viewed at a number of locations. Despite being pretty, I wouldn’t swim in it. The track circumnavigates the pond over a couple of small bridges. At the furthest point there is a cool bench to sit on to absorb the quietness, the whoop of the whip bird and the gurgling of the creek.

2 DECEMBER

A hike from Putty to Bullimah Beach in Bouddi National Park with Jacinta. We parked in the carpark at Putty Beach. We walked along the beach and onto the rock platform. The platform is very pretty being made up of swirling patterns of sandstone. There are small cup sized holes of water, waves crashing along the point, seashells and amazing views.

We scaled the cliff at the point to the path high above. The climb is so good with layers of various coloured sandstone depicting the eons that went into creating it. At the top, the path leads to Bullimah Beach and beyond. All the way along there are amazing coastal views.

We descended the wooden steps at Bullimah Beach, sat on the sand and just enjoyed.

3 DECEMBER

An early morning hike around the Haven.

There was a lot of wave action. It was pleasant waiting for waves to crash against the rocks and sent of a spray of foam.

4 DECEMBER

A kayak along an unnamed creek in Brisbane Water.

I parked at the jetty at Erina Creek and paddled around to Brisbane Water. I roamed around the mangroves enjoying being hidden from the main body of water. At the far end of the bay is the creek entrance which is too shallow to cross at low tide. The creek was lined with thick mangroves. The creek became narrower the further I paddled along. The tree canopy grew tighter overhead blocking the sun. Eventually, the creek ended at drain under a road. Along the way, I spied large eels in the water and water dragons on the creek banks.

An ocean swim at haven and coffee on beach with Jacinta.

5 DECEMBER

A loop hike along Bullimah Spur and Maitland Bay.

I started about mid-morning, which was probably a bit late as it was turning into a hot day. I parked at the Maitland Bay carpark and walked downhill towards Maitland Bay. After a short while, I turned on the Bullimah Spur track. It was amazing how green all the plants looked. The end of the spur was a great lookout with a view of the south coast towards Sydney.

I followed the steep and rough track downhill to the Bouddi Coastal Track. I followed this to Maitland Bay. There were some good viewpoints along the way of the coastline. The water was so clear.

At Maitland Bay, I had a cooling dip in the ocean and then the hot steep walk back to the carpark.

7 DECEMBER

A morning surf at The Ruins on Wamberal Beach.

There were a lot of fun waves with reasonable shape running through regularly. Only me and Chris D were out. It was nice to get back into the water surfing and it was especially good that the arm wasn’t hurting… too much. Haha!

8 DECEMBER

A morning surf at Wamberal Beach near the big house.

The tide was a bit high but there were some okay right handers breaking with no one on that bank. The wind picked up, it got cold, and the waves ceased to break… time for a coffee.

CENTRAL COAST - 27 TO 29 MAY 2022

 

27 MAY

A mountain bike ride at Bulls Hill tracks in Brisbane Water National Park. 

A very rough and challenging ride. It was highly eroded with loose fist size rocks over most of the track. I stopped a few times to scrambled to the top of boulder outcrops for a bit of extra fun. The views were great with pockets of mist laying low in the lower sections between the mountains.

28 MAY

A coastal hike from Putty Beach to Bullimah Beach with  Jacinta in Bouddi National Park. 

We walked along the beach, skirted the rocks to the point, scrambled up the patterned sandstone cliffs and followed the coastal path to Bullimah Beach. Such a great hike!

29 MAY

A mountain bike ride with Jacinta on the tracks at Kincumba Mountain Regional Reserve. 

The road to the summit was closed for over a year so this was our first ride there in ages. The road up was heavily potholed and muddy. The tracks were eroded in parts but generally firm. So good to have a ride available again close to home.

TERRIGAL HAVEN, NORTH AVOCA, BRISBANE WATER, BOUDDI NP - 1 SEPTEMBER 2017

22 August 2017

I felt a bit better this morning.

I drove down to North Avoca beach and walked down to the sand. It was a pretty morning with the golden hue of the sun to the north playing across the ocean, random nice waves, a lone surfer paddling out and birds flying over head. All very nice.

My next stop was Terrigal Beach, where I sat on the steps overlooking the sand and had a cappuccino. The sun was warm and it was very relaxing.

Back in my car when I saw a lady  looking intently at her mobile phone walk into a wall. She looked a bit shaken but preceded to go back to the phone and then cross the street oblivious to traffic. Luckily, the cars stopped but the driver in front looked stunned at what she was doing.

Back home and later,  Kara and I took Mr Archibald down to the waterfront at Gosford. We ate fish and chips while Mr Archibald looked apprehensively at the crowd of aggressive seagulls around us. Food was finished and the gulls departed.

I got my bike out of the van and took Archibald for a ride along the promenade. He sat on my shoulder and loved it. So did I.

23 August 2017

Later in the morning, Kara and I met Chloe for lunch at the Lotus Cafe at Wamberal. A nice lunch where I ran into friend Larry and his wife. After eating, we walked to the beach and sat on the sand enjoying the sunshine and watching the small waves.

27 August 2017

In the warmest part of the day, Jacinta and I made lunch and took it down to the Haven. We sat on the stone wall out of the wind and watched the world go by while we ate our sandwiches. It became so warm that we ended up shirtless and enjoying the rays.

1 September 2017

I was feeling better, I think, and decided on a hike. I drove to Putty Beach and decided a short hike would be okay.

I wandered along the beach which had a lot of bluebottles along the high tide line. Bluebottles are a type of jellyfish with a painful and prolong sting from the tentacles. They swarm in the ocean on mass so it is not a good idea to swim when they are going towards shore on the high tide.

The waves were large, the tide mid and the waves erratic so I thought it best to hike along the cliff edge rather than the rocks on the water's edge.

I walked up the wooden staircase from the beach to the top of the headland. At the top, there were two glossy black cockatoos (endangered). They squawked a bit then flew off. I followed the track through the bushes and after a short distance it opened up to rocks and clumps of vegetation which characterize the area.

There were great patterns and shapes  on the golden sandstone formed by rain, wind, salt and wave action. In parts, the sandstone was tessellated.

The waves were large and put on a great show crashing into the cliffs or roiling over the rock shore platforms.

At one point, a sea eagle spiraled slowly over the land and ocean. A pretty sight.

The track varied from a rustic raised wooden walkway to over the natural rocks. The walkway does protect the landscape and looking at it from a distance on a cliff backdrop, I think, it looked pretty.

The final destination was Bullimah Beach. Access to the beach, was via a precarious looking stairway. The beach was small and cliff surrounded. The sand looked virginal as the tide had wipe the clear the footprints and mine were the first for the day.

I plodded back to the van and drove a short distance to Killcare Beach Cafe for a cappuccino and scones. A nice ending to a pleasant hike.