CENTRAL COAST - 10 TO 15 DECEMBER 2022

 

10 DECEMBER

A bike/hike to Woy Woy Waterfall Pool in Brisbane Water National Park.

I started at the carpark at the beginning of the Tunnel Trail. I followed this trail by bike and turned left at the intersection with the Mullet Creek Trail. It was downhill till the trail ended. A fun ride with some steep sections.

I chained my bike to a tree and followed a short track to the creek that led to the waterfall. It was very pretty here with the water shallowly cascading over the sandstone base of the creek. It was a hot day so the lizards were out sunning themselves.

It was a short distance down the creek to the waterfall which was a vertical drop of about 15 metres into a man-made pool. A track leads along the escarpment of the waterfall and eventually, leads a very steep rock scramble to the base of the escarpment. It continues on until it reaches the waterfall.

The waterfall was very pretty with the falls lightly spraying the surface of the pool. It is swimmable!  

Later, we drove to Sydney for a reunion dinner. It was a good night catching up with old friends, eating delicious food and downing a few beers and wines.

11 DECEMBER

We stayed overnight in Sydney and joined Mick and Deb for breakfast.

Back home, I had an ocean swim at Terrigal Haven to clear the cobwebs of the previous evenings indulgence.

13 DECEMBER

A hike with Angus to Box Head in Bouddi National Park. Angus’s car was 4wd so we drove to the carpark at the top of Tallows Beach.

The hike starts as a trail but soon turns into a track. The track was easy over rocks, tree roots and dirt. The trees had grown low and wide. This time of year, the trees shred their bark making the trucks and branches very colourful. There was a number of viewpoints along the way with amazing coastal views up and down the coast.

In the afternoon, we had a visit from my nephew Robert. It was so good to see him as covid restrictions and busy lives meant we hadn’t seen him for three years.

14 DECEMBER

An early snorkel at Terrigal Haven. It was a bit dull due to poor visibility. BUT suddenly, a massive sting ray appeared ghost-like just under me. It was a little too close for my comfort with the sting ray’s stinger swaying casually behind it. 😊

15 DECEMBER

I have been thinking of a kayak/hike journey to Scion Kop in Woy Woy Bay. Today was the day.

I parked at Goora Lane in Woy Woy Bay, launched the kayak and paddled for the far end of Woy Woy Bay. I landed the kayak three times, but I couldn’t find the track that was indicated on some maps. I persevered and paddled up the creek in search of the elusive path. The paddled was so good up this pristine creek but alas the creek came to an end and no track was to be found.

I’ll try another time when the tide is higher so I can get further up the creek.

CENTRAL COAST - 26 TO 29 NOVEMBER 2022

 

26 NOVEMBER

A swim at Terrigal Haven.

27 NOVEMBER

A hike on the Neera Track in Brisbane Water NP.

We parked on Patonga Road at the start of the San Depot trail. There was enough parking for about 3 to 4 cars without blocking the entry gate. About 100 metres along the track is a signed turn off to the right indicating the Neera Trail. The trail is wide for about half its distance before it narrows as a single track. There were a few turnoffs along the way leading to partial views. The narrow track vegetation is about waist high with some spiky plants. There is also a small creek crossing before a short ascent to the end of the track and the main road.

We had a swim and coffee on nearby Pearl Beach after the hire.

28 NOVEMBER

A physio check-up on the arm. More exercises to do. Getting better on both arms slowly.

A swim at Terrigal Haven. The water was very clear. There were a few cooler spots when the wind got you. A few good size fish to be seen.

A short mountain bike ride at Kincumba Mountain. Nearly ran over a juvenile lace monitor and had a big spin out when eating a patch of soft sand. Both of these hurt the arm a bit, so I decided on a short ride.

29 NOVEMBER

Early morning walk around the haven.

CENTRAL COAST - 5 TO 11 NOVEMBER 2022

 5 NOVEMBER

A long mountain bike ride at Kincumba Mountain. I followed my usual trails and added on the new track off the Sid Pulseford trail. Heaps of fun. And not so wet today.

Later, Jacinta and I had a walk around Terrigal Haven along the paths, the coastal rocks and the beach.

7 NOVEMBER

An early morning walk along Terrigal Haven Beach with a coffee in hand.

A kayak on Brisbane Water around Pelican Island at Woy Woy.

It was a sunny start with a very light breeze and an incoming tide. The water was deep enough to paddle close to the edge of the island. That was good as there were a lot of oyster farms lining the island that I didn’t have to paddle around their far edges. The higher tide meant I could paddle in amongst the mangroves. It was fun paddling around the trees and other obstacles in the clear water.

8 NOVEMBER

A kayak at Brisbane Water along the Cockle Channel and around Cockle Bay. It was a fun kayak – up close to a roosting sea eagle, a narrow mangrove creek, under the mangrove trees, old and pitted trees, a mangrove/sand island and all under a blazing sun.

9 NOVEMBER

A few laps of Terrigal Haven on the rocks and the paths followed by my first ocean swim of the season.

10 NOVEMBER

A long surf check but not much form.

A mountain bike ride at Munmorah SCA along the tracks on and off the Old Quarry trail. The entry into the quarry was steep on loose gravel. The downhill section near the highway was great … narrow and challenging.

A swim at Terrigal Haven.

11 NOVEMBER

A morning hike around the rocks at Avoca Point. The tide was low but there were a few random waves to watch out for as I walked around. The waves were roiling, the rocks were slippery, the cliffs were high, there had been a lot of small rock falls, the sun was shining.

I caught up with Jacinta at Terrigal haven for coffee.

I did another surf check and the waves looked okay at Wamberal Beach. I had a fun surf for about ¾ hour before the wind and increasing tide played havoc with the wave quality. It was nice to catch a few decent waves.

BERMAGUI - 2 TO 5 FEBRUARY 2022

 2 FEBRUARY

BERMAGUI

After leaving Beachcomber HP, we turned off at Dalmeny and followed the coast road to check out a few beaches. There was a swell running but it was messy. We decided that we would stay at Bermagui and so drove through Narooma.

We checked into the camping site and wandered down to the Bermagui Beach Hotel for lunch, wine and beers. A nice view with pleasant food.

We took it easy through the early afternoon and went for a cycle in the late afternoon.

We rode through town and took a number of side roads, tracks and paths that lead to hill views, boat marinas or breakwaters. It felt good to get some movement exercise into our day.

3 FEBRUARY

BERMAGUI

After breakfast, we walked around the headland to the Blue Pools.

I was thinking of a swim but it was a bit windy and a few waves were breaking over and into the pool. A bit turbulent.

We wandered to town, picked up a coffee and sat on the town beach. The water was so clear we decided to stay there for a while. I had a number of swims and snorkeled in the amazing clear water to a nearby reef. So many fish. Jacinta even had a swim!

Back at camp, we changed sites and booked an extra night.

Easy afternoon due to strong winds.

4 FEBRUARY

BERMAGUI

We woke to off and on rain and wind

The wind eased by the afternoon and the sun made a short appearance. I took advantage and had a swim at the beach. A number of other people had the same idea.

5 FEBRUARY

BERMAGUI 

It rained at times during the night and the wind howled.

We departed Bermagui for Mallacoota.