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.

PHEGANS BAY KAYAK - 8 JUNE 2017

There has been a lot of heavy rain the last few days. It makes some outdoor activities difficult or uninviting.



I took a chance and drove over to Phegans Bay in Brisbane Water for a kayak.

The weather was a little strong but The rain looked like it would hold off for awhile.

The grey clouds and the filtered sunlight gave a grey contrasting colour to the water. Very pretty!

I paddled close to shore hoping for it to block some of the wind. It was fun paddling around the shoreline rocks that were covered in very sharp oyster shells.

At Woy Woy Bay, there were a lot of long jetties and large houses on the western side. I paddled past the water urbanization and at the corner of the bay was a narrow creek.

I followed the creek a short distance through the mangroves until I reached the rocky cascades of the creek head.

I paddled further on till the end of the bay and started the return journey. On the way, it started to sprinkle, then rain, then poured and then the wind picked up and my waterproof poncho blew up like a balloon so I looked like the michellin man. The paddled became harder with the wind and my poncho acting like a sail.

Eventually and towards the end, the rain and wind ceased and the last part was relatively pleasant.

WOY WOY BAY KAYAK - 10 DECEMBER 2016

The Christmas season is always busy - buying presents, dinners, making plans - so it is good to keep up the things that keep life normal for you.


Lately, I've had a number of early morning ocean swims and surfs. I had good waves at North Avoca and Pelican Beach.

Today, I went for a kayak at Woy Woy Bay. Woy Woy Bay is actually a number of other bays and from these bays a number of small tributaries feed the bay with fresh water. The main feature of the bays are that they are tidal. Mid tide to high is the best time to start as a lot of the tributaries are too shallow or the entrances to the are too shallow. One would think that a bit of a shallow walk towing the kayak would fix that problem. But the problem with that is mangrove roots, oyster shells and soft deep mud. Most spots have one or more of these problems.

Anyway, only after a short paddle, I beached on a small white sand beach and explored a heavily vegetated area. It was mainly sledge grass and mangroves. A nice stroll but one eye is always watching for snake movement.

Another short paddle and I was in a small tributary that I followed for about 1/2 kilometre. It was very primordial. We don't have crocodiles in our area but if we did they would love this spot.

I ventured around to Waterfall Bay where there was a number of narrow white sand beaches and large boulders that have tumbled down from the cliffs above. These rocks often sit shallowly in the water and are covered with razor sharp oyster shells.

I landed on a few beaches, sat down and enjoyed the pretty scenery and the tranquility of the area.

The waterfall at the end of Waterfall Bay was basically a trickle of water. Maybe after rain it is a bit more spectacular.

At this point the rocks leading up from the deep water are smooth and steep. It is very difficult to get a suitable spot to land the kayak and get up the rocks. As luck would have it, I was entertained by two ducks.

The ducks paddled over to the edge of the rocks and quacked a lot. They paddled away in a small circle and did it again. On the third go, the female jumped and flapped her wings a bit and landed on the smooth steep rocks and waddled upwards towards the flat. The male then followed but upon landing he started to fall backwards. Luckily, he managed to keep his balance and dignity and waddled over to the female. Their objective was the small, fresh water pools.

I paddled along the edge of the bay and returned to the start.

A pretty and adventurous 6.88 km kayak.

CENTRAL COAST - WOY WOY TO WATERFALL BAY - KAYAK - 3 JANUARY 2015

I parked at Woy Woy and launched from a small beach opposite Pelican Island.

I got a surprise with a group of ducks crossing the road in single file - as they do. The last duck was reluctant to cross but was looking quite anxious so I stopped and waited for it to make its move to go.

I paddled along the channel towards thee wharves, then around to the bridges.

After the bridges, there were a number of houses in a small bay with wharves. On one of the wharves there was a group of  'Sooty Oystercatchers' which were parading up and down it.

Soon the landscape changed to bare sandstone and eucalyptus trees.

Waterfall Bay has a cascade rather than a waterfall but today it was a mere trickle.

I paddled in and around the mangroves near the falls.

The paddle back was great in sunshine.

At the end of the ride, there was a lady and her dog running in terror as I landed. A swamp of bees was responsible for this reaction.

8.08 km
2:16 hrs

CENTRAL COAST - Woy Woy Bay - KAYAK/HIKE - 8 february 2012

Drove to Woy Woy Bay and launched from park near the end of the point.

I paddled along following the jetties. A short distance after the jetties there were mangroves and hidden amongst the mangroves was a small creek. I paddled up the creek with a paddle At the end i walked around following the creek and the many cascades of water it produced. pretty!!!!

Back in the kayak, i paddled back along the creek and around the bend and came across more mangroves and another creek which was a bit wider and longer. Once again at the end, i followed the creek and it's cascades up the hill. Pretty!!!

The journey back was a bit harder as the wind had increased and i was paddling against it.