AUSTRALIA - COLONGRA CREEK - KAYAK - 24 may 2014 - 'A MIRROR IMAGE MORNING'

A beautiful, sunny and warm autumn day. I drove to lake Munmorah and launched at Colongra Road. The wind was still and the water reflections were excellent.

 The boat ramp had a small pier beside it which had about 5 species of birds sitting on the far end basking in the morning warmth.


The paddle was tranquil and still with bird calls being the main vocal expression of the morning.

I paddled towards the west and a small but deep tributary that ended abruptly. I think a road was build here cutting his pat of the watercourse from the main creek.


Next, was Colongra Creek which was blocked after a short distance by a floating barrier. The power station was further up the creek.

The next watercourse was narrow and ran in a straight line beside the creek with about a road's width separating them. It was very pleasant with small shoals of fish jumping in unison away from my kayak.

Back out of the creek and to the south was a group of water bounded dead trees. They were a lot of fun to paddle around and between. The birds roosting above were a bit of a problem as they were doing regular droppings. Luckily, none connected with me and they tended to fly to another tree as I approached.


I cut across the lake and back to the pier.

This was a pretty kayak with a lot of birds and bird calls. The waterway scenery was reflected by the still water.

distance - 4.97 km
time - 1:22

CENTRAL COAST - BRISBANE WATER NP - PINDAR CAVE - HIKE - 20 may 2014 - 'a rocky, sandy undulating hike'

I caught a train from Gosford to Wondabyne station. When boarding the train you need to sit in the rear carriage , inform the guard to stop at Wondabyne and exit by the very rear door.


The station is small and quaint. There is a small wharf on Mullet Creek.

The hike starts up steep steps. After awhile, you reached a service road. I followed the service road until I reached a  campsite on the left which had another service road at the western end. I followed the service road a short distance and then it converted into a track that continued to the pool and cave.





The walk was pleasant along a narrow track with dense vegetation. Along the way, there were song birds, rocky outcrops, tessellating sandstone, some rock scrambles and false tracks. The false tracks ended after a short distance. Some lead to views but most to nowhere.






Eventually, I reached a lookout with views of the distant Mooney Mooney Creek.

Next, was the pool and it was half full. Not very tempting for a swim, as it wasn't that hot.






Not far after the pool was Pindar Cave. It is really a massive and impressive overhang. There is plenty of  space and headroom under the overhang. A nice place to sit, watch and listen to the birds via a rock framed vista.



The walk back was heaps faster though I did take one more false trail where the track seemed to veer left at a rock outcrop. The actual way is straight up the rock outcrop until the track starts again.

At Wondabyne Station, you must hail the train to get it to stop.

A fun, long hike!



distance - 11.9 km
time - 4:15
elevation range - 190 m

AUSTRALIA - WYEE BAY - NO NAME CREEK - KAYAK - 16 MAY 2014- 'serene, silent, untouched'

distance 4.95km
time - 1:30



A beautiful sunny warm morning.

I drove to Wyee and launched from the end of Government Road on Wyee Bay.


The bay was a nice paddle with some along part of the bay and then it was mangroves. The creek was shallow but after a bit of a search I found the channel. At low tide this paddle might not exist!

I took the first waterway of the right. It was narrow and rubbish free. Very pretty. I doubled back to the main channel which had four smaller waterways feeding into it. All of the waterways were fairly pristine and free of rubbish. There was one small waterway that smelled of petrol. The end of it was dumped with large grave.

There was a number of birds about foraging in the mangroves or lazing on the water. A pretty sight!

This was one of the cleanest waterways I have paddled around.

Oddly, I couldn't find the name of this waterway. I'll add later if I find out.

CENTRAL COAST - OURIMBAH STATE FOREST - MTB - 15 May 2014 - 'rollacoaster, magic carpet, graveyard'

Another great ride with Simon This time at Ourimbah. A pretty ride with boulders, drops, rainforest scenery. Nice!



He shared many technical points with me. I felt greatly improved and felt like I did the ride faster and in more control.. Still, some sections were very daunting! I made it without injury but the bike needs a bit of tuning up.



distance - 7.25km
time - 1h 13mins
av. speed - 5.9 km/h
max speed - 21.5 km/h
elevation range - 60m

AUSTRALIA - AWABA STATE FOREST - MTB - 12 may 2014 - 'bumps, burning and buggered'

Simon and I went for a ride around Awaba mid morning.


The weather was sunny and warm. The track was damp and fun.

Simon had his first ride in two years after a bad bike accident and heaps of surgery. Still, he ripped and gave me plenty of technical advice that improved my riding.

By the end, I'd 'hit the wall' but it was so much fun and I felt very challenged trying to keep up with Simon. Most of the time he was waiting for me up ahead.

distance -9.44 km
time - 1h 25mins
av. speed - 6.7 km/h
max speed - 24.1 km/h
elevation range - 69m

CENTRAL COAST - KINCUMBA MOUNTAIN - MTB - 10 may 2014 - 'FUN, FAST, FURIOUS'

An afternoon cycle on Kincumba Mountain.







I've done this run a few times, so this time, I tried with speed. It was a fun ride with some soft sand and a few puddles.

distance - 4.2 km
time - 16min 53sec
av speed - 14.9 km/h
max speed - 27.3 km/h

CENTRAL COAST - WAMBERAL LAGOON - KAYAK - 10 May 2014 - 'warm, watery, welcomimg'

An early kayak in beautiful weather.

It was still and glassy with a number of birds - swans, peahens, kookaburras and ducks foraging for food or lazing around.

It was my first test of the new go pro hero 3 plus. The video is much clearer and precise than the hero 1 and the photos aren't bad but lack a wide angle.

distance - 3.06 km
time - 51 mins
av speed - 3.6 km/h
max speed - 12.9 km/h

AUSTRALIA - KOORAGANG WETLANDS - MTB - 7 May 2014

I dropped my daughter at Newcastle University and had a bit of a wait before returning home.



I decided on a kayak or a bike ride at Kooragang Wetlands. The kayaking didn't look to inviting so I opted for the bike ride.

There were a number of tracks and trails around the island. The terrain of the tracks varied from grass, boardwalk, bridges, tarred, gravel, tire rutted, service roads, paved roads and dirt track. The tracks circumnavigated the island with only a little bit of back tracking.

There were a number of points of interest on the ride - bridges, tidal creeks, old buildings, old airforce structures, old school masters house and jetty.

It was a fun, level and interesting ride.


distance - 14.59 km
time - 1h 58m
av. speed - 7.4 km/h
max speed - 20.1 km/h

CENTRAL COAST - CRACKNECK - SURF - 6 may 2014

I sprained my toe about a week ago. It was feeling okay so I did a drive around for waves. Crackneck was looking good with a tight crowd. I videoed from the top of Crackneck Lookout.




Rather than go for it. I took the easy way and went out in a mild wamby surf. Lucky, I couldn't balance because of the toe. When I decided to just go for it, it hurt quite a lot. So, in I went and now i'll wait till it's fully better.

Three weeks plus till Indo so it should be right before then.

CENTRAL COAST - JETPACK AND FLYBOARD - 4 may 2014

Part of my birthday surprise present was a  jetpack and flyboard session at Mount Penang, Central Coast.

The day was windy and cold but it was sunny.

I watched two guys on the jetpack and then it was my turn. I must admit I was somewhat concerned. Well, mainly 'can I do it?' but hell it looked like fun. And it was fun being dunked like a tea bag. It was an awesome feeling rising above the water. And the height seemed high to me. One moment you were in control then the next... the dunk. Loved it!

I watched the guys on the flyboard next. One guy was very high and plummeted with a vengeance into the water and came up with a bloody nose. I was losing a lot of body heat waiting. Finally, I was strapped in and out and into the weeds, then across the shallow water through the mud then I was fine. This one, was best of all. The dunking was harder and faster, the balancing more testing but still it felt manageable.

Twice, I did a jet-propelled backflip under the water when I was dunked backwards and once forward and spat out. The last one was on the video.

It was such a fun activity but I am a little muscle sore today but no injuries.

Google 'adrenaline' for this activitiy and heaps of other ideas.