The day was going to be a hot one. I drove over to Patonga for a kayak on Patonga Creek.
The current was fast flowing with the incoming tide. I paddled along and fished. Not a single bit though a did see a few fish past me and jumping in the water.
I was hoping for a bit of wildlife watching but today there were a few herons and that was about it.
The paddle back was difficult as the tidal flow had increased so it was a constant paddle against an increasing wind.
Still, it was a nice morning with the sun reflecting off the water.
An amazing morning. A blanket of fog across the land and sea. I drove to Brisbane Water National Park towards Patonga.
The drive was inspiring with fog lifting so that the valleys and mountains were fog shrouded but reasonably clear in between.
I parked near Warrah Trig and rode the service roads and tracks. Coming down the main road towards Patonga I spied a track on the left. It was an uphill cycle along a disused road with a number of obstacles like overgrown bushes, drops, etc. Further along this track I turned right following the orienteering ribbons.
This track was very narrow and I was forced to walk in a number of spots. Eventually, it opened onto a large undulating rock platform with views over Broken Bay and Patonga. I had fun playing on the large dips and smooth surfaces of the platform.
On return, I followed the orienteering ribbons. It looked like the same track but it soon became so narrow and thick with vegetation that I couldn't turn the bike around so I had to keep going. It was a hard walk with the bike and finally, I broke onto another wider track with sweat pouring off me.
I followed a few more tracks on the way back to the van. A hard 6.8km mtb/hike with an elevation range of 26m.
Pearl Beach was nearby, so I drove there for a swim. It was excellent, sunlight twinkling off the ocean surface and deep, clear water. After a refreshing dip and coffee, I went home.
About mid morning I went down to Wamberal Beach for a surf. It didn't look too good but while I was watching the wind swung around to off shore. I ended up having a nice fun surf with just a couple of others.
A great day and the temperature soared to over 45C.
I decided on a bike and hike at Bouddi National Park.
It is a steep start but levels out for great views across the coast and inland towards Brisbane Water.
I took a narrow track on the left but after a short time, I abandoned the bike for a hike. The track lead to the escarpment edge with views over Killcare and Putty Beach. At one stage, I was directly above the surf club at Killcare. It was fun scrambling over the rocks.
Back tracking to the bike, I continued along the service road towards Tallows. After the gate, there was a very rough, eroded and fun track to the left that eventually joined with the road to Tallows.
Further down the hill, I followed the track to Tallows Beach. It was a beautiful clear morning with the ocean glistening and small crisp waves breaking on the shallow sand bank. Not a soul in sight.
I peddled back up the hill and took a turn to the left which skirted the edge of the cliffs and lead to Little Tallow Beach. Once again no one and a pretty view. I sat for awhile watching the water cascade from a small creek and the butterflies flittering from flower to flower on the hillside.
I back tracked and walked most of the way back up the hill. It is a steep hill !!!
On the return journey to the car, I was peddling up the hill after the gate not really thinking of anything when suddenly I realized there was a snake on the road and was about to run it over. I veered sharply to the left and the snake pulled it head back. I couldn't put my foot down due to the snake so I kept peddling with my foot in close proximity to its head.
I stopped at a safe distance. The snake was fine. I was very relieved that I hadn't hurt it. I watched it for a long time following its journey in the bush and up a tree. It was amazing. The camouflage is excellent if you had walked past the tree you wouldn't have seen it.
After all that excitement, I rode back to the van and drove down to Killcare Beach for a swim. Nice way to end a hike/walk.
7.17 km ride with an elevation range of 108 metres.
I had some spare time in the early afternoon so I drove to Kincumber foreshore at Kincumber Broad Water for a cycle.
It was a pleasant ride past the foreshore along a bike path. The path became a raised path where the local terraine was too sensitive for the tread of bikes and people.
At times, I was on grassed areas, streets, wharves, foreshore beaches and tracks.
At one point there was a track/road running parallel with the bike path. It had pools of water and the soil was saturated. Too saturated as when I went through one pool the bike stopped and sank in the clayish mud. Of course, I managed to get both shoes soaking wet and caked in sticky mud.
It has been raining heavily on and off over the last few days. This morning there looked like a break in the weather. As it was, when I was nearly at Girrakool it started to rain again but lightly. The luck was with me today as it stopped as I was getting ready and started again when I was nearly back at the van.
It was a quiet walk with the sounds of distant traffic for a short while and the occasional bird. The various water cascades and waterfalls were the dominant sound on this morning.
I was going to do the Girrakool Loop track and maybe extend it to the Piles Creek Loop. It took me 2 hours to do the 45 minute Girrakool Loop as it was so nice exploring around the waterfalls and soaking in the silence of the bush and the stunning scenery.
Along the track there were a lot of flowers and some birds.
The waterfalls were the main highlight with an abundance of water due to the recent rains. It was slippery on the rocks and vegetation and so I was extra careful in my movements. It was so peaceful watching the water flow along the creeks and then cascade over various drops. I had a brought a selfie stick and used it to video hard to get to places. The edge of one waterfall was very slippery but with the stick I was able to extend the camera an extra metre which meant better shots and a safer me.
Towards the end of the hike, I passed a number of people who were just starting. One couple were going to camp overnight on the way to Patonga.
It was a great 1.5km hike with an elevation range of 40m. :)
A 11.86km ride through Brisbane water National Park with an elevation range of 117metres.
I parked near the speed camera and rode past the quarry. Just before the closed gate, there is a track to the right which follows the service road and is a lot more fun. It only goes a short distance.
I was very lucky as a short time later, three glossy black cockatoos flew pass me along the road then perched in a nearby tree. I got some footage on the go pro and a few photos. They didn't stay long and flew into the denser bush. Not often seen!
I took the turn off for Mount Wondabyne and eventually parked my bike in the bush and continued by foot to the summit. It was nice to get a bit of a bush hike/climb in, especially with the views becoming more awesome with height increase.
I sat at the summit for awhile. The breeze was cool and I was hot and sweaty. This is truly the best view on the coast. Towards the west, there is nothing but native vegetation and to the east there are Central Coast settlements amongst the hills and vegetation and beyond that the coast.
I eventually, scrambled down the rocks and my bike and continued the ride along the Great North Walk. The Track was heavily eroded in many sections and so I was riding, walking, climbing and lowing my bike for the next hour or so. Still, it was fun and varied.
A brilliant sunrise this morning from Terrigal Beach.
The red glow changed to a filtered white with twinkles across the water as I had a coffee near Terrigal Surf Club.
Back at home, and a pleasant surprise with a couple of juvenile king parrots and one adult. They landed in the trees next to the balcony. I was able to coax them closer with the offer of wild bird seed which was suitable for the species. The adult approached first and the juveniles followed but the adult chased them off until it was finished.
Eventually, the juveniles were able to feed and we had the pleasure of watching them for quite awhile. Out of the blue a pair of Eastern Rosellas flew down and chased then off but strangely they didn't eat any of the bird feed and flew off once the King Parrrots were gone. this is the first time we have seen rosellas here.
The juveniles snuck back and stayed for awhile until they left at their leisure.
At Kincumba Mountain for a bike ride. There had been a bit of rain lately but the tracks had dried out. There were a few pools of water in some spots on the service roads.
This is a good place for a ride the tracks go in a number of directions and tend to loop back to start.
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