SOMERSBY FALLS HIKE - 23 JUNE 2016

Lucky day, as I got to play twice.


I started off trying to find the track to the railway dams. No luck so I decided to have a wander around nearby Somersby Falls.

There was nobody there so I quietly wandered around the various cascades.

There had been a lot of water so there were some spots that were slippery. Not a good place to fall as some drops were a long way.

On the way back,  the crowd had grown. I picked a quiet place on a flat rock in the sun, laid down, closed my eyes and listened to the water.

KINCUMBER CREEK KAYAK - 23 JUNE 2016

I launched form the boat ramp at Carrack Road, Kincumber.

A nice place to start with a pretty view and a mangrove shoreline and a small jetty. It was early and it was a cold and slightly misty morning.

A short paddle along the Kincumber Broadwater to the east of the boat ramp was the start of Kincumber Creek.

It started in mangroves with the sun nearly directly in my face. This made for a dazzling display of light effects during the paddle.

After a short time, the shoreline on one side was dominated by homes, short piers and lawns. The other side was mangroves and reeds.

A one point the waterway widens and a car park and the back of shops can be seen. the last time OI was here there was a lot of rubbish and discarded boats. Now, they were all gone. :)

The creek narrows for here with overhanging branches. It is dark and in places the vegetation had grown across the water.

A fun 3.17km kayak with a sense of adventure in the upper darkened area of the creek.

BOUDDI NP - ROCKY POINT TRAIL MTB - 18 JUNE 2016

I parked near Maitland Bay Road and Wards Hill Road.


I started on the Daleys Point Trail then rode a small, fun and  narrow track that joined onto the Rocky Point Trail.

I followed the main trail for awhile. It was easy with some small obstacles and a few wet sections.

I took a track to the right which was steep and rugged. It was so much fun as it was so hard. there were a couple of drop offs that were beyond me which I walked down. Still, it was a great track. there was one section where I was walking up the trail as it was a drop of about two metres. Bike tracks showed that some riders have done the drop. Amazing!

Just above this point, there were a group of large sandstone boulders which I wandered around and on top of. Nice view of the surrounding bush and some great looking grass trees with their amazing flower.

Back to the main track and then it was a turn off for Allen Strom Lookout. A fun ride on this track with a great view across the south of Brisbane Water.

Back to the main track for a short distant for another track back on the northern side of the trail. This was hard in spots but doable.

A fun 3.03km ride with some exciting side tracks.

TOOWOON BAY - SILVER GULLS - 16 JUNE 2016

I was at Toowoon Bay and decided to have a cup of coffee just above the beach.

The view was nice and I was soon joined by a flock of silver gulls.

Normally, these birds tend to be noisy and squabble a lot but today they were quiet and appeared thoughtful.

It was nice enjoying my coffee with such delightful company.

INFO

The Silver Gull has a white head, tail and underparts, with a light grey back and black-tipped wings. In adult birds the bill, legs and eye-ring are bright orange-red.

The Silver Gull is found at virtually any watered habitat and is rarely seen far from land. Birds flock in high numbers around fishing boats as these leave or return to the coast, but seldom venture far out to sea.

Silver Gulls nest in large colonies on offshore islands. Often two broods will be raised in a year, and both adults share nest-building, incubation and feeding duties. Eggs are laid in a shallow nest scrape, lined with vegetation.

BOUDDI NP - DALEYS TRAIL MTB - 14 JUNE 2016

A brisk morning but sunny.


I drove to Bouddi National Park for a bike ride along Daleys Trail.

The main trail is a good ride with a couple of steep ups and downs and large humps on the road to reduce water erosion. Towards the end of the trail, the road branches into three directions.

The first is a fun ride to the right leading to a trig point and views with narrow sections and small drop offs.

The second goes straight ahead leading to an Aboriginal site with a number of rock carving on the sandstone. There are number of tracks leading all over the place through the thick bush which doesn't disturb the sacred site. A number of great views over Brisbane Water.

The third branch to the left is service road that becomes very steep towards the end. I did this one ages ago.

Along the way, there were a few small fun tracks that meandered all over the place. one track lead to the top of a sandstone ledge which was great for wandering around with the tops of the trees growing below at eye level

A fun 5.45km ride.

MUNMORAH SCA - 13 JUNE

I wandered up the coast looking for a surf but no luck.

I did enjoy stopping at a few locations in Munmorah State Conservation Area and enjoyed the views. Such a pretty place.

TERRIGAL BEACH - BIG STORM - 6 TO 7 JUNE 2016

A massive storm with high winds, huge ocean swell and torrential rain hit the east coast of Australia. Terrigal Beach  and other beaches on the central coast were highly eroded by the large waves causing damage to seaside properties.

TERRIGAL - RAINBOW LORIKEETS - 5 JUNE 2016

Everyday we are visited by Rainbow Lorikeets. Sometimes there is just a pair and other times there is a large group.

On this day, the weather had been wet, windy and cold. the Rainbow Lorikeets (trichoglossus haematodus) were on our top deck sheltering from the storm and looking for a feed. Lucky day, they got both. :)

INFO

The Rainbow Lorikeet is unmistakable with its bright red beak and colourful plumage. Both sexes look alike, with a blue (mauve) head and belly, green wings, tail and back, and an orange/yellow breast.

The Rainbow Lorikeet mostly forages on the flowers of shrubs or trees to harvest nectar and pollen, but also eats fruits, seeds and some insects.

The eggs of the Rainbow Lorikeet are laid on chewed, decayed wood, usually in a hollow limb of a eucalypt tree. Both sexes prepare the nest cavity and feed the young, but only the female incubates the eggs.