HIKE, BIKE AND SURF - 10 TO 16 APRIL 2020

10 APRIL 2020

A lazy day with a mid afternoon surf at The Ruins, Terrigal Beach. The waves were smallish and not the best shape but I was lucky and managed about half dozen relatively good but short waves and another half dozen okay waves.


11 APRIL 2020

 A mountain bike ride to Mullet Creek in Brisbane Water NP.

There were quite a few cars parked at the start of the ride but I only saw a few hikers along the tracks at the beginning.

The track was very steep and heavily eroded in sections. I managed most but two parts became slippery on a clay base.

I took a few side tracks. One lead to a view towards Mullet Creek, another had a view over the railway tracks and the final one a close up view of the railway tracks and tunnel. A train passed through while I was there.

I finished with a ride around the quarry.


12 APRIL 2020

A late morning mountain bike ride at Kincumba Mountain.

A real fun ride. I followed heaps of tracks and felt smooth and in control.

No sore legs today. :)


13 APRIL 2020

A hike at Brisbane Water NP.

The car park at Girrakool was closed but the park was open. I parked at the entrance gate and started my hike on the Piles Creek Loop.

The hike took about 2 hours. I followed the loop in a anti clockwise direction.

The beginning was up and down, passing next to high cliffs. The ground was very soggy in parts with water dripping continuous from the cliff faces. The vegetation was very green and shaded beneath a canopy of thick trees.

I had a short rest at the suspension bridge.

The return leg was up, up and up. Upon reaching the top, eventually, the track was relatively flat on dry sand and more open vegetation.

Normally, I see few people on my hikes but today I passed over 70 people coming from the opposite direction.

It's good to see more people getting fit despite the current corona situation.

I did notice many people had no water with them. In general, it's a steep hike so not having water is not a good bush walking strategy.

15 APRIL 2020

A mountain bike ride on the PMG track at Brisbane Water NP.

I parked at the beginning of Warrah Trig Road. It was such a pretty and clear morning. My first play area was the tessellated sandstone platform. There was an excellent view across the hinterland towards Box Head of low bushes and grass trees.

I followed a short track then cross the main road and onto to tracks on the western side of it.

The tracks were mainly service roads. each road seemed to have a different base of either, sand, dirt, stone or gravel.

The best track was the PMG track which lead downwards for ages. The track was rutted and wet in sections, lined with thick vegetation or near-groomed pathway. It was such a fun ride. I had to concentrate all the way with drop offs, loose rocks and deep ruts. It finally ended in a grove of thick trees at the top of a ridge with Patonga Creek meandering below.

16 APRIL 2020

A surf at Shelley Beach.

There was a nice right wave bank which was crowded but just south of it was another bank. No one was on it so I paddled out and had a heap of okay waves on my own. Lucky morning! :)

BRISBANE WATER NP - WARRAH TRACKS MTB - 7 NOVEMBER 2018

A surf check for the start of the day. North Avoca Beach had a very small and infrequent wave so I opted for a mountain bike ride.

I drove south to Warrah Trig Road in Brisbane Water National Park.



The start was the tessellated sandstone to the north of the road. It's a relatively wide flat area just above an increasing steeper and denser gully. It was heaps of fun meandering over the sandstone and around regenerating bushland.

Next was a narrow track that ran parallel with the main road. A flat track with a few obstacles. A new track veered off. I followed but it wasn't much fun. Too many rocks at pedal level on a very narrow line.

It joined on to another track that lead to wide outcrop of tessellated sandstone. I spent a bit of time riding to the various nooks and crannies of the platform.  There were great views at times over the surrounding bush and the ocean.

On to the main road and up to a turn off to the right. I just lazily followed the main trails and turned off for the PMG Trail.

This trail was downhill all the way. It was steep, eroded, covered in fist size rocks with pockets of deep soft sand. Heaps of fun negotiating the difficult terrain ... successfully.

Back at the van, all packed and it stated to rain.

Great morning.

BRISBANE WATER NP- PMG AND WARRAH TRACK MTB - PEARL BEACH - 15 JANUARY 2017

At the southern end of the Central Coast this morning for a bike ride in Brisbane Water National Park.

I parked at the Warrah Trig carpark and off I went along the dusty, dirt road.


After a short distance, I tried a riding along an overgrown track. Overgrown was a putting it mildly. I was lured on to an adventurous looking track but before long the track was virtually no existent. I had to bush bash most of the way along. I couldn't turn around as the vegetation was just to tall and thick. Luckily, it was only a short distance.

A little further along, the bush had been burnt out by a bush fire. The burn out made an inaccessible area accessible. I rode through the burnt landscape with blackened tree trunks and the beginnings of new greenery from the blacken dirt. I rode towards a large flat sandstone area and had fun riding along the edge of the platform while admiring the beginnings of new life with a stark sunrise in the background.

At the end of the dirt road, I rode along a narrow, fun track that parallel to the main road in a meandering fashion. Once again, much of the vegetation had been burnt.

On the other side of the main road, I portaged over a gate and continued along a wide track. Soon I came to an intersection of the trails. I took the PMG trail which looked like it was going to be a long downhill. It was and it was also very rugged and eroded in most parts. A great ride. It ended at a small rise before a descent down to Patonga Creek. There were partial views of the creek at this point.

It was uphill, of course, for most of the way back along the PMG trail. I then followed a short track and the dirt road back to Warrah Trig carpark.

A fun 7.91 km ride.

After the ride, I drove down to nearby Pearl Beach.

I bought a cappuccino, walked over to the beach, lazed in the sun and had a swim in the cool, ocean water. A great way to end a hot bike ride and a nice way to start the day.