BRISBANE WATER NP - TALLOW TRACKS MTB - 15 APRIL 2018

A mountain bike at Brisbane Water National Park.

I parked at Grandview Crescent, Hardy's Bay.

It started as a road/trail which was fairly steep at the beginning. Once it started to get easier there was a trail to the left - Old Wagstaff Trail.

A great rough ride joining up to a track leading to Lobster Beach. I followed this track until I had a great view over The Box. I did a bit of rock scrambling then rode the track to the start of the downhill to Tallow Beach.

A wide trail but very steep to the bottom then a turn right along a narrow track and a cliff edge towards Little Tallow Beach.

At Little Tallow Beach, I met and chatted with a group of young people from Indonesia and a Basque girl from Bilbao, Spain. A very interesting chat.

I rode back along the cliff edge and narrow track to the big uphill grind of the Tallow Beach Trail. I managed to ride up the hill more than I did on my last ride.

Heading back along the dirt road of Hawk Head Drive, I noticed that my tyre seemed to be wabbling. it turned out that the front wheel was undone. Whoo! I felt very lucky that it hadn't come off as I was riding, especially, the steep sections. A reminder to check your gear carefully before any activity.

BOUDDI NP MTB - BOX TRACKS - 7 OCTOBER 2017

A pre-sunrise surf check and off for a mountain bike ride.



I parked the van and loaded up the repaired bike for a ride on the Box Head tracks at Bouddi National Park. The last ride I had, at Kooragang, I had two flat tyres.

My first accomplishment on this ride was making it to the top of Hawks Road without stopping. Loving this new bike.

The second merit, was doing the Old Wagstaffe trail and the trail down to the Tallow Beaches with speed and control. Both are steep and rough.

The third, was sighting a small flock of yellow tailed black cockatoo on Tallow Beach and a swamp wallaby in the bush just off Hawks Road.

In addition, other fun parts were the track to Little Tallow Beach - narrow, beach views, steps and rocky cliffs - and having Tallow Beach all to myself. Both these beaches are so pretty being wind swept white sand surrounded by cliffs and rugged and dense bush vegetation.

I surprised myself when at the end of my ride my GPS indicated I had done over 10km. It didn't feel like it.

I drove to Terrigal Haven for a morning cappuccino and watched a wedding on the grassed foreshore.

BOUDDI NP TALLOW BEACHES MTB - 6 OCTOBER 2016

An early morning check of the surf at North Avoca and Wamberal Beaches.

Next, a drive over to Bouddi NP for a bike and hike to Tallow Beaches.


It is a steep start to this one with some riding and walking till I got to the top.

Took a short rest while viewing and photographing the wild flowers ... purples, yellows, reds and whites ... and a flock of Sulphur crested cockatoos.

The ride became fun now with good views and downhill.

At the gate, I climbed up the rocks for a more expansive view. Well worth it.

The ride was now steep downhill with erosion prevention humps until Tallow Beach. Yahoo!

At Tallow Beach, I wandered along the slightly windswept sand admiring mine and animal footprints. There was a small waterway at the northern end that ended by seeping into the sand. The beach was magnificent with a backdrop of rocky cliffs and greenery.

I backtracked a little and took a turn off for Little Tallow Beach. A great short track with a surprise series of steps - too late to slow down.

The views from the headland between the two beaches were great - looking along the coast north and south, as well as, the cliff drop off.

Little Tallow Beach was small and pretty, surrounded by cliffs with a small creek that bubbled over the rocks and once again disappeared into the sand before meeting the sea.

A great 7.38 km bike ride and hike.

BOUDDI NP - TALLOW BEACHES MTB/HIKE - 18 NOVEMBER 2015

A hot day predicted.



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.

CENTRAL COAST BEACHES - TALLOW AND LITTLE TALLOW BEACHES - 11 march 2015

I rode along the service road through Bouddi National Park to Tallow Beach along Hawkes Head Drive. It isn't the best road to drive a camper van over.

The journey really started with a very early morning view over Tallow Beach and surrounding hinterland standing on a jutting slab of sandstone. I continued from there and had a fast, steep and wavy-like ride down the hill to the beach. It was cool ride ending in a sandy track to the beach.

I chained up the bike and wandered to the northern end of Tallow Beach. Here, there were cliffs, multi-coloured sandstone and a small waterway that was ending by leeching into the sand. It was nice looking back along the beach and seeing that the only footprints in the sand were mine.

The backdrop of cliffs which sat in a bowl like fashion covered with low vegetation and the crops of exposed rocks was very petty. A few years back it was very exposed after a major bushfire. The remains of  small dead trees being the only legacy of the event.

I walked along the beach to the southern end. The cliffs were easy and fun to climb. Each level gave access to a new view back over the beach and surrounding coastline. After a short climb, I reached the level of cliff verses vegetation. There was a track running along the cliff edge which I followed to Little Tallow Beach. The views along this track along the coast north and south were varying and pretty.

Shortly, I reached Little Tallow Beach. There was a great view of the beach and a small waterway that dribbled down the sandstone and into the sand. The waterway was amazing. It was filled with yabbies!

I walked on to the south side of Little Tallow Beach then returned via the bush track to my bike.

The ride up hill was way to steep for me so I enjoyed a steep sweaty hike up the hill pushing my bike.

It was a great cycle and hike. So pretty with a few surprises!

distance - 7.24 kilometres
elevation range - 108 metres

CENTRAL COAST - BOUDDI NP - BOX HEAD - MTB/HIKE - 7 december 2013

We parked at Grandview Crescent for the start of the bike and hike to Box Head.

It was an afternoon adventure. We walked/cycled up Hawke Head Drive till it levelled out some more then cycled onwards to the track to Box Head.

Along the way there were great views over Brisbane Waters and the beaches - Putty and Tallows.

We passed through a barrier gate after which there were a number of signs leading to other trails/tracks.

The hike to Box Head had good views north along the coast and south towards Broken Bay, Umina and Pittwater. We sat on the cliff point at Box head enjoying the view and the late afternoon sunshine.

CENTRAL COAST - Box Head and Tallow Beach - HIKE - 26 August 2009

To get there drive to the end of Hawkes Nest Road. The road is very rough but there is parking on the plateau above tallow beach.
The walk to box head is easy. The vegetation varies from sparse to very thick. At times there are large flat rocks with dwarfed trees growing in the spaces between the rocks. There are also views over coast, broken bay, Brisbane waters and Sydney. The track ends at the tip of box head. It is a great spot to sit rest and enjoy the views over Sydney and broken bay.
The track to tallow is a fire trail. At two points there are tracks to the right that lead to Little Tallow beach. The first track is a dry creek that leads to the centre of the beach. This is an excellent isolated beach. Strangely, the south end near shore had a large amount of dead small crabs on the shore. I followed this track to little tallow beach and then it leads onwards to the base of Box Head.
Returning back, the track stays high on the rocks passing little tallow beach and onwards to Tallow Beach. It is another excellent beach. On the return, an echidna was eating by the side of the fire trail.

Time: 3 ½ hours to box head and return to little tallow beach and Box head and return to car park.

Best: views, bird calls, isolation, beaches, dwarfed trees.