Awaba Bay

On the way to Newcastle for a xmas dinner with my daughter and her partner I stopped for a quick walk along the lake at Awaba Bay. Starting at the Hepplewhites Fire Trail I walked down to the lake and along, through Hepplewhites shack and to Marmong. 4.5klm return

Jetty at a retirement village at the southern end of the walk.

Lake Macquarie shoreline 

Across the lake to Eleebana 

Conglomerate rocks and cliffs on the lake edge 

Spotted gum forest 

Dolls Point

A morning drop off at the airport for my son, on his way to backpack around India, was an opportunity to walk around Botany Bay again.Having walked before my last airport visit from Kyeemagh to Brighton le-sands, this time I parked at Dolls Point at the mouth of the Georges River and walked to Brighton and back. Just under 11klms.

Dolls Point. Easy parking (in the morning) and a good kayak launch spot to come back to and paddle Botany Bay.

I never realised the beach was called Lady Robinsons Beach 

Beach groyne 

My type of surf with the city in the background horizon 

The beach groynes. A surprising number of fishermen spread out along the beach 

Container terminal across the Bay at Port Botany 

City skyline 

Brighton Baths 

Looking out the Heads 

The ship now docked at the port 

Last groyne before Dolls Point 

Looking from Sandringham to the Taren Point bridge over the Georges River 

Mt Alexandra

Mt Alexandra at Mittagong. A loop walk from the carpark at Lake Alexandra, up over the top and through the "coke tunnel" to 60 Foot Falls, then under the expressway bridge over the Nattai River and around back under the expressway along Gibbergunyah Creek. About 9.5klm for the loop.

The "coke tunnel" where the tramline hauled coal  out of the Nattai Valley.

Sixty Foot Falls. 

The expressway bridge over the Nattai River 

Crossing the Nattai River 

Back under the Gibbergunyah Creek Bridge

Firetrail along the creek 

Gibbergunyah Creek

Lake Alexandra 

Red-bellied Black Snake hunting in the stormwater culvert at the lake