Karloo Pools

Coming up from Bundanoon through showers and low cloud.fog, I thought that this might be another abort. But once I got to Heathcote the showers stopped and I walked down to Karloo Pools. Overcast most of the way with thunder rumbling just to the south but I stayed dry.

 I had left the macro lens on the camera which made it easy for some nice wildflower photos.

Darwinia

Grey Spider Flower (Grevillea buxifolia) 

Guinea Flower (Hibbertia sp)

Red Spider Flower (Grevillea speciosa) 

Water Gum (Tristaniopsis laurina) 

A busy lunch time at the Pool. 

I then followed the Kangaroo Creek down till I climbed out of the valley and met up with the Bottle Forest Track.

More creek views and pools just as nice as Karloo Pool and not as crowded. I only met one other walker on this section of the track. 

Later that afternoon I drove in through Audley and on to Warrumbul on Port Hacking to suss out kayak launch spots.  

Huge amounts of traffic leaving the park via Sutherland so I headed south and had a quick look at The Governor Game Lookout above Era Beach. A sea mist was moving in and soon obscured all views. No traffic after this as I exited the park at Waterfall. 

Another Abort

Another plan that didn't happen. 

I drove down after work and camped out on Wattle Ridge at the start of the W11a Fire trail on Long Nose Ridge. This was to be a bike ride of 7.5klm to the gate then a walk of 7.5klm out to the cliffs, making it about 30klm return. Temps were forecast to be  in the low 30's. After getting to bed at 1am I woke at 4.30 to relieve my bladder. Which incidentally was the optimum time to view the Geminid meteor shower. After watching this for about 20 minutes the sky was lightening to the east and I decided to start early on my ride to beat the heat. At this time I looked at the sign on the gate which said that the park is closed at times of Total Fire Bans. Still thinking that it would be ok I checked on my phone and saw that it was indeed a Total Fire Ban which put an end to that.

Being too early to go to Chris at Bundanoon I had a leisurely breakfast and went for a walk at Cecil Hoskins Nature Reserve and then a bike ride along the Wingecarribee River at Bong Bong. 

Not many birds at Cecil Hoskins. 

Then a quiet day in the garden at Bundanoon. It turned out to be a lot warmer than forecast and I definitely wasn't a busy bee in the garden. 

Rebecca's View

I wanted to walk/ride the Sandy Creek Trail on Meryla Plateau but came to a fork in the road with locked gates on both and private property signs. 

So, a slight change of plans and a shorter ride (5.4klm return) from the end of the Meryla Road to Rebecca's View and back.

Views over the gorge of Sandy Creek

And from the Wombat Hill Trail on the way out, views over Gales Flat below to Yarrunga Creek and the Kangaroo Valley. 

Mount Moollattoo 

Mount Carrialoo 

Fishing Balls Head

A lazy morning fishing at Balls Head. Nice views of the city and the chance of a fish diner.

A nice bream and a good size  Leatherjacket, both catch and release. Plenty of bites and undersize bream meant a pleasant 2 1/2 hours on the rocks. 

Lots of Water Dragons in the reserve. 

Before Work

A couple of short excursions before work. 

I had a morning dentist appointment and then a few hours to spare before work so I drove down to Apple Tree Bay in Ku-Ring-Gai National Park. A quick walk upstream at the low tide then off down Cowan Creek for a while.

Apple Tree Creek at low tide

Busy on the flats with crabs, whiting and a Striated Heron. 

The turnaround point at the boardwalk on Cowan creek 

Later that week I had a morning bike ride from Booker Bay to Ettalong Creek at the southern end of Umina Beach.

Booker Bay 

Ettalong 

Looking out at Broken Bay and Lion Island 

Under Mt Ettalong, Umina Beach