Blue Gum Swamp and Grose Head

Walked from Winmallee along Blue Gum Swamp Creek and then up Bees Nest Hill to Grose Head trig. All up just under 17klm.

Beautiful Blue Gum (Eucalyptus deanei) forest 

Blue Gum Swamp Creek 

Forest Giants 

Good advice at the end of the fire trail. 

The lookout at the end of the fire trail looks down at the junction of Springwood Creek and the Grose River.

Grose Head. The walk from the end of the fire trail to the trig on top climbs a steep ridge and takes about 1/2 hour from the lookout. 

Views west to Mt Wilson 

Filtered views of the Grose River from the trig on Grose Head. 

Back at the lookout and the haze had lifted a little to give views of Mt Yengo to the north. Measured on Google Earth, thats about 85klm. 

Panorama from half way up Grose Head showing Mt Hay, Mt Banks and Mt Wilson.The exposed rock about 1/3 across from the left is the lookout over Springwood Creek. 

From the Springwood Creek lookout again

Colongra Paddle

Paddled at Lake Munmorah around to Colongra Creek and then through the dead forest on the shore of Colongra Swamp. 6klm paddled.

The boat ramp at the end of Colongra Bay Rd, Lake Munmorah.

Colongra Creek into Colongra Lake has been blocked and the main flow into Colongra Lake is through the power station inflow which has a boom across with access prohibited.

A man made? channel runs parallel to the inlet channel and is a pleasant paddle into Colongra Nature Reserve. 

Once back on the lake is the dead forest. 

A great place for bird watching.

White-breasted Woodswallows 

Chestnut Teal 

Great Cormorant 

Cowan to Berowra

Started the walk from Cowan with the intention of walking to Bujwa Bay via Djarra Crossing as I had noticed this track on Google maps. However this was into Muogamarra Nature Reserve and to proceed past the gate was to risk a $1100-fine. Not having the cash on me, I decided to walk to Berowra instead and catch the train back.

A nice track which is part of the Great North Walk leads down into the valley towards Berowra Waters.

First views of Berowra Creek looking north to towards the Hawkesbury.

After a lot of ups and downs the ridge above Berowra Waters is reached with great views of the ferry crossing.

After a quick lunch and refilling my water bottles at the reserve at the ferry crossing it was pretty much straight up again.

Blessed are the track makers as they show us the way, and more importantly, make it easier to walk.

The Great North Walk continued on to Crosslands but I headed for Berowra stopping briefly to enjoy the view (and rest) at the Baa Nadu Lookout.

This lookout is only about 2.2klm from the station at Berowra and the well earned coffee at the  end of my 14klm hike.