Windang Island

Strong winds and overcast at Bundanoon and on the Tablelands/Highlands so a day on the coast was in order. Blue skies and a light breeze for a warm winters day.

First stop on the banks of Macquarie Rivulet at Lake Illawarra for a coffee and a short walk.

Koona Bay on Lake Illawarra 

Then on to Windang and the entrance to Lake Illawarra for a BBQ sausage for lunch. 

Looking south down Warilla Beach 

Windang Island sits at the entrance to Lake Illawarra at the northern end of Warilla Beach. It is joined to the beach by a sand spit.

 

Relics from an old train line built to the island to remove the quarried rock. 

From the island views back across the spit and to the breakwater at the entrance to Lake Illawarra 

Knights Hill and the Illawarra Escarpment 

We circled the island on an easy accessed rock platform. 

A pair of Nankeen Kestrels call the island home. 

Lake Illawarra entrance 

Another perfect day topped off with a Roast pork dinner and a beer at the Burrawang pub.

Girrakool to Wondabyne

A cold early morning start.  Had to stop on the drive and scrape the frost from the window so I could see. On the 7am bus from Gosford to Somersby.

Walking in my beanie and my gloves 2klm from the bus to Girrakool and the "start" of the walk.

The tunnel under the M1 Freeway to get to Girrakool where I had my cereal for breakfast.

The creek crossing on the Girrakool Loop. 

Then crossing Rat Gully and up to the Kariong Ridge towards Leochares and Scopas Peak.

Looking back to Somersby from near Mt Leochares. I had left the bus near the steam from the chimney at the right horizon on this photo. 

Mt Kariong on the left and Leochares on the right. 

Mt Leochares  and west to Mt White. 

Mt Kariong 

Looking across to Mt White. 

The Mooney Mooney Bridge 

Glimpses of the ocean and Mt Wondabyne over the expanse of Brisbane Water National Park and Ku- ring-gai National Park to the south from Scopas Peak

Leaving the fire trail to Wondabyne Station I took a side trip down to Kariong Falls and added another 4klms to the trip.

The crossing of Myron Brook. 

On the track between Myron Brook and Kariong Creek 

Kariong Falls. Probably as good as I have seen them. I have been here in flood with a huge flow over the falls and being unable to cross the creek or stand downstream to take photos and I have been here when there is a very small flow. 

I liked the effect of the sun star in the next photos. A 6 ray sun from my fisheye lens and a20? ray star from my 11mm. 

And a stitched panorama 

Wondabyne Station 

And wharf 

All up 16.2klm walked. Got to go now. The trains coming.