Iron Ladder Beach

A perfect Autumn morning for a paddle. 

Starting at Ettalong Beach

I crossed to Half Tide Rocks on Wagstaffe Point and Lobster Beach. 

The channel between the Ettalong Bar and Little Box Head is narrow and I tucked into the rocks and waited while it passed. 

Little Box Head 

At Lobster Beach the NPWS were attempting to remove a large tractor tyre from the beach. Half buried in the sand it was too heavy for this boat to drag it out. 

A landslide/rockfall at the end of the beach had been cordoned off. 

I went on a bit further towards Box Head and just sat and took in the views for a while. A lovely glassy swell. 

Box Head where the swell was breaking over the lower rock platform in a big way. 

An unnamed creek near Iron Ladder Beach. 

Lobster Beach 

Then I paddled around to Wagstaffe

For a coffee and hot chips with a few new friends. 

A small breeze came up and allowed me to sail all the back to Ettalong.

Just under 10klm and  3hrs all up 

Silverwater Rhodes Loop

My left knee is still playing up so a bike ride might be better. I parked under the Silverwater Bridge on the Parramatta River and rode down to Homebush Bay and Olympic Park then across the bridge at Rhodes and back on the Meadowbank side. A dedicated bike path most of the way.

  The Parramatta Ferry passing the Newington Armoury Site .

Parklands at the Newington Armoury docks 

Wetlands 

Looking downriver to Wentworth Point and Homebush Bay

At Wentworth Point you leave the river for a while to ride around Homebush Bay . I was surprised by the amount of wetlands, canals and creeks here. plenty of bike paths and tracks to explore another day. 

Haslams Creek

I had forgotten it was easter Show week and some of the paths I wanted to used were closed. It was easy to bypass these along the roads.

Qudos Stadium and the back of the Easter Show. 

Haslams Pier 

I made a wrong turn here and rode up BMX Mountain. The people at the top waited patiently for the old bloke to come up. 

On to the Badu Mangroves and the bird hide at the wetlands. 

Looking across at Rhodes from the observation tower at the wetlands 

Crossing Powells Creek 

Homebush Bay panorama  

On to Rhodes Point where I stopped for a coffee and a sanger before crossing the  old John Whitton Rail Bridge. 

A beach at Meadowbank looking across at Rhodes and Wentworth Point flanking Homebush Bay 

The pathway continues through parklands and mangroves at Meadowbank. 

To Ermington Boat Ramp 

before crossing back over the Parramatta River at Silverwater Bridge 

I really enjoyed this 26klm bike ride. So much to see and so much more to come back too. 

After the Cold

I'd had a head cold for a week and was tired of doing nothing. So I took myself off to Mt Penang Gardens and the the Japanese Garden at East Gosford before work. I'm always a bit disappointed by the gardens at Mt Penang but it was still pleasant to be out on a great autumn morning.

Then on to the Japanese Garden at East Gosford. Way too early for any autumn colour here