The Big Smoke

Saturday afternoon around the harbour. A quick walk past the Opera House and into The Botanic Gardens and then meeting my son and walking through Barangaroo and up Observatory Hill. Then off to Newtown for a beer and dinner with both my children and my sister and their partners. Lovely meal with great service at Pathong Thai for my son's birthday.

Dubbo Gully Overnight

After working a night shift and a few hours sleep I loaded my pack and took off for a walk into Dubbo Gully and a loop out to Clares Bridge on the Old Great North Road. Starting at the locked gate on the Dubbo Gully rd at Mangrove Mountain 5pm I walked to the junction of the upper Mangrove Creek Rd and Simpsons Track where after 8.8klm walking at 7.30pm I set up camp for the night. Up early the next morning  and looping up Simpsons track, Old Great North Rd and Donnys Track back to Dubbo Gully and the walk out back to the car. 18.8klm for the morning and and in the car on the way home for lunch  at 12.30.

Late afternoon and the start of the walk on Dubbo Gully Rd

Mangrove Creek and the bridge.

Upper Mangrove cemetery

One of the lagoons/swamps that form along the valley. The old Fairview homestead can be seen on the hill behind.

Fairview Homestead. 

Mangrove Creek

Home for the night

Dinner cooking. Took a while to boil the water. Tiny stove with not enough air flow to keep wood burning strong. Lots of twigs needed to get enough heat to cook. 

A good way to pass the time away

Morning cuppa

Salute to the sun

Simpsons track heading up to Ten Mile Hollow

Clares Bridge on the Old Great North Rd. The second oldest bridge in Australia

Heading back down Donnys track to Mangrove Creek. An informal lookout over a lagoon on one of the side creeks

Donnys track

Back on Ten Mile Hollow Rd on Mangrove Creek

Another of Upper Mangrove cemetery on the way out.

Canoelands Ridge

I wanted to walk from  Gentlemans Halt back up to the Canoelands Ridge Fire Trail and missed the opportunity when I camped there six weeks ago.  To get there this time, I launched the kayak at the Government Wharf near Wendoree Park. Its only about 1 klm across but I paddled up a creek near Spencer first.

A low tide called for a muddy start and a "seal " launch as you slide down the mud in the kayak.

Not a lot of water under the boat as you enter the creek and then the mangrove tunnel.

Approaching Gentlemans Halt, showing the route of my walk. Up over the first hill and then up the larger ridge behind. 

Ruins of the settlement on the slope of the first hill. 

As you climb the first hill, views appear across to Spencer. 

Grass trees dominate the top of the first hill

And then its down again before up to the Canoelands Ridge. Steep, more of a route than a track, following cairns up through passes between the cliffs. 

More views open up back to Spencer and the mouth of Mangrove Creek 

Looking upstream 

Spencer 

Looking through the trees as the Hawkesbury River loops around Gentlemans Halt  

Once at the top I followed the fire trail out to the cliffs opposite Big Jim's Point

Spectacular views up and down the Hawkesbury.

Looking back to Gentlemans Halt 

Just superb 

Back where I had chained the kayak to a tree, the tide had come in.

Then,as a reward, I stopped at Spencer for a beer and a chicken wrap lunch from the cafe.

A  harder, and a bit longer walk than I envisaged. A 5klm paddle and a steeply up and down 6.7klm walk.