Sunday 05 Jun 2022. Cape Baily Track. Kamay Botany Bay National Park.

On a windy winter day 25 members met at Kurnell for a return walk along the coast from Cape Solander to Cape Baily.

We met at the Endeavour Café for a pre-walk cuppa, then travelled in convoy to the Yena carpark for the start of the walk.

We passed the new Cape Solander whale watching visitor area, currently under construction. It will be amazing facility when complete.

The Cape Baily track is a combination of easy boardwalk and wind worn sandstone with some mud and surface water in places. There are fabulous views along the cliffs and out to sea.

A short track up a mild slope brought us to the 1950s Cape Baily lighthouse. The lighthouse is of historical interest as the Chance Bros lantern dates from the 19th century, albeit that the modern lamp is solar powered.

An interesting highlight before arriving at the lighthouse is Tabbigai Gap where, among the steep sandstone cliffs, a small community of people lived between the 1920’s and 1960’s. These Tabbigai Cliff Dwellers (as they were known) built their dwellings there following the economic depression years in the 1920s and 1930s. The Sutherland Shire Environment Centre notes that these people were “Permissive occupants at Tabbigai, not squatters … they paid an annual fee to the Lands Department and also paid Council rates for the right to occupy their precarious ledge”. The community was eventually moved off this Crown Land in the 1960s.

The true highlight of the day, however, were pods of whales, with over 20 sightings, some very close to shore just below the cliffs.

After a pleasant lunch just short of Potter Point in a sandstone hollow with some wind protection we retraced our steps to the carpark.

We completed 9.5 km and it was great to welcome nine new walkers to our group.

Many thanks to Russell and Jan for the planning and leadership. Special mention to Russell for his efforts in training the whales to put on a show for us.

This GPS trace shows our route for the day.

Sunday 01 May 2022. Eastern Suburbs Ramble.

Our walk today was very successful and greatly enjoyed by the 22 people who attended.

Everyone came by train to Edgecliff and we started the walk at Flat White cafe on Jersey Road Woollahra. We threaded along Queen Street, down and up Cooper Park to morning tea at Bellevue Hill.

After making our way down into Rose Bay and along the harbour, we stopped for lunch at Hermits Beach.

After this it was a quick but scenic walk past Vaucluse House across Parsley Bay bridge to Watson’s Bay.

For some it was a ferry home via Circular Quay, and for others a bus back to the city.

The brilliant weather sparkled the stunning scenery. Everyone agreed it was a day well walked.

Huge thanks to Annette for planning and leading today.

Here is map of our walk.

Thursday to Tuesday - 15 to 19 Apr 2022. Easter at Kahane Lodge, Perisher.

Friday 15 Apr 2022. Wragges Creek walk.

This was the introductory walk on our Easter weekend program.

Easy walking along a seldom-used vehicle track took us past a Snowy Mountains Council maintenance hut and a rather nice waterfall where we had lunch.

Saturday 16 Apr 2022. Perisher Valley discovery.

Steve and Tony led us on a circuit of some of the well-known locations at Perisher.

The tour took in Mt Perisher, Pretty Valley, North Perisher and Interceptor lifts. Most of us have been over these locations on skis, but it was a new perspective to traverse on foot.

Fabulous weather and great views contributed to a wonderful day’s walking.

Sunday 17 Apr 2022. Charlotte Pass - Guthega.

The group split up today, with some walking Charlotte Pass to Guthega, and some walking the other way.

Cool and windy conditions prevailed today, with most walkers opting for long trousers and jackets the whole time.

The two groups met briefly for lunch and then completed their journey.

NPWS has done a huge amount of work to provide new track at the Charlotte Pass end, and to improve the route from Guthega to Illawong. Significant lengths of raised steel deck and steel stairs help to protect the alpine environment from the large numbers of users.

Despite the brisk conditions it was a flawless day with blue skies and scudding clouds.

Monday 18 Apr 2022. Porcupine Rocks loop.

Cool conditions accompanied a group of 16 to Porcupine Rocks. This well-used track provided some excellent views from the top.

The group broke in two for the return to the lodge, with four members retracing their steps and the remainder following snow poles across country to the coffee shop at the bottom of the Eyre T-Bar.

Sunday 06 Feb 2022. Towlers Bay Track. Ku-ring-gai National Park.

For the first walk of 2022, thirteen of us set off in a slight drizzle, walking the Towlers Bay fire trail from West Head Road down to Lovett Bay. A short detour took us to our morning tea stop at the little-known Birnie Lookout. From here there were spectacular views over Scotland Island to Church Point and beyond, the drizzle having amounted to nothing. Also near the lookout was an interesting cave/shelter, complete with picnic table.

Annabel's muffins were popular at morning tea. It was actually a well timed stop as Annabel had walked hard enough to lose the sole of one of her shoes. Fortunately, it was possible to make some running repairs which lasted the rest of the day.

From the lookout we had two options to carry on down to water level: either continue straight down to the bay or backtrack a little and continue via the main track. Karsten opted for the rapid descent (despite a leech warning) while the rest of the group headed back to the main track.

We stopped at a second lookout with more views into Morning Bay and across to Pittwater then walked down to the bay to locate Karsten and enjoy our lunch by the water.

At the Morning Bay wharf lunch stop, we found a dozen or so girls from the nearby Youth Hostel taking a swim after a kayak trip. Tim joined them and it looked most inviting, but no one else had come prepared with swimmers or a towel.

After some more repairs to Annabelle’s shoe, we struck a new route straight uphill behind the Youth Hostel back to the road, Karsten having advised us that he'd come out of his earlier excursion leech free. A small wallaby watched us from a distance.

Back at the cars, Sally came up with a rather magnificent raspberry and poppyseed birthday cake for Ron's special “21-again” birthday. It's hard to believe his real age is any more than that.

And just as we got in the cars to go home, down came the rain.

Truly great organising once again, with thanks and credit to our fearless leader Bob.

Here is a GPS trace of our walk. The 2 hr 41 min noted is our “moving” time. We were actually out for a little over 4.5 hr.

Saturday 04 Dec 2021. Xmas Picnic and Walk, Lane Cove National Park.

We had 38 members join us at the Haynes Flat Picnic area in the Lane Cove National Park. It was a fabulous day and so great to catch up with many of the XC & BW group after another tough year.

The post-lunch cricket match was another memorable event although the standard of overarm bowling seems to have deteriorated a lot in the last two years .

We all enjoyed the day and the local kookaburras can’t wait till next year!

Friday to Monday - 05 to 08 Nov 21. Abercrombie National Park 4WD weekend.

A week before this event we had Covid restrictions in place, the 4WD access road was a mess and the crossing of the Retreat River was impossible.

Luckily for us, however, restrictions eased on 01 Nov and with just five days to go the NPWS graded the road and repaired the crossing. It was a relaxing weekend with a few jobs achieved and some walks undertaken.

Many thanks to Jacqui for her hospitality.

Saturday 16 Oct 2021. Blue Mountains - Woodford Loop.

​This was a nice half-day walk in the Woodford/Linden area, taking in interesting man-made and natural features. After meeting in Glen St Woodford in windy and cool conditions, we took the footpath alongside the Great Western Highway until we reached Bulls Camp. Nowadays this is a roadside Rest Area for motorists, but it has history from the 1820s as a stock reserve and later as a convict camp. A reminder of its convict past is a "flogging stone" (ouch!) and a nearby sandstone block embankment dating from 1832, built by convicts as part of the original roadway. Sadly, this historic wall has been defaced by our modern-day graffiti-artist criminals.

Some more 19th century relics were revealed as we made our way down into the bush. A small weir across Bulls Creek and a few remains of a steam-driven pumping plant are all that are left of a system used to pump water to Linden Station for steam trains. The first steam train in the area dates from 1867, and the pumping operation was in use until 1902.

From there, it was on to Paradise Pool (which is on Bulls Creek) then via rock shelves and open bushland on the northern side of a ridge with views to the hidden eastern arm of Woodford Lake. There were plentiful wildflowers on this part of the walk.

The last couple of kilometres were walked on fire trails. A few sections of our walk today were actually through areas that were subject to hazard control burns a few months ago. Amongst the blackened landscape were the bright shoots of regrowth.

Back at the outskirts of Woodford, we passed Weroona, originally a somewhat grand private residence from about 1920, also used as a home for children awaiting foster placement in the 1940s and 1950s. Nearby where we re-joined the highway is the Woodford Academy, a National Trust listed property originally built as an inn during the 1830s and later used as a private school.

Due to Covid-19 restrictions, this was our first outing since June. Bob Sims had all the compliance details planned carefully, with a QR code for us all to use to register our participation, and our vaccination status checked.

Many thanks to Andy and Marion Cairnes for once again leading us on an interesting expedition in their Blue Mountains backyard.

Here is a trace of our loop. The 2 hr 26 min noted is our “moving” time. We were actually out for well over 4 hr.

Sunday 06 Jun 2021. Two Creeks Track.

Starting at 9.30am our group of 18 enjoyed a lovely 13.5 km trail, walking the Two Creeks Track from Lindfield down to Echo Point Marina at Roseville, and back.

We had a balmy sunny day. It was punctuated by a running event, many friendly souls (and their doggie companions), morning tea along the track, and a grassy park for lunch.

The track is varied, starting with a beautiful shadowy green wander through rainforest, carefully taking a tunnel under the road, fire trails and good to medium track along Middle Harbour.

Many thanks to Sharon, Chris and Harm for leading today’s walk.

Here is a GPS trace of our outbound route - Slade Avenue, Lindfield to Echo Point Park. We followed the same track to return.

Sunday 02 May 2021. Lime Kiln Bay and Oatley Park.

Twenty members and friends set off from Oatley Village for a 7 km walk around Lime Kiln Bay and the perimeter of Oatley Park. Certain members took the opportunity to reinvigorate with caffeine at a local cafe, having travelled lengthy distances to The Shire's neighbouring Georges River Municipality.

It was a perfect 24-degree sunny autumn day. Highlights included the burned remains of a snake, spoonbills, ducks and lorikeets not to mention the extensive water views and the short board walk through the mangrove wetlands. 

After a very social lunch stop by the water’s edge at Oatley Baths, Jo and Melanie entertained us as they swung on the rope hanging from a large tree discovered on the return to Oatley Village.

Not wanting to miss the opportunity of a glass of wine, a beer or even another coffee, the group retreated to yet another Oatley Village cafe for a final social gathering and farewells.

We are grateful to Russell Barnes for organising today’s walk.

Thursday to Tuesday - 01 to 06 Apr 2021. Easter at Kahane Lodge, Perisher.

We had 26 members at Kahane Lodge plus three more at Charlotte Pass.

Our walks included the Porcupine Trail (with lunch overlooking the Alpine way), the Rennix Track, an ‘off-piste’ walk to the Alpine Eyre Café via the “top of the quad”, Olympic T-Bar and Mt Perisher (thanks to Steve and Cathy Smith for the excellent leadership).  Ron Giles also led us on a walk from Charlotte Pass to the old restaurant.

Charlotte Pass Resort was offering free rides on the Stillwell Chair from 10am to 3pm which made the walking there a very enjoyable option. What’s more, Stillwell Hotel was open for rehydration!  It makes the Pass a very attractive option for a few quite days in the mountains.

This weekend away would rank as one of the best Easter outings we’ve had - blue sky, 25-degree days and no wind.

The mountains are becoming very popular as an Easter destination, but there are still great little-known walk options.

Another great Easter week-end with good company and excellent food.

Here are two map images of a couple of our activities. First Mt Perisher, then Rennix walk.