This tree was rather interesting too – very monochrome, even though I was shooting in colour.
All posts by Sandra Graham
Coastal Notes – Tallow Beach
I’ve heard a lot about Bouddi National Park, especially about the camping spots, but have never been until recently. It turns out that the park is very accessible, and the first place I visited was Tallow Beach. It’s a 30 minute walk down a fire trail, and even though it was New Year’s Day, fairly deserted.
Despite being overcast, it was warm and rather muggy, so a swim was very welcome. There were also lots of interesting shells to be found, and the beach is good fishing spot when the tide is right.
Coastal Notes – Umina
The other side of the lookout also affords a view of Umina Beach. Yes, it is a built up little part of the coastline, but from this angle one is reminded that Umina is surrounded by bush and water.
From Umina Beach, you are once again greeted with views of Lions Head, making this quite a lovely, if understated part of the NSW coast.
Coastal Notes – Tree Study
The lookout over Pearl Beach has a great collection of Hawkesbury Red Gum (we think), with its spindly shapes and copper coloured trunks. It makes for a great study of patterns and shapes and colours.
Coastal Notes – Pearl Beach
Being from the south side of Sydney, the Central Coast was always a little far to go to, and my exploration of the area was limited to its northern reaches (Kincumber, Terrigal, Avoca, The Entrance). Now I’m exploring its southern reaches, with its quiet inlets and spectacular views of Broken Bay. A great example of this is the village of Pearl Beach.
You can see Lion’s Head, and behind that, Barrenjoey Head, with Palm Beach on the other side of this. Very picturesque, even on an overcast day.
Snowies – Snowy River
We rock-hop across the Snowy River, crystal clear as it flows from the plateau we descended during the day. The day is bright, warm (for once), and full of flies. There is only Heartbreak Hill to ascend, and the journey is complete. Back to a nice room, bed, and hot shower, but the memories of this walk will still linger on.
That’s all from the Snowy Mountains, and from my road trip. Next time I will post about more local places to Sydney.
Snowies – Beauty of Snowgums
Snowgums are remarkable trees. They can endure the cold and are strengthened by the wind. I like them for their beautiful trunks – all twisted and gnarled, their bark made up of gorgeous colours. Here are some wonderful specimens near Charlottes Pass.
Snowies – Glacier Lake – Part 2
The most well-known lake is the aptly named Blue Lake, about an hour’s walk from Charlottes Pass. It’s a rugged lake, with snow drifts, secret caves and waterfalls.
It’s a very deep and very cold lake. You can swim in here, but I wasn’t doing such a thing on that windy, cool day.
Snowies – Main Range
By midday, we’ve come a long way since the morning, walking over the ridge from the ‘peaks’ on the horizon. That’s what makes the area so very unassuming – you can hardly tell Mt Kozzie from any other peak, and it’s often mistaken with Mt Townsend, a few kilometres away.
You can see there were still plenty of snow drifts in mid-December, and we had to navigate through perhaps half a dozen of them through the course of the morning. Having hardly been in snow before, it certainly was a novel experience for me.
Snowies – Deep Valleys and Bushfires
Beyond Lake Albina is a view that takes your breath away.
Look closer however, and the view tells of tragedy. In the summer of 2003, forty fires caused by lightning strikes raged through the park, burning over half the area. The effects of those can still be seen seven years later in the bare trunks of mountain ash and snowgums, that from a distance look like snow.
The fires kill mountain ash outright, but new growth is spawn from seeds. The snowgum however is a little more ingenius – the roots of the tree remain alive, and new growth shoots above ground from them.
Static and Silence 