Unlike the suburbia feel of Umina Beach and Ettalong across the water, Killcare is a bit more low key. It’s hemmed by water on one side and Bouddi National Park on the other, and getting there involves a drive up and down a steep hill.
It’s no wonder that it’s a popular spot with boaties and fisher-people – and those fancying a weekend drive.
Back at the top of the ridge we got our reward – a magnificent view back over Broken Bay.
The line of sandstone cliffs all the way back to Lions Head and Barrenjoey Head.
And since it was a clear day, we could see Manly, even all the way down to the city.
And that’s the end of the walk in Bouddi National Park. Hope you enjoyed it.
As we ascended slowly back up the ridge, we saw plenty of flowers and interesting plants.
We saw plenty of banksias, this one a low coastal variety.
In the cooler spots, the first of the fuchsia bells were starting to bloom.
But most interestingly were these palm fruits, which we first mistaken as red capsicum. Quite amazing in colour and shape.
We walked along the length of the beach. It’s not so long, perhaps a kilometre or so in length, but it was one pretty stretch of coastline.
After half an hour downhill, we arrived at Maitland Bay Beach. The bay was named after the steamer, Maitland, which was wrecked off the coast one stormy night in 1898. 24 people died that night, but the weather was calm on this early April Sunday, meaning there were a few groups on the pristine beach and a few boats on the water beyond.
The craggy headland I think is very interesting to look at, too. The sandstone is cracked and coloured by the elements. The bay faces due south so it would get its fair share of wind and rain.
Recently we had a group of overseas visitors stay with us at Umina, and took them on a walk in neighbouring Bouddi National Park. BB had been told of an ‘easy’ walk with ‘great views’, and had been hankering to explore it for weeks. Being male, he of course had no idea of the actual length or difficulty of the walk – I never quite believe it when an Aussie says a walk is ‘easy’ (not when you’ve got little legs and dodgy feet) – and in the end it was a 3 hour affair with quite a few sizeable, undulating hills, and the last bit along a busy road.
You, however, get an armchair ride. And the first stage was the walk downhill from Killcare to Maitland Beach. We walked through an area that had been very recently back burned. Our visitors being European, we discussed the lack of back burning in the Mediterranean areas of the continent – the consequences being large, uncontrollable fires every summer.
The result of back burning might be ugly, but I’m sure new life would sprout up very soon here.
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.
Static and Silence 