All is calm at twilight. The water is still. The pool a mirror. The leaves hold their breath as we walked by. Only the birds awaken from their noon slumber, foraging against time before the sun and the cold sets in.
Tag Archives: royal national park
Banksia Study
The banksias are flowering in force in the national park. I spotted a few different varieties around. I don’t know their scientific names so I will call them as I see them.
The tall, orange one.
The short, yellow one.
The stubby orange one.
Cool Karloo
We crossed Kangaroo Creek for the final time, at beautiful Karloo Pool. The sun was just setting as we passed, and the water was a translucent green.
It was incredible how much the water level had risen in the six months since my last visit. The lower rock platforms were completely covered with water, so perhaps the increase was 30cm or more.
In the middle of the drought the creek bed so dry that you could step over the stream. Last Sunday, you had to take off your shoes to get across, or if you choose to keep them on, step very carefully.
I hope the water stays around until my next visit next summer.
Twists and Turns
On the walk, I passed trees of all different shapes.
I love the shape of their branches, twisting and turning into the air.
This one in particular had spectacular branches.
Wildflowers
Early winter means a profusion of wildflowers in Sydney (so is it really winter?). The most common ones are the grevillea…
The tea tree…
And the wattle.
Winter Walking
Winter in Sydney is the best time for walking. The weather is cool and the skies sunny. On Sunday, I went out walking in the Royal National Park with the Bankstown Bushwalkers, up and down the ridges of Kangaroo Creek, near Heathcote. We stopped for morning tea at Kangaroo Creek, which glistened in the morning sunlight.
Banksia
Banksias are ubiquitous to the east coast of Australia, where I live, but nevertheless are quite striking when in full flower.
Surprisingly, they are still striking even when their flowers have dried and withered.
Remembering Summer
Temperatures haven’t quite dropped as yet but it has been noticeably cooler at night. Scenes like this at Wattamolla will be only a memory in a couple of weeks time.
Give Me Some Water – Part 4
The forecast was for 29C on Saturday, but at 10am it certainly didn’t feel like it at Bonnie Vale. It was overcast and there was even drizzle. I really wanted a swim since I hadn’t had one for a few weeks due to the cooler weather. Bonnie Vale isn’t as nice as the other 3 spots I mentioned before, but it’s the most accessible of the lot. No walking, bar a 30 metre waddle from the car to the water. I waited patiently, and thankfully after an hour the clouds cleared, the sun shone bright and hot, and I was able to take a paddle in the cool water.
Give Me Some Water – Part 2
Since the weather’s still damn hot with no sign of letting off, I’ve taken to exploring Sydney’s natural still water swimming spots. After Wattamolla, another favourite of mine is Karloo Pool. Karloo is a secret and cherished spot to people of the Shire and avid bushwalkers. It’s reached by walking 45 minutes into the valley from Heathcote Station to where Kangaroo Creek makes a lovely, deep, freshwater pool. It sure was a welcome sight on this year’s visit in 30C heat and humidity. The water was cool and refreshing and there were some rock platforms on which to sit and take lunch. Apart from other visitors, there were no other signs of civilisation though we’re only a mere 2-3 kms from the edge of Sydney. The uphill return trip was rather interesting in the heat, but the discomfort was worth it.
Static and Silence 