Melbourne

While spending a week at Brendan's farm, we visited Melbourne for a day.  Brendan went to a legal meeting and I did some strolling and photographing.  I reckon I got the better end of the stick!

One of the famous graffiti lanes in Melbourne

This beautiful old building was in a shopping centre!  They obviously weren't allowed to knock it down so built the shopping centre around it.  If only they'd do the same thing with trees.

Hike through Shoalhaven Gorge

I spent a lovely weekend spent with South Coast Campers, hiking along the Shoalhaven Gorge.  I love hiking along rivers where you can swim anytime and this was an absolute beauty.


Highlights of the weekend included ...

• Lovely people as always on South Coast camping trips including the wonderful regulars; Kim, Chris, JC, Anne Marie.
• My first delicious swim in the river after our hot descent into the gorge from Longpoint Look Out.
• The amazing place where we had our first group swim - a huge expanse of water, so deep we couldn't touch the bottom.  The only drawback of this perfect spot was the boiling hot sand that scalded our feet!
• Doing several exciting river crossings. On the first day, many of us did it bare foot (ouch, the rocks hurt!) but on the second day, we wizened up and kept our boots on (much better!!)
• Our great camp site in the trees on soft grass by the river.
• Launching ourselves down a little stretch of rapid on Jimmy's lilo; a lot of fun!
• The relief of sitting my burning posterior in the river after sitting on the top of an ant nest and being bitten to smitherines!
• Great French movie recommendations from Rahima.
• A great night's sleep - I don't usually sleep so soundly in my coffin of a tent!
• Very wisely getting up early (6 am) to get an early start on Sunday morning to try to avoid the coming heat (35 degrees by noon!)
• The beautiful reflections in the river as we hiked.
• A last dunk in the river to cool ourselves down for the mega climb ahead.
• The elation at the end of the steep and exhausting 90 minute climb out of the gorge in the sweltering heat. 
• The stupendous view from Badgery Lookout, looking down on the big climb we'd done.
• A delicious (and very good value) meal at the pub in Marulan and feeling so dehydrated that I forsook delicious cider for copious glasses of orange juice.
• Laid back Ben, who looked like Ryan Gosling's younger brother.  Sorry, Jo, he's taken!
• Some great philosophical discussions with Howard.

All in all, another fantastic weekend.

The hike into the valley from Lonpoint Look Out

Arriving at the Shoalhaven River.  I was the first in!

Enjoying the river, eating our lunch.

The Spring flowers, still out in abundance

Our first group swim at a perfect swimming spot.

 

Hiking on to our camping spot.

Our first two river crossings, sore on the feet!!

What a great spot to camp!  Just don't sit on the ant nest!

Local wildlife. The blue dragon flies were exquisite, but I didn't manage to get a great photo of it unfortunately.

The section of river where we camped was fast flowing ..

... perfect for some fun in the rapids

Beautiful reflections in the river.

Crossing the river on the second day, wearing my boots this time.  

Kim wearing her yellow socks, Rahima crossing the river

The hot, steep climb out of the gorge.

The beautiful view from the top (Badgery Lookout)

Rahima, me, Sara

Wingello State Forest and Morton National Park

A lovely weekend camping and hiking in The Wingello Forest on Saturday and Sunday.  On Sunday afternoon, we passed through Bundanoon to visit The Morton National Park where we did a beautiful, short but steep walk to base of The Fairy Bower Waterfall.

Highlights included ...

• Lovely people. Jo and Wendy always seem to attract a laid back, friendly group.
• Hiking along a road with pine trees on our left, and indigenous Eucalyptus forest on our right.
• Beautiful spring flowers still out in force, including some beautiful red ones I'd never seen before.
• The tranquil camp site set in the pine forest with light filtering through.
• Wendy's delicious burritos - she always makes the best camp food.
• Two wonderful encounters with red bellied black snakes, including one swimming across a lake and showing off it's beautiful red belly.
• Yellow tailed black cockatoos in the forest close to camp and getting to photograph them in the air.
• Beautiful cloud formations on Saturday evening.
• Adventurous bundu bashing and clamboring down the walls of canyon to reach a pristine river for a refreshing swim.  Well done, Joe, for finding a way down!!  I felt like an early explorer, going where no-one had gone before.
• An invigorating swim in a beautiful pool at the top of the Fairy Bower Falls. Getting munched by a couple of hungry leeches was a small price to pay!
• A gorgeous walk with great views to the base of the falls. The old forest trees with their gnarled truck and roots were stunning.
• A delicious pizza in Bundanoon.  Food always seems to taste particularly amazing after a camping trip.

All in all, another fantastic weekend!! 

First day hike (Wingello Forest)

Pine forest on our right, Eucaplytus on the left.

Nice wide paths so we could chat while we walked.

Both red flowers above were new for me. So gorgeous.

Nature sure does love yellow.

Some lovely textures on the trees.

What would a pine forest be without pine cones?

Evening stroll to find yellow tailed black cockatoos

Yellow tailed black cockatoos that proved hard to get close to.  Thank goodness for my 400 mm lens.

Beautiful cloud formations.

Camp life

The camp site was set in the trees. A very tranquil place.

Second day hike (Wingello Forest)

Here we are in a beautiful and very secluded river after venturing off path and climbing down a canyon to get to it.  The water was gorgeous.

How beautiful is this snakes red belly?  I'm seen 5 snakes on my last 4 hiking trips!  Not that I'm complaining, I love them.

Hiking to Fairy Bower falls (Morton National Park)

The beautiful rock pool at the top of Fairy Bower Falls. The water was seriously cold!

Hiking down to the base of the falls.

At the base of the falls, enjoying some pristine rain forest.