We paid our permit fee and then set off towards the pathway. There didn't seem to be anyone else around and the quiet settled on my shoulders like a blanket of contentment as we ventured futher into the trees.
There really is no substitute for an afternoon out in a natural area. Sure, lying down in the afternoon sun reading your favourite novel is amazingly wholesome and soul warming, but I feel nurtured when I'm out in a forest, scrub, walking alongside a stream or hiking up a mountain side.
The one stretch of the pathway was covered with flowers, mostly tiny ones. I took some time to capture the various types and colours and I smiled thinking that even though it's autumn here, there are still flowers to brighten our paths as we steadily head towards winter.
A little bit further in and the scenery changed again to bracken ferns and riverine sedges. We heard little frogs chirping and we decided to find a bench to sit at and eat our lunch together. The wind was light and lovingly touched the tree tops, swaying them ever so slightly.
When we set off again refueled, we sampled the different textures. Lichens, seedpods, crunchy leaves and snappy twigs. LL delighted in them and was determined to make mud snowflakes with her boots (the mud equivalent of snow angels but with your feet standing up instead of lying down).
We met a little doggy and her owners towards the end of our walk. She was a fluffy black baby poodle called Coco and gave LL loads of little licks and kisses which caused those high pitched giggles, the kind that make your heart smile.
We didn't make it up to the viewpoint in the almost two hours that we leisurely walked around; perhaps next time we visit this spot we will. There are numerous hiking trails so we will no doubt be in for a treat whenever we choose to return.