My bicycle is ready. Forecast to be a cool day. Decided to drive to get the bike and drive further to walk a slice of the Great North Walk.
Drive to Cowan and walk down to Berowra - not walked it to date. Figured it was down to water and then up to the plateau going to Brooklyn Dam and then down the hill to Brooklyn
2.5 kms down to Jerusalem Bay and then 6 kms from the dam
Found a snake orchid close to the start of the walk in a classic spot - scribbly gum in a spot where branch has broken off
Close up - cymbidium suave. Always good to find an orchid on a new track
Creek crossing. The track has become the creek and badly eroded - fab round holes carved out by the flow
Purple fan flower - lots of those
Lambertia formosa
Tall trees across the creek
Next orchid offering - bonnet orchid leaves
A few Sydney boronia still going. Flowers are smaller than normal
New flower for me - saw a few deep in the bush
Rocky track heading into the rainforest
Two tone mushrooms and lichen on a fallen trunk
Tall tree looking up to the blue sky
Hibbertia flower
Heard heavy breathing coming up the track - an old man and his wife walking up from Jerusalem - they walk this a lot. Had a chat - the amazing part was right where we stopped to chat - a snake orchid
Similar configuration growing in a hole from a fallen branch. Notably the host is not a scribbly gum
Close up of the cymbidium suave. One more plant flowering in the tree behind - snake orchid season is on us
Zoomed in a bit
As the track dropped in elevation a few pea flowers all the way down to the water
Also narrow-leafed hemigenia lower down
First view of Jerusalem Bay
One boat fishing- it moved a few times. That and the seaplane was the only mechanical sound - nice
Jerusalem Bay opening out. Walk around the end of the bay and head back up on a rocky track
Start the climb
Zoom in to see the tree curled around the edge of the rock
Big lace monitor lizard allowed me to walk close by and take photos
Lots of trigger flowers up the first climb
Found the next orchid just opening - bonnet orchid on a steep slope
Sign at the top of the climb - some way to go to Brooklyn Dam. Was expecting an up and over - no such luck. Dropped down to the next creek
First view of the Hawkesbury River from the top
Flannel flowers - spy the spider that is making the petals curl with its web
Found one patersonia iris still going
Back up and over the rocks to the next ridge line. Need these markers to know where the track is. Lost the track a few times
Second bonnet orchid of the day
Back down to creek again. Getting tired now
Needs handholds to make it up here
Became pretty clear I was not going to make the train planned. 6 kms in just over one and a quarter hours
View from the top down to Brooklyn - you can see the brown track snaking down below
Did make it to the dam. Was going to stop for my lunch - not enough time to make the next train
Dam has a big flowering of water lilies
Bottle brush track photo
Drumsticks flower still going well
Leptospermum squarrosum
Did find rose hyacinth orchids on the way down - have seen them here before
Hard photo work against the light and a tired body
One more bonnet orchid fully open
Big walk done. Made the train just in time - not enough to make sure I got in the correct carriages to get out next stop. Had to travel a station further and get a train back.
Got to say my interest in walking big slices of the walk - the ups and downs are hard work
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Height183.0 cm | Weight90.0 kg | Body Fat% | |||
Waistcm | Thighscm | Chestcm |