Have a cycling weekend lining up. Also have my granddaughter's birthday on Sunday. She lives further down the South Coast than our weekend away. Was going to cycle down for the weekend and my wife drive down after work Friday. Plan change - take my car so I can get down to see my granddaughter independently. My wife will drive down after work Thursday - a day earlier than planned
Got packed early which gave me a window to stop on the way and walk a new slice of bush. Picked Garrawarra SCA on the edge of the escarpment. The area was set aside in the 30s as a bit of a Sydney retreat. Nice walkway cut into a track on the edge of the drop off to the creek below
New track - got to take photo of every orchid candidate. It could be orchid of the day. Cryptostylis orchid leaf - probably subulata - green
There were a lot of flannel flowers
Lambertia formosa - good light for a tricky subject
Track skirts the edge of the big drop down to the Hacking River - lots of snow white gum bark
Getting closer to orchid of the day - seeded - probably a sun orchid but it is hard to tell
The path had a lot of gymea lily bushes literally every 10 metres. But there was only one plant flowering
Seen this flower a few days recently - no idea what it is
Did find the orchid of the day. Potato orchid or cinnamon bells orchid
Always good to find an orchid on a track not walked before. Also good to find a new season opener - gastrodia sesamoides - and to find more than one plant in more than one spot
Takes me back to my first orchid walk. We saw them in the Blue Mountains then
These pea flowers still going. Finished lower down in elevation
Distant view of the sea through the trees. Sea is a good 5 kms away but can be heard up here
Nice line up of epacris longiflora - long flowers is the ID
Spied these leaves just below eye level - snake orchid leaves. Look up
Indeed. Snake orchids flowering up high. Chose not to climb to get closer photos. Never smart to do risky stuff when one is alone on a track
Cymbidium suave - 2nd open orchid for the day
Found one corea flower open on the way back. They are hairy
Eucalyptus gum making its own art form
Budding bonnet orchid
Did the short walk to the top of Kelly's Falls - falls in two parts - photo of the top part
Then a bigger drop to the pool below. Chose not to scramble down. Did spend time well away from the pool edges looking for platypus - no luck this time
Was a good break from the driving with just another 40 minutes to get to our caravan park. Enough time to do Sunday ride up to Port Kembla.
Photo of Port Kembla beach looking south
Port Kembla surf life saving club
Swimming pool and cafe - got the same paint supply as the surf club
Looking south again. Our South Coast house is beyond the big headland showing
Looking north toward Wollongong
Great afternoon to be riding on a bike path along the beaches
Did not go to find why the pyramid structures are at the Maritime Centre - I did read up last time. Maybe landing craft deterrents
Port Kembla is home to the last Australian steelworks - recycling steel
View across to Wollongong Harbour
More Wollongong views - note the cloud and rain on the mountains - dry down here
Close up of the steelworks
Could almost be housing for a coal winder. The coal was and is right here
A few beach shots on the way back
Could hear the bird calling on a track down to the water - two yellow-tailed black cockatoos chomping seeds. They were not bothered by me
Cockatoos were guarding this beach spot
Ride done. Been a few days - good to get out to the beaches and quiet roads and bike paths
Celebrate with cold bear on a deck facing the estuary, the big trees and the setting sun.
Met up with our cycling friends for drinks and a chat. Cooked simple BBQ after
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Height183.0 cm |  | Weight90.0 kg |  | Body Fat% |  |
Waistcm |  | Thighscm |  | Chestcm |  |
