Helensburgh – Burning Palms Beach/Figure 8 -Otford (Royal National Park).

Helensburgh – Burning Palms Beach/Figure 8 -Otford (Royal National Park).

After the walk set down for here on 31st August was cancelled due to rough seas, this was put on on the next available day for a low Spring tide at the right time on a weekend. Even then, it was originally set down for the previous day (28/9), but a sea swell of 2.3 metres again made it too unsafe to go to figure 8 Pool that day. The forecast…

Pulpit Rock. New members meet deadly Tiger Snake.

Pulpit Rock. New members meet deadly Tiger Snake.

Valley Heights steam tramThings didn’t work out quite the ideal way I had planned it. Most of the group had turned up 15 minutes before train departure time, so I got them to go into the second front car to get seats in one group before the tourist hordes arrived. Unfortunately just 7 minutes before train departure, the train staff discovered a broken window in the second car and moved everyone out of it and into the remaining cars (two of which were “quite carriages” not suitable for our group!). And it…

A walk to 1111 on 11/11 at Mount Victoria.

A walk to 1111 on 11/11 at Mount Victoria.

We all met up at Central for the long train trip to Mount Victoria, except Zhong who met us up there. I think that a few of us had had a late night the previous night as some of us dozed on the way up. We got a later train than normal for a Mount Victoria walk, as I wanted to get to One Tree Hill – Elevation above sea level 1111 metres – at 11.11am on 11/11. The date…

Royal National Park: Loftus to Waterfall

Royal National Park: Loftus to Waterfall

Couranga TrackA computer “meltdown” affecting the rail system the previous day caused some anxiety about whether the trains would be mucked up on the Sunday. As it turned out the trains on Sunday (walk day) were OK. Not so OK for me though, as in the government’s usual wisdom it closed down all trains running between Strathfield and Brisbane for trackwork, thus requiring me to meet everyone at Hurstville Station instead of Central. While waiting…