Stroms Lookout - Daley's Point - Tristan's 14th

Bouddi National Park
Rocky Point Trail
Stroms Lookout

Lighting Tristan's 14th Birthday Cake

I love these Spear Plants

During these school holidays, we bush walked on a couple of trails we haven't been on before.  One of these was the Rocky Point Trail to Stroms Lookout.

Snake on Rocky Trail

Spring Flowers on way to
Stroms Lookout

Tristan and Zoe
Looking out over Brisbane Water
and Pretty Beach

 Just as we started on the trail, there was a snake under our feet!  It was traveling as quickly as possible across the path.  By the time I had my camera out, it was moving into the grass.  The picture above, left is blurry.  The snake was a nice Rust color with good pattern.  Clara thought the tail had been lost.

View from Stroms Lookout
Hardys Bay and Pretty Beach

Pretty Beach and Wagstaffe

Ettalong Beach (Right Point) by sandbar

 Beautiful day, nice walk, awesome lookout.  We enjoyed the time together and in nature.

Zoe with Flannel Flowers on path

Cool Notch in Tree

Heart-shaped bark

Little Tallow Beach - the "Secret Beach"

On Friday, I took the kids to see if we could find the "secret beach". It's located in the Bouddi National Park, next to Tallow Beach, but the trail is not easy to find.  The beach is very small.  There is a small waterfall flowing down to the beach.  The peace of the place was only interrupted by the whirring blades of a helicopter searching for the missing 5 year old boy, who was swept off Pearl Beach the day before.

Little Tallow Beach from above

Tristan near small waterfall

Waterfall on "secret beach"

View of Little Tallow Beach

View towards Pearl Beach where
5 year old boy was swept away on Thursday

Blackwall Mountain Reserve Lookout

On a gorgeous Saturday in autumn, the kids and I went to the top of Blackwall Mountain.  It was a nice trek, and great views.  Here's a panoramic video

Filtered views of Brisbane Water

The kids having a break

Towards Sydney with Lion Island in the foreground, and Ettalong Beach below.
Views of Lion Island from Mount Ettalong Lookout here.

Another view of Lion Island -
also check out Lion Island from the Box Head Trail off Sydney's Northern Beaches

The Rip Bridge over Brisbane Water

The Box Head Trail and Tallow Beach

The Box Head. The land across the water is part of Sydney's Northern Beaches.

Dave enjoying the view from the Box Head. Lion Island directly across The Brisbane Water.
Here's another view of Lion Island - from Blackwall Reserve Lookout

Looking from Box Head trail towards Maitland Bay.

Lion Island and to the right is Umina Beach/Woy Woy area. The Brisbane Water.
Here's another view of this area - from Mt. Ettalong

Dave had Monday 7 March off from work. With Neo in preschool and the other children in their schools, we had the day to go for a bushwalk. We decided to walk the Box Head Trail. The morning was cool and overcast, but it soon warmed to a beautiful sunny day. We were glad we went early, as the temperature was in the 80s F (26 C). As we neared the Box Head, we had to duck under many, very large, spiders. If you wish to see a Map of The Box Head Trail and Tallow Beach, click on the link at the web page that comes up.

One of the many, large, spiders at the Box Head

Once we climbed down from the Box Head, we walked down to Tallow Beach. Tallow and Little Tallow Beach are part of the Bouddi National Park.

By the time we return home for a late lunch, it was time to pick up the children from school.

Dave on deserted Tallow Beach.

Tallow Beach

Catherine & Dave on the trail...I'm flushed

Zoe Turns 8

January 10 was a Monday this year, and Dave went back to work after 2 weeks off for Christmas and New Year holidays. The children continued on summer holidays. After a leisurely morning, we made our way to the Box Head trail in Bouddi National Park. The views were fabulous! We also saw a wolf spider, many small lizards, and Saint Andrews Cross Spider. We did not walk all the way down the trail to the actual Box Head. We just went to a higher lookout.

View from the fire road on the way to Box Head Track - Rip Bridge and Brisbane Waters

View of the Box Head from the furtherest lookout we reached

Lion Island in view

Putty Beach from the Box Head Track

Zoe and her birthday cake (no matches to light the candles...oops)