62 Taronga Zoo to Balmoral Beach Walk

Toronga Zoo to Balmoral Beach Walk:

Pippa had scouted out parking near the zoo by previously  driving around the area thus providing a plan for us.   Not only that she added a detailed weather forecast so we were well prepared.  

We set off from the parking area and almost immediately we were lost in the trees and native bushland as we headed past beautiful Chowder Bay at Clifton Gardens and the historic military sites.  The net alongside the  fishing pier was adorned nicely with darters and gulls.   This time we did not stop at the little Bacino Kiosk but went straight  on to the end, up the steps, through the diving school area then past Ripples.   A very pleasant walk.  At Balmoral Beach we enjoyed coffee and marvellous iced coffees with a dash of caramel at The Boathouse.  An official complaint was lodged by Pippa as straws were too short to get down to the delicious last drops.  Nice, fun, relaxed.  A bus came along at the right moment to take us back to our cars near the zoo. 

Walkers : Wendy, Donna, Pippa, Carolle

End of Year Celebration of our Walks

At the end of our year 2013  we had a splendid jolly morning tea to celebrate our year and all the walks achieved and enjoyed.   
Thank you very dear Walker Friends for spoiling me so nicely  with that wonderful gift - you would be surprised to learn how many ways those two African  gorgeous bowl cups and saucers have been used.  They are wonderful, useful and bring forth cmments every time!  Thank you so very much.  I do love them. Thank you too for enduring the walks and making the walks  more than worthwhile.  
One of these days I will do a comprehensive list covering our achievements all over Sydney, the kilometres walked, the cafes visited and more. We have done a fair bit you know!  

Looking at the photographs now brings back all the fun, the sights,  we have had.  These in house pics  are not the best photos with all the light coming in from windows but I hope you enjoy them anyway.  
Linzi was in lovely New Zealand  but we are hopeful that  visits continue in high numbers!

?

J

End of year 2013

Carolle's home

61 Wendy Whiteley's Walk, Milsons Point

Thank you Wendy for  guiding us so admirably  last week and also for all that information which you provided.   What a delightful morning we had with Sydney at its Best.   A beautiful day for us next to our beautiful  harbour.    After a walk from Milsons Point and  alongside Bradleys Park and Luna Park we headed towards Wendy Whiteley’s Garden now decked in rich healthy splendour after loving care and recent rains.   That garden just gets better and better every year.   This time it was utterly lush with thick foliage and growth.   As always it provides  myriad cocoon tunnels of shade and seclusion with delightful deep shadowy colour everywhere. Thank you We

We had coffee at a nearby cafe.  Someone hopefully will remember the name.

Walkers:  Wendy, Pippa, Marie-Claire, Kate, Moira, Carolle

60 Little Digger Track

The Little Digger Track

We entered a little fairyland, all dank and fresh and pretty.  A dell which enticed one to explore further  although the entry itself  was enough for anyone to spend time relaxing and reflecting.   It would be better than meditation possibly, this space, no mats,no walls,no voices just green shady silence and  that dell  silent space enveloping and embracing one with itvs beauty and tranquility.  

Well, not that silent as we did have  a babbling brook alongside our short walk, yes it babbled for most of the way.

 We were a little uncertain about the track but found our way around and then back to the great old majestic oak tree which marks the entrance to the walk.

Good Coffee at Cafe Feoh in Lindfield which Jane had once mentioned.      

Walkers Pippa, Donna, Carolle

59 Tarban Creek Walk from Mount Str

Tarban Creek Bridge Walk

Our walk today was yet another little surprise for us in Sydney.  It seldom ceases to amaze just how many little paths and walking tracks, how many new coves,  how many new views, how many more ducks in ponds, how many big or small parks, how many new reserves, how many new creeks, how many  new cafes in city and suburb are waiting to be discovered .  By us!  Todays’s very short  but extremely pleasant walk revealed  a new cycleway cum walking track, a new bridge to cross, two new reserves, a new cafe, new city views,  some Marist Brothers history and other history.  Thanks to my son Jonathan who alerted me to the trick of getting through to the bridge and walk advice otherwise I would never have known.  He had run along this route.

From Mount Street in Hunters Hill we found the little path leading through to a short zig zag of streets to cross Tarban Creek Bridge from where we observed bridge work below on the  most colourful of working barges. Then  down  the bridge steps at the end to walk under the bridge to emerge on to Riverglade and Tarban Creek Reserves. Then on to Gladesville Road where we met Lynne and Zac who came along to join us for coffee and a milkshake.  Coffee at Stain @ the Hill where Kate joined us a bit later.     A very, very good short walk.

 There is inspiration now for a walk starting on the Tarban Creek Reserve side to Gladesville Bridge and across

I FOUND THE FOLLOWING TO EXPLAIN THE WORK WHICH WE SAW BELOW THE BRIDGE:

"Tarban Creek Bridge needs to be rehabilitated to address two issues:

1. The durability of a repair system installed in 1970.
2. The deteriorated condition of cross girders and bearings located at the half joints, identified during an inspection in 2008.

TENDERS TO CONSTRUCT THIS OPTION WERE INVITED IN APRIL 2013 AND CLOSED ON 5 JUNE 2013. THE TENDER FOR THE $14 MILLION CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT WAS AWARDED TO VSL AUSTRALIA PTY LTD.  WORK IS PLANNED TO START IN SEPTEMBER 2013 AND WILL TAKE UP TO 15 MONTHS TO COMPLETE, WEATHER PERMITTING. THE LOCAL COMMUNITY WILL BE KEPT INFORMED ON THE PROGRESS OF WORK 

 

Walkers:  Donna, Jane, Wendy, Marie-Claire,  Carolle.    Lynne and Zac joined us for coffee at "Stain" and Kate, who was unable to join in the walk  managed to get there for coffee.  

58 Gibberagong Walk (Grosvenor rd)

Gibberagong Walk, Ku-ring-gai National Park -    We met up at the end of Grosvenor road, Wahroonga to commence our walk:

We will always remember the Gibberagong Walk because of all that  smoke in the air and also because we descended down, down, down, down, so deep it seemed,   into the dry, dry, dry gully.  We walked for exactly two hours .   It was indeed very dry although way down near the creek (Cockle Creek) it was suddenly and rather surprisingly  greener, softer, prettier.

Both Donna and Pippa assured us via their mobile phones that we were able to commence the walk in spite of the smoke in the air.- Some hazard reduction burning in Wahroonga was taking place on a windless, oh so still  day.  We did not get  far enough to view  the water holes nor did we complete the whole walk.  This  we can do another time and thus link up with the Mangrove Board walk when we walked fromthe Bobbin Head end. We’d need a car shuffle for this.

Sadly no photographs as the camera’s memory card had not been inserted.  

Marie-Claire suggested the Butcher’s Block Cafe in Wahroonga for our coffee stop where we found a  beautifully done over butcher shop, cleverly  transformed to a  delightfully decorated cafe with slightly amused smiling  waiters in attendance.  Lovely coffee place, thanks Marie-Claire.

Coffee at delightful "Butcher's Block" Wahroonga