71 Slade Lookout

71 - The Long Track, Slade Lookout - Duffys Forest:

  

We were fortunate this sunny day as the BOM had  forecast a thunderstorm which was to have dumped buckets of rain  on us  during our planned walk.   We were therefore well armed with umbrellas and rain gear thus prepared for the very worst.   Instead though we found ourselves wandering along in what can only be described as perfect, gentle, soft dry air with  blue sky above feathered by wispy white clouds.

  

The end of Booralie Road was truly an end of the world and the beginning of everywhere - those fire trails ribboned  off in all directions in  a semicircle of radiating paths. The ever so genteel green manicured, sheltered garden hectares alongside and adorning Booralie Road reigned rather aloofly and separate on the edge of Sydney suburbia.  The quiet orderliness of  sculpted architecture and  design contrasted with the sudden harshness of the prickly bush and boulders leading to fire trails for  bike, horse and  walker.     These trails in turn let to yet even more trails criss-crossing the reserve further on and out of sight.

The Slade Lookout attraction was the one to choose which, we did .  Once  there the sight of Bobbin Head Boat Shed revealed itself way down in the distance.  From there we guessed the location of the Sphinx Walk way down and behind.  From the Lookout we back-tracked to join the Long Trail which is a popular horse trail. A good deal of white and grey slippery clay underfoot led to this writer slipping more than once.

Black snakes and goannas are supposed to frequent the area.  Only the peaceful, grazing  horses flicking flies with their tails were to be seen at the beginning and at the end of the walk. 

Coffee at Terrey Hills shopping centre.  

Walkers: PIppa, Kate, Moira, Donna, Carolle

Slade Look-out