Waiting for the moon to rise.

Tuesday 2nd June

A strawberry moon was due to rise about 5pm. It was a beautiful evening, with no golfers to be seen on the fairways, so I decided to set up my tripod beside the nearest pond and hopefully take some nice shots. With a 180 degree view, one has to keep watch, as to just where the moon will appear. Its appearance this evening was quite perfect.

                                         Spot the moon.

The water wasn't quite still, but I was happy.

My feelings of elation continued as this was choir evening. 'Be My Guest' from Beauty and the Beast and 'Pure Imagination' from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate factory were the priority for this evenings rehearsal. Just perfect.

Wednesday dawned and our 'hiking down under' group had to select a less strenuous walk than O'Reilly's, of last week. Margot had taken a nasty fall and her knee was still recovering. Earlier in the year we had walked and enjoyed a section of Bulimba Creek. It was decided to walk another leg. Again it was delightful to be walking in suburbia and yet feel as if we were in the country. 18 kms were  covered and rarely did we see streets or housing. The creek gently flowed, the birds sang, the ducks swam and the wattle was blooming.

Our balmy winter days and crystal blue skies make 'hiking down under', pure bliss.

Yes. Just perfect.

I hope you enjoyed watching the moon rise and hiking in suburbia. I would love to read your comment.

Toolona Circuit O'Reillys, Green Mountains

To better enjoy the photographs, please click on them to increase their size.

Wednesday 27 May

A day of green , moss, rock and water.

Rated a moderate grade track and one of the best waterfall walks of Green Mountain, the Toolona Circuit seemed to fit the bill for a longer walk at 18 kms. With a suggested time of 6.5 hours we were keen to start early. Alas, this did not occur for reasons beyond our control, so we were under pressure when we started, to complete the circuit before the sun set. Light rain fell for the 1st kilometre or two, making the often overgrown track just a tad slippery, but adding a sheen to the vegetation that constantly changed. Giant trees impressed, along with the majestic, ancient antarctic beeches, the rich velvet green of moss covering tree trunks and rocks, and with the fog of the later part of the day, had us feeling we were in a timeless land.
We were fortunate that the high water levels from recent heavy rainfall had dropped, as there was at least 12 crossings of Toolona Creek. We didn't have to remove our boots, but great care was taken stepping across the mossy rocks. Although the track was quite narrow, uneven, rocky and muddy at times, it was breath taking walking beside this creek, with its giant boulders, gurgling waters, fern filled gullies, tree ferns, and of course its 7, now gently cascading waterfalls. Birdsong accompanied the musical notes of the water flow.
It was disappointing that we had to keep on the move and not have time to relax and let nature fully work its magic on us. 4.30pm saw us back at the car in just 6 1/4 hours. Perhaps we could have taken a fraction longer with our photo stops and 20 min lunch stop, but as the molten sun set as we headed back down the winding mountain road, we knew we would return in the longer days of summer. The hike had been demanding but we had met the challenge.

On arrival, we were welcomed by this mountain parrot. A quick coffee and we were off down the track.











 

The creek

The crossings

The waterfalls

The giant trees

Westerlie winds blew strongly at the weekend and sadly we found a number of giants had fallen. I sincerely hope this giant keeps its tenacious grip on the slope.

Giants of age - 1000 to 3000 year old Antarctic Beech Trees

    

Eeriness of a timeless land

Another magnificent day 'hiking down under' in this awesome country, Australia!

I hope you aren't feeling as tired as we did at the end of the hike, but it was definitely worth it. I would love to read your comment.