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08/24/24 - South From Injidup on the Cape to Cape Track

We woke up to a clearing sky and bit of a rainbow far out to sea. We decided to take a walk right out of our hotel rather than driving to a distant trailhead. We headed west and then joined the Cape to Cape Track and headed south.

It was scrubby country with bushes and shrubs and views of the waves crashing on the shore below. We made our way to a crescent of a sandy beach. The trail tracked above it, so we had a good walking surface. Walking on sand can be exhausting.

We made it to the end of Injidup Beach, but we weren't up to hiking out on Cape Clairault. We know our limits. We considered backtracking, but we headed up and inland and walked back along Cape Clairault Road to our hotel.


Good morning!



The track





Injidup Beach and Cape Clairault

A jetty





Climbing out towards Cape Clairault Road


The twisted forest






Keywords: australia

08/23/24 - South From Injidup - Some More Stuff

There was a lot to see on our Injidup Beach hike, so here are some more pictures, some artier than others.

Bush and shrub country

That jetty again, presumably man-made

Cape Clairault

Beachcombing finds








A cuttlefish blade?


The twisted ghost-like forest



Keywords: australia

08/22/24 - Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse

Before an excellent lunch at Vasse Felix, we headed north to hike around the Cape Naturaliste lighthouse. We couldn't see the lighthouse from the parking lot, so we headed down one of the trails through bushes and twisted trees. We couldn't see the ocean either, but we continued.

Then we got our first glimpse of the lighthouse. We headed onward and took a turn towards the Whale Watch lookout. We didn't expect to see whales, and we didn't see any. We descended along long wooden ramps and staircases. Then we saw the sea, angry and active beneath us. We hadn't realized quite how high up we were.

We didn't make it all the way around the lighthouse. We were a bit hiked out by now. If nothing else, every hike had included a lot of stair climbing, and some of it involved crossing sand. Still, we felt we had earned our lunch.





A glimpse of the lighthouse




A walkway to the lookout

The waters below



The lookout


A view from the lookout









Keywords: australia

08/21/24 - North From Injidup and Farewell

We took a walk from our hotel north along the Cape to Cape Track before heading back to Perth. It was our last morning, and we were tired. Still, we would be in the car for a bit, so it made sense to get a last bit of fresh air and exercise before the drive.

We didn't get all that far, but we did get to say good bye to the amazing Cape to Cape Track. The trail passed through now familiar country, perhaps with a higher rock to shrub ratio, with great views of the wild coast.


The view from our room






















Keywords: australia

08/20/24 - Bondi to Coogee Beach to Beach Walk

The coastal walk from Bondi Beach to Coogee Beach is one of the great walks in Sydney. Perhaps even more than Los Angeles, the city has a focus on its beaches. We started at Bondi and made our way south. Bondi has the air of a beach town with its broad beach, restaurants and surf and beachwear shops.

The trail had a lots of ups and downs. It heads up along bluffs and then down to a series of beaches, some open, sandy crescents, some in rock walled canyons. They all have well maintained facilities. It's a wonderful walk with the waves smashing into the rocks or gently rolling up the slope of a sandy beach.


Early morning in Sydney

Bondi

Rocks below



Some of the trail was closed for repairs

Looking south





Part of the trail



Looking north to the cemetary



A shady section




Boats stored at one of the beaches

Coogee

Keywords: australia

08/19/24 - Sydney Evening Magic

After our hike from Bondi to Coogee, we went to dinner at Quay. There was a fireworks display across the harbor, probably at the amusement park there. Later, there was a laser light show. It was a short walk from our hotel. The evening light was magical.

For a short movie of the bridge sparkles, click here.

Sunset light









Later that evening


Laser sparkles









Keywords: australia

08/18/24 - Evening in Wollongong

After our Bondi to Coogee walk, we needed a rest day. We didn't do much. We got massages. We sat around and relaxed. We went out to eat dinner at Manta in Wollongong. Our hotel was near Circular Quay with the Opera House and ferries running in and out. Our dinner was on the wharf at Wollongong in the next harbor over. There was still a small boat marina there, but the wharf had been completely renovated. We ate seafood outside and watched the fading light.

Trees seen under the harbor bridge

Wollongong Wharf

A happening neighborhood

Twilight

After dark

A view of the CBD (central business district)

Restaurants as far as one can see


Keywords: australia

08/17/24 - Spit Bridge Towards Manly

On our previous trip to Australia, the concierge at our hotel suggested we take a walk from the spit bridge to Manly. We expected expectoration, and our hike started behind a row of trash cans. This time, we capitalized Spit Bridge correctly and started descending flights of stairs down a hillside to the waterfront. The bridge itself was nearby, but we headed west.

We had forgotten how much climbing up and down the trail entailed. At some points, the trail passed through an ordinary urban park. At others, it passed through wild country along eroded cliff faces above tidal flats and isolated beaches.

We didn't make it all the way to Manly. We gave up at the petroglyphs, about halfway. It had been a great walk, but we could only do so much. We made our way to a suburban street and there hailed an Uber. Amusingly, there was another pair of hikers there also waiting for their Uber. We were obviously at a popular end point for those unable to make it all the way to the Manly ferry.


Marina near the Spit Bridge


Stairs, lots of stairs

Stone

A tidal flat


Even more stairs

More stone









A bush turkey


Petroglyphs




A view of downtown Sydney

Keywords: australia

08/16/24 - On To Lord Howe Island

We flew from Sydney to Lord Howe Island. It was a two hour flight on a turboprop Dash 8. It had been years since our last turboprop flight and with the extensive warnings on the Qantas web site about flying to Lord Howe Island, we weren't sure of what to expect. We had repacked our bags and checked one in Sydney to meet the limited baggage weight requirement, and we weren't surprised when our gate at the airport led out onto the tarmac where we boarded a bus that took us to our plane. The flight itself wasn't bad. It wasn't full. Since the flight is near the upper range limit of the aircraft, they had limited the load. This explained our limited baggage allowance as well as why a number of the rows were kept empty.

Most of the flight was over water since Lord Howe Island is north and east of Sydney. We approached the island at low altitude. There were steep hills to the north and south. The lone runway ran east to west across the flat mid-section of the island. There isn't all that much flat ground on Lord Howe Island, and the short runway also limited our plane's landing weight.

The airport at Lord Howe Island had a small terminal building where we were reunited with our bags and boarded a golf cart to get to our hotel. The island speed limit is 25 kph. This isn't a big problem since the island is pretty small, and golf carts provide excellent transportation.

Once we settled in to our room, we headed out from our room and explored south along the coast. We followed the limited low lands that skirted the steep hills. There were birds and beaches and a cow or two. It was an interesting walk to say the least.


Approaching Lord Howe Island


Good snorkeling perhaps?

The steep hills of the south





Hiking south



Looking north











That kingfisher

Keywords: australia

08/15/24 - Glass Bottom Boat

We had hoped to go snorkeling, so we headed out on a snorkeling tour on a glass bottom boat. The idea was that we'd get some nice views of the coral and fish from the boat then we'd snorkel for a bit and get another look. As it turned out, there was a pretty solid wind. The water was choppy. We had a nice tour of the area, but when it came time to snorkel only two of us aboard actually went into the water.

Heading out

Looking down




Low hanging cloud


A small island off Lord Howe

Some cooperative fish



Choppy water



Keywords: australia

08/14/24 - Lord Howe Island Windy Night

We had a windy, rainy night on Lord Howe Island. It was quite impressive as was the tropical light.





Keywords: australia

08/13/24 - Original Settlement and Neds Beach

We signed out a golf cart a the hotel and did a little exploring. We drove out to the Original Settlement Beach. Saying "drove out" makes it sound like we did a lot of driving, but this whole journey was maybe 5 to 10 kilometers. Our golf cart didn't have an odometer. We drove past the main town and then a fishing port. We reached the end of the road and took the trail over a bridge and along the beach past where the original settlement had been established.

It was a pretty beach with some interesting birds, and the hills behind it were lush and green. The trail climbs inland and heads up into the northern hills of Lord Howe Island, but we turned around after having climbed one of the stair cases.

We drove on to Ned's Beach on the east side of the island. It's another lovely beach with a little shack where you can grab fish food if you want to wade out and feed the fishes. We weren't up to wading, but we did head out on the rocks and checked out the tide pools. There were no anemones or starfish, but the whole scene with the crashing waves and the exotic forest above us more than made up for it.



Some mist




The beach near the original settlment


On the beach




The little bridge

The stairs where we turned around

Ned's Beach





A kingfisher which might explain why they served kingfish at every meal


Tide pools

The forest

Keywords: australia

08/12/24 - Last Day on Lord Howe Island

Our flight back to Sydney was late enough in the day that we could grab a golf cart and head out for a short adventure beforehand. We chose a nearby hike, one starting at the airport turnoff, that headed up and towards the east side of the island. It was a steep climb, and we didn't get all that far, but we climbed up past the open fields and into the twisted maze of forest above.

There were steps on the early part of the climb, but then the trail was relatively level. We had one or two glimpses of the ocean, but for the most part our scenery was green.


The green maze

This is not great bushwhacking country.






The trees grow every which way.

A natural formation?





Our glimpse of the ocean

Two amorous birds



More steps

A view from the fields



Some flowers

More flowers

Keywords: australia

08/11/24 - Last Day in Sydney

We had one last day in Sydney. We have long been fans of Neil Perry who ran the restaurant Rockpool, one of our favorites. He recently opened a new restaurant, Margaret, which has wonderful seafood in a neighborhood, Double Bay, we had never explored. We had trevally and coral trout wings and big eye tuna. We had hispi cabbage which seems to be a coming thing down under, and since we were down under, we even had an excellent pavlova. It had vanished from menus, crept back on disguised as "Eton mess" but is now out front and center as pavlova. The Australians should be proud of it.

We had taken a taxi to the restaurant, but our waitress suggested we could just take a ferry back. Indeed, the ferry terminal was just a few blocks away through an upmarket shopping district, and there was a ferry coming in soon. We had a beautiful sunset cruise through the harbor with spectacular views of the Sydney skyline and now familiar landmarks. It was a great last evening before our long, long, long flight home.


Margaret

Near the ferry dock

City

City and harbor

Sunlight



Evening glow

Landmarks

Sunset






Skyline

Keywords: australia

09/22/15 - Good Bye to Australia

We had one last night in Sydney. We loaded up on Chinese seafood at Golden Century - fresh coral trout from the tank and the best salt and pepper prawns ever - and readied ourselves for the grueling flight home.We had time for a brisk walk in the morning, but then it was into the maw of the system. The Pacific Ocean was waiting as was our plane to cross it.

The opera house at night, pink for breast cancer awareness

The quay at night

The harbor bridge

Morning light

The bridge again

A surprise across the harbor

There was an amusement park smiling at us the whole time, and we didn't know it.

Keywords: australia

09/21/15 - Coogee to Bondi

One of the ways Sydney resembles Los Angeles is in its well developed beach culture. Last year we walked from Bondi Beach south to Coogee Beach. This year we took the same hike in the opposite direction. There is a great coastal hiking trail that leads from beach to beach, usually following the headlands, though once or twice going inland.

Coogee Beach behind us

A view from the headlands

More headlands hiking

One of the many coves

That channel is a recreational beach

Headlands and coves

The cemetery

Another small beach

More rocks and salt water

Bondi Beach, our goal

Bondi Beach has a wall full of street art, so this admonition is appropriate.

Keywords: australia, los angeles

09/20/15 - Sydney at Dusk

We arrived in Sydney in time to catch the sunset. We went to the Rockpool Bar and Grill for the most amazing wagyu beef 9+ skirt steak. The 9+ is the fattiness rating. The scale runs up to nine, so this is as rich as skirt steak can get.

Sunset

After sunset

The quay at night

Keywords: australia

09/19/15 - Melbourne Morning

Melbourne is chock full of coffee shops, chocolate sellers and bakeries.

Cuban coffee

Coffee gear

Cakes

Chocolates

Flowers

Keywords: australia

09/18/15 - Melbourne - Definitely Photogenic

Some cities are harder to photograph than others. You have to be alert to make Los Angeles look interesting. but Melbourne is full of street level detail and spatial dynamics. There are also some pretty nice trees.

A minor street lined with commercial art

That's a great radio tower, like something out of an old movie

Street trees - There's a Melbourne original in the upper right, a go left to turn right sign.

Vertical

Great colors

Shadows and store windows

More of the city

Keywords: australia, los angeles

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