Strickland Falls, Cabbage Tree and Stoney Creek Tracks

This walk takes place on Darkinyung Country

Read Blog Part 1 - 'Girrakool and Piles Creek Loop Tracks'

Part 1 - The Funeral

I awoke the following morning, feeling like I had done the longest walk of my life. I walked to my small Ibis bathroom attempting to fill my stainless-steel drink bottle from the sink, having difficulty fitting it in I eventually filled it on an angle, and instantly sculled down that water. I sighed at myself and began having to awkwardly fill it up again.

I got dressed and headed down to my paid breakfast. There were some yoghurts out (but having eaten flavoured tub yoghurt during my time in hospital, the thought of them turned my stomach), so I put a piece of toast on, helping myself to the coffee pod machine and a glass of apple juice. I spread some butter and vegemite on my toast, noting that it wasn't even 8am yet, and my time of checkout was 10am, and the funeral didn't start until 12. I wondered what I would do with the time, not able to do any walks beforehand because I didn't want to get all sweaty for my Nan's funeral. 
I made a second coffee while I sat staring out the window at all the people making their way through the McDonald's drive-thru and sat doing Wordle, Quordle (including Sequence), and Connections.

I decided to get my money's worth and put a second piece of toast on. After beating all my morning 'brain puzzles' I loaded up the game 'Jurassic World Alive' which my friend got me addicted to while I was stuck in hospital. 

People around me finished and left, and more people replaced them for breakfast, including one lady who couldn't work out the toaster, and was fiddling around with it, adjusting my setting on my slice of toast and causing it to only toast on one side. I gave her stinky side eye when I collected it, sitting down to have some more vegemite on toast and pouring myself a glass of orange juice now, trying to rehydrate a little from the previous day. My throat was very dry from blasting the air-conditioning all night which made me have the thought: 'I hope I don't catch covid at the funeral'.

I finished eating and was about ready to head back to my room for a vigorous shave (figuring it wouldn't be respectful to wear a hat or my beanie at a funeral) and a shower. However, before I could and older couple sat at the table across from me, struggling to work out how to use the coffee machine (they were running it without placing pods inside). I explained to them how to do t, feeling a little sad and bemused by it, and headed back up to my room to get myself in order. I decided to use the shaving cream I had brought up with me as a bath soap, not wanting to smell as I had gotten incredibly sweaty the previous day.

I got changed into jeans and my button up shirt. I looked at the time, I still had one hour until checkout. 
I sat and looked up Palmdale Lawn Cemetary on Google Maps. I sat around charging my phone, flicking through the TV waiting until 1 minute before 10am before leaving the room, filling a little sad actually that I was going to be heading home later that day. I was excited to be out and alone, exploring somewhere new where nobody knew me.

I moved my bags of clothing, into the boot of my car, (making sure I grabbed my two stout cans to later deposit them in a return-and-earn machine. I set up my phone in the bracket of my car, setting my music and google maps and began to drive to the lawn cemetery. I got really frustrated with Google Maps at one stage of this drive, I approached a roundabout and it told me to take the third exit, which I did, however what it had wanted me to do was take the FOURTH exit, doing a loop back around the roundabout and heading the way I had come. Instead, I had to drive a 20-minute detour to get back to the spot I was at. 
Along the way I kept seeing signs for 'Heatherbrae's Pies'.
'Hmm, I do like a good pie.' I thought.
I eventually came to it along the way to the cemetery, pulling in and deciding if they sold a chilli pie, I would get one to eat (I love a chilli pie, and I had been wanting to come to the Central Coast for years to take on the Flaming Ron spicy pie challenge with my friend Tristan).
However, they didn't have one listed for sale and I left disappointed.

The literal next turn took me to Palmdale Lawn Cemetary, and I arrived just before 11am. I thought the area looked beautiful and as I pulled up I could feel the intense heat of the sun, so put some sunscreen on and went for a walk around, finding a sign saying that my Nana Betty's funeral would be held in the rose chapel. I crossed a bridge over a creek to the chapel, while walking around the lawn looking at plaques hoping to find my Aunt Corinne's (who had passed during her own leukemia treatment) as I believed it was the same cemetery. Soon I gave up, figuring I wouldn't find it so sat down at a bench feeling my stomach rumble. 'Maybe I should have grabbed any pie.' I thought.

I loaded up Pokémon Go on my phone for something to do when I heard voices approaching. I looked up to see my Uncle Mark, Aunt Chunling and Cousin Adam walking towards the chapel.

"Hi Mark." I called to him.
He was looking at me and approaching with seeming no idea who I was.
"It's Steven." I said, and finally he recognised me. I reassured him it has been a while since he had seen me, and he probably didn't recognise me outside of my trademark Green Beanie.

He informed me that my Dad and stepmum were at the cafe back across the bridge. I finally felt awkward. I hadn't seen my Dad since before my Trip to Iceland, just at the start of his cancer treatment (I had tried to call him a bunch of times after returning home and recovering from covid, he had never answered, or called back even after I called my stepmum to make sure he was ok, I eventually gave up, getting the shits, figuring if he didn't want to make the effort to speak to me I wouldn't bother with him).

As I crossed the bridge, I noticed them collecting some things out of the boot of their car. I approached and had an awkward greeting, 'Hello stranger' my Dad said to me. His voice was scratchy and harsh, his vocals hurt by the harshness of his radiation treatment.

It was confronting to see him; his age was showing and his was drinking a sustagen meal supplement drink. My stepmum began telling me that he was still struggling eating solid foods and that a lot of his taste had gone, and things tasted awful to him. We made our way over to the cafe and I sat down with some other family members who were related to me through my Nana Betty, including her sisters' children. I spoke with them a little, mentioning how I had extensively investigated my family tree, and we spoke about some shared ancestors. It was weird to be talking to family who I didn't really know, to me they were strangers, yet here we were, a family.

As more and more people rocked up to the funeral, we made our way over to the chapel. I followed my Dad and stepmum in, with my Uncle Mark, his Wife Chunling, my cousin Adam, and his sister Angela, who had now turned up, sitting in the row behind us. I told him he should up the front with my Dad (knowing he was going to speak, and I swapped spots, sitting in the second row with my cousins who I had only met a few times in my life and had not seen for years.

The funeral started and various people got up to talk about the life of my Nana Betty. Afterwards we all went back to private room behind the cafe for refreshments. I stayed for a few hours, having some awkward conversations here and there with family, but I could feel my social anxiety getting the better of me. The tension of trying to have conversations. The whole thing was strangely surreal.
I began looking up walks on my phone on Google Maps that were nearby, thinking I could do one short walk, before the long drive home, when I noticed walks at Strickland State Forest, deciding that is where I would head to. 

A lady came to speak to my Uncle about us wrapping up, and I said quick goodbyes to everyone, telling Mark that we would all need to catch up at some point soon.

I headed to my car, setting up my directions and began the drive, eager to get away, get out on a trail and decompress. I felt bad, I wondered if it was wrong off me to be heading out on a bushwalks straight after my Nan's funeral. But then I thought, life was to live. If there's anything a funeral reminds you, it's that life is finite, short, and could end at any point so you better get out and live it. I thought it was the right mentality for me to have as I turned down a gravel road, driving until pulling up at Banskia Picnic Area in Strickland State Forest.

Part 2 - Strickland Falls

As I arrived at the carpark, there was one car parked, but no one in sight, I stripped out of my jeans and funeral button up into a normal T-Shirt and shorts, swapping out my shoes and reapplied some sunscreen, with the bottle feeling very warm from sitting in my car the entire time I was at my Nan's funeral. I headed over to the signpost that listed three walks from this area.

'Strickland Falls Track
1.7km loop, 40 minutes return
Medium grade, some steep sections and steps
This track was proudly completed by the "Friends of Strickland" in 2003.
Follow the signs from Banksia Picnic Area to experience spectacular cliffs, mossy rocks, ferns pals, wildflowers, tall eucalypts and lush rainforest.
The Gymea Lily is a feature of the walk.'

'Ridge to Rainforest Track
2.1km one way, 45 minutes to Stoney Creek car park
If creeks are flooded do not cross.
Medium grade with creek crossings.
This track starts near the entry to Banksia Picnic Area. It gradually descends through dry forest types along the ridge into tall, moist forest and gully rainforest along the creek.
Mossy rocks, statuesque trees and a planted grove of Hoop Pine are featured along the track. The track was hand built, over a 10 year period, by the Friends of Strickland.'

'Cabbage Tree Track
1.7km loop, 30 minutes return
Medium grade
Follow the signs from Banksia Picnic Area and head downhill through rock outcrops and a large grove of Cabbage Palms. As you head back you will encounter Stoney Creek Track which gives you the option to descend to Stoney Creek, and more walking tracks, or return to Banksia Picnic Area.'

I decided I would start with the Strickland Falls track, always keen to see a waterfall, and see how much time I had left afterwards. I looked in the bottom left corner of the sign to read some information about the Traditional Custodians.

'Traditional Custodians
Forestry Corporation of NSW acknowledges the Darkinyung & Guringai people as the Traditional Custodians of this Land. For tens of thousands of years Aboriginal people have taken care of Country.
Spiritual beliefs and values are expressed in the form of stories, song, dance and art.
Cultural sites may be marked my rock art, scar trees, shell middens and stone arrangements. Mythological sites, reflecting thousands of years of spiritual belief, are a powerful presence in the landscape.
For Aboriginal people the Land provided for all their needs and bore the signs of their beliefs.'

(I did not include Guringai in my opening acknowledgement after coming across this post by the Aboriginal Heritage Office: Filling a Void: history of word 'Guringai' - Aboriginal Heritage Office)

I was about to begin the walk, when I felt a sudden urge to wee. I thought about doing the typical male 'behind a push' but thought that, as there was a toilet block here, I would use it rather than risk being stumbled upon mid-stream. As I entered, I saw your typical 'hole-in-the-ground' bush loo. I held my breath, as the stench was pretty foul as I watched flies zipping through the air, and I didn't fancy the thought of the flies that had been down crawling all over the poo and filth flying out and landing on me. I finished and went to leave, noticing someone had drawn an image of two Echidna's on the back of the toilet door.

I set off to begin the walk, still holding a lot of the built-up tension from the funeral, which I was eager to burn off through some cardio in some beautiful nature. As I reached the beginning, I found both the Strickland Falls Loop and Cabbage Tree track began at the same place, with a sign saying that the Cabbage Tree would begin in 100m.

Immediately the walk began heading downwards, into the valley.

As I breathed the fresh air, taking in the sun and scenery, the beautiful verdant greens of the ferns, I had walked the 100m and came upon the turn off to both Cabbage Tree Track and Stoney Creek Track, but continued along towards Strickland Falls (which was apparently in 800m).

I was strolling with a smile on my face, dry dusting soil lightly flying up with each step, and all of a sudden there was a great shake amongst the ferns in front of me. I froze, out of instinct, looking ahead. At first, I thought it was a snake, then, I realised it was a lizard. It sort of looked like a 'Blue Tongue Lizard' but it was larger, and I knew it was a completely different lizard that I didn't recognise.

I later uploaded the picture to an app I use, called 'iNaturalist' where someone was able to identify it as a 'Land Mullet' or 'Bellatorias major'. I continued along, trying not to disturb him too much, wondering what other creatures I might encounter on my walk.

I thought about how beautiful this area was.

'You don't often think about State Forests in regard to going for a walk' I thought 'You usually think of looking for a national park first, it's like State Forests are National Parks underappreciated brother.' 

I took note of the sun glistening on every moss-covered boulder, watching out for every mushroom popping out from the side of the trail, the pattens of light through the leaves along the trunks of the large eucalyptus trees, and how sometimes, with a tree on either side of the trail, it almost looked like a doorway, beckoning you to walk through it.

Walking over the decaying debris of fallen leaves, I based through a section past vibrant green ferns, with the cabbage palms almost glowed bright green from the sun, basing around a corner to where the light was less bright, and the vibrancy of the scenery was lacking, while still beautiful in its own right, it just didn't dazzle in the sun.

I hopped over nature's skipping rope, basing another area where the green didn't quote glow as brightly, other than two bird's nest ferns.

Coming around the corner, the scenery in front was once more in the right area, and the sun shone through the leaves, overwhelming my eyes with the sensation of green.

(Also, I note here, I refuse to touch up photos. I don't edit them. I feel that it is cheating even if sometimes a photo doesn't do justice to what I will see with my own eyes).

I saw a pole-sign and as I approached it, it pointed in each direction, saying 900m to the Banksia Picnic area both ways. There was also a trail leading up from the signpost, back uphill and heading the direction I had come from. While also stating that the area ahead of me was Strickland Falls.

I noticed the area was not easy at all to access and had to cross a pretty sketchy section of either fallen, or cut down trees to make my way across.

About halfway, I stopped to get a clearer picture of the 'falls' which at my time of visiting them, weren't really flowing, and really just looked like the damp edge of a cliff face, slowly dripping throw moss that the down the side of it like wet dripping hair.

As I climbed over the wet boulders my feet would slip and slide like I was walking on ice. I looked down to notice it was covered in that dark moss/algae (not sure what is actually is), making the process of getting underneath very slow going.

I wondered if the trail maybe continued this way, as I saw what looked like a trail continuing on. However, very shortly I realised that this was not the case, and so had to make my way back across the base of the falls, to reach the path where I noticed someone had attempted to paint a strawberry (maybe?), on the back of a large rock.

I soon realised that returning to the trail was even harder as the direction I was going, all the slippery rocks, were facing down with plenty of large drops underneath where it would be very easy to fall and hurt myself.

Once I reached the path again, I stopped for a little rest, noticing a baby dragon (either water or bearded), resting in the sun.

I started up the trail, coming towards a boulder jutting out of the hillside, in my head calling it 'Pride Rock' as it looked like Pride Rock from 'The Lion King'. I walked up on top of it, thinking to myself that I hoped it wouldn't collapse underneath me, and took a photo, looking out over the forest.

The path continued past a small rock overhang, and up some stone stairs, leading to a section of flat dirt trail that continued on for a while through ferns and different species of banksia, that was a nice calming walk.

I stopped at one point just to look at nature's art, and the patterns of the squiggles on a scribbly gum tree.

Continuing on, enjoying the beautiful bush scenery, I stopped to look up at a beautiful 'Angophora costata' or 'Sydney Red Gum', with its tangle of branches contrasting against the clear blue sky.

I rounded a large boulder, coming around it where you could look at its beehive-esque insides.

I could see that I had almost reached the top of the gully now, knowing it was only a matter of time until I finished the walk, as I was prepping to reach the ending I was once more startled by a violent shaking of some nearby bushes. My eyes automatically focused on them, and I felt my heart race as I thought I saw a snake, however it was yet another Land Mullet just hanging out amongst the lomandra (mat rushes) and ferns.

Just after this the trail exited slightly up the road from where I had parked, and I walked down the road towards to my car, finishing my three-quarter full bottle of water (and wishing I'd had the forethought to have filled both my bottles before beginning walking). I passed one lone man sitting in his car a bit up the road and my mind turned instantly suspicious of him wondering if he was out here for something suspect (having worked in remote areas doing bush regeneration work, we had people coming to these areas to partake in the act of 'Dogging' which you can look up yourself if you want).

As I reached the actual carpark there where two vans pulled up, one had put up a line with clothes on it. I could smell the smoke before I saw it so I knew they had a campfire going. 
As I passed the van two young men, looked at me, I think with a little shock not expecting to see anyone (and maybe in fear of getting in trouble?), I simply nodded a greeting (noticing they had a large pot over the fire), continuing back to the start of the trail to now begin the Cabbage Tree track.

Part 3 - Cabbage Tree Track

Although I was roughly in the same location, the sort of plants growing down this trail were different than the Strickland Falls tail that instantly headed down into the gully, I noticed casurina's (which species I didn't have the knowledge to identify).

As I continued the slightly downward walk, I passed some large cabbage tree palms, and there was a slope heading down into another gully to the left of me.

Every time I walked past a plant I would see if I could remember the identity of them, playing a game to see how much I could remember, I passed some 'Orange Thorn', a small shrub with spikes and an orange/yellow berry that grew on them. I called it orange thorn in my head, (not remembering it's scientific name at the time), but even questioned if it was called orange thorn (it is), verifying this with Google while writing this post.

'Pittosporum multiflorum' or 'Orange Thorn'

A cool and gentle breeze was lightly blowing, and I was happy that it wasn't as scorching a day given my intense dehydration and severe leg cramps the day prior. I passed a tree stump, and the fantasy nerd in me couldn't help but think how lovely it would be to sit there in gentle autumn wind and play an Ocarina or a Flute.

I don't know what Zelda fans read hiking blogs but, Haunted Grove anyone?

I was finding this walk very therapeutic, and compared to the previous day where I wasn't able to shut down my brain from thoughts, I walked with my mind silent, feeling a great calm and pleasantness and one of the biggest times in my life on a walk I've felt like I was 'forest bathing.'

Maybe I'll just live under this rock, away from people

I was too relaxed on this walk, that I was shocked back into reality when I was a big lizard on the track ahead. I thought it was another Land Mullet, and I went to get my camera out to record it, but he ran away too fast for me to catch him. As I slid my phone back into my pocket, I thought to myself, 'that was far too big for a land mullet' and realised what I had seen, and missed getting any footage of, was a Goanna, running off the path into the bush.

Shortly after the location where I had seen the Goanna, I came to a split in the track. I could continue on straight, and complete the Cabbage Tree track, or I could turn off left, along the Stoney Creek track, which apparently had the Stoney Creek carpark in 1.1km. I went to just complete the cabbage tree walk, not overdoing (as I had no water left), but then I had that part of me saying I might not be back here, and I'm here now so I might as well do it. 
'It's only and extra 2.2km' I told myself. 'Really that's not that far.'.
I stood at the crossroad, eventually my desire to explore getting the better of me, and I began down the Stoney Creek Track.

Part 4 - Stoney Creek Track

The moment I began down the trail, I instantly felt thirsty, like my brain was making me feel bad for setting off down another trail without adequate preparation. 
I shrugged it off. 'I'll get a myself an electrolyte drink from a servo before my drive home', I told myself, fearing a repeat of the intense leg cramps, especially while driving.

I had not long begun down the trail, when I was startled by a spider laying in the middle of the track in front of me, laying upside down on it its back.

I thought that it sort of looked like a Tarantula, though much smaller. I found a little stick nearby, flipping it the right way up, verifying that it was dead. I snapped a photo of it right-side-up and continued down the path for about a minute, before looking at the photo I had taken of the spider on my phone and realising it was blurry.

I quickly walked back to the spider, trying my best to get a photo with my camera, unsure if the blurriness came from my phone being in my pocket, causing to get sweat over the lens, or if it was just the fact that I now require reading glasses.

("You encountered a funnel-web!?" My Wife asked me, horrified, later that night.
"Oh, is that what it was?" I answered, nonchalantly. 
She just starred at me in disbelief.
"Don't worry it was dead." I reassured her, watching her instantly relax.)

The trail continued down further into the gully, winding along. The further down I went the less airflow there was, and so the hotter and more humid it felt and the more I began to sweat.

As I continued along there was another large shaking in the bush ahead of me on my right, and I witnessed the large body quickly running through the underbrush. 'Another Goanna' I thought, taking my phone out to record a video along the side, but there was no movement as I passed, with it potentially staying still in order to hide.

The trail bend around again, the uphill on my left and down into the gully now on my right. I approached some fallen trees over the path climbing over them to continue on.

Suddenly I heard a noise. Not an animal noise, but the noise of a young girl laughing. It was faint, and I wasn't sure if I was genuinely hearing that, or a sound that sounded reminiscent of it.
Alone in the bush and hearing the sound of a young girl laughing, was strangely eerie. It made me think of the horror genre of 'folk-horror' and thought how a folk-horror movie in the Australian bush would make a unique film. I had come up with the idea of an actual folk-horror Australian film myself in a daydream once, so if you're an Australian filmmaker and want to make a folk-horror hit me up!

I passed a small palm bush and had the instantaneous thought that it looked like a banana tree. (Although leaf wise it looked nothing like it, but my brain just made the connection as that palm stood out to me).

'Not a banana tree'

As I passed this fallen tree that was used to line the side of the trail I could now see through the trees on my right, down to the gully floor, which I assumed was 'Stoney Creek', especially after a bit of rain, but at the time was mostly dry, with pockets of water still held within hole in the stone creek bed.

While I was walking, at a distance ahead of me I watched a Goanna, speed down the side of a tree, hearing it running along the ground until there was no sound by the time I arrived at the location.

Soon after that I also witnessed a Lyrebrid run across the path in front of me, heading up amongst the thicket so I was not able to get a picture of it either,

After a short while I could hear the sound of two young boys talking.

"Mum says if you need to go toilet, you need to go on the other side." I overheard one of the boys say. As I was now much closer to the creek floor, I could see the two of them, walking up along the side of the creek.

The area reminded me of Macquarie Pass, particular the walk to 'Jump Rock', which I would visit frequently with my Father as a child, and again through my teenage years. Making my way to the waterfall there both on the trail and along the creek a multitude of times over many years.

I once more spotted a Lyrebird, this time I was ready, and got my camera out to film him as I approached. (Though as you'll see it was very quick to run away).

I soon passed the mother of the two boys, who was walking along the creek with her young daughter (the culprit behind the eerie child's laughter).

I reached a crossing in the river, with a path on my left leading up to a carpark (the Stoney Creek carpark), with a sign pointing across the creek, informing me that the continuing trail was the 'Bellbird' walking trail.

I crossed the creek out of curiosity, to see what I could see down the track. On the other side was another smaller signpost, which instead told me it was the 'Arboretum Track' to 'Bellbird Track'.

I crossed the creek again, to make my way up to the carpark, which I considered 'the end' of the Stoney Creek track.

As I made my way to the carpark there was another newer sign that you would see if you were walking down this path from the carpark. It informed me that the Arboretum track was 2.6km return, and the Bellbird track was 3.0km return. I contemplated doing them, but it was now about 4.30 in the afternoon, and I still had about a 2-1/2 - 3-hour drive home afterwards. I decided the carpark would end my walk, and reaching the carpark there was another sign here providing information on these walks. I made a note to myself that if I was to come back up to Gosford or the Central Coast I would come to this carpark and do these other walks.

The mother's car in the background

As I began my walk back to continue along the Cabbage Tree walk, I noticed a cute little mushroom growing underneath a dead tree and knelt down into the dirt to take a photo.

As I made it just past the 'banana tree', I noticed another cute little mushroom, getting down low to the ground again to take a picture, and wondering if I had picked up any ticks or leeches along the way (I hadn't).

It was a relatively short walk once I had made it back onto the Cabbage Tree track, and I was feeling my stomach rumble from hunger too. 'I'll have to grab something to eat when I pick up the drink' I thought, looking up at a mossy log with the beautiful Cabbage Tree Palms hanging above it, my last photo on the walk before coming out down from the guys who were having the fire. I walked past them again, giving them a polite nod, and swapping back into my converse shoes and setting up Google Maps on my phone (noting it was just after 5pm) to lead me to the nearest 711 to get a drink and something to eat, hoping I would miss the awful 'knock-off' traffic through Sydney on my way home.

Pulling in at the closest 711, I saw a tiny sausage roll for $5 and decided against getting food there, figuring I'd be able to find more affordable and more filling food on my drive home, however I did buy a 1litre bottle of blue Maximus (Gatorade's cheap cousin), which made sure I had no cramps. 

The drive home was quite painful, as I ended up getting stuck in bumper-to-bumper Sydney traffic, and I never ended up stopping in for food, arriving home just after 8pm at night. Although I was happy to be home, greeted by my very enthusiastic Dog, I felt a tinge of sadness, as weirdly, over two days I had had a good time venturing out on my own, even if it was under the tragic circumstances of my Nan's death. It left me with a feeling of dwindling time, between that and seeing my own Father for the first time since his own cancer treatment, I think it brought up a lot of repressed trauma from my own cancer battle and gave me an even stronger desire to live life to the fullest.

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Thanks for reading! - Steven

You reached the bottom. Congratulations. Fun fact: This is my 50th published blog post. Woo!