Mount Gibraltar

So it was recently my one year Wedding Anniversary, so I planned a day for myself and my wife, keeping the details to myself. I surprised her with flowers,

Only to realise we didn't have a vase, but we improvised.

and we hopped in the car and began driving. I told her she could change the CD, as I know she isn't a fan of my music (I was rocking to Eluveitie), so she put on Foo Fighter's 'Wasting Light'. As we headed along the East-West Link, towards Albion Park, she guessed that we were heading up into the highlands (which was also where we got married). I told her "No, we're just going to visit your mum", stirring her up.
We got stuck behind a truck driving up Macquarie Pass, which I didn't mind because I was able to enjoy the views along there more than I usually would. I only roughly knew the way, so after turning and following the tourist road at the top of the pass leading us to right nearby the Fitzroy Inn (where we were wed), I stopped to quickly examine Google Maps for directions. We continued on until we arrived at Mount Gibraltar (Aboriginal: Bowrell). I stopped at our first lookout, Jellore Lookout. We hopped out of the car into the heat and walked a very short-way down for a look.

While the lookout wasn't that spectacular, I knew there would be two more, and more of the day planned. As we returned to the car I opened the boot, and took out some Grape Licorice, which we both enjoy before opening my backpack to give her some water. It wasn't there. I had left it in the freezer. We now had no water to drink on a scorching hot day. Things were going south fast. We enjoyed some licorice as we drove around to the next lookout.
The next lookout, Mittagong Lookout was even more disappointing, rundown and overlooking more suburbia.
We continued on, to the third and final lookout. Bowral Lookout.
We stopped here at a little covered table and seating area and I pulled out some picnic foods from the car. We enjoyed pine nut hommus with crackers while being visited by a cute Currawong and Magpie.

They got very close and the Magpie even took a little piece of pine nut from out of my hand.

We then went for a walk to the lookout, which was also suburbia, but a nicer view of a little old timey looking town.

Knowing our next destination (Nattai National Park), we looked for places where we would be able to buy some water on our way, we decided on a Coles Service Station that was along the main road. However on our arrival to the Service Station, work was being done, so I could not fill up on fuel (I thought I'd kill two birds with one stone), but they also did not sell any plain water. Only flavoured. So we drove back into town to a shopping mall where we went to Woolworths and bought a big bottle of water. We then continued on our way to Nattai National Park.
I enjoyed the views on the way there, including crossing over what I assume to be an abandoned train line which looked pretty cool. We came to dirt road which began to make my wife feel ill (as I only have a little car).

She also started getting anxious as the last time we had driven my car on dirt roads was when I had taken her out to Blue Gum Flat in Morton National Park, which was an absolute nightmare in my car. The next morning after camping I tried to take her to walk Pigeon House Mountain (as she had never done it), however the car park was absolutely packed even though we arrived very early. I began driving back down from there to maybe park on the road up, but wasn't able to in my small car. As I was doing this a car began coming up. I was wanting to turn around and just continuing checking the car park for people leaving. So I reversed to give myself some room to turn around. However the car coming up just kept coming up every time I reversed for some room. As we reached the top my wheel feel down over a drainage bit, and my car was stuck. Jennai (my wife's name) was very freaked out worried it was damaged and because we were stuck. The car that kept coming up drove by and I could see the people laughing at us, infuriating me. However some nice younger people all came rushing to help. They helped lift the car a little while it was on so as the other wheels pulled forward as it was lifted we managed to get out, checking to see that no damage had been done. I thanked everyone profusely, wiping anxious sweat from my forehead, and we decided to head home, without having walked Pigeon House, and since, Jennai had not wanted to drive it on dirt roads.

We eventually arrived at the destination according to GPS, but I could not see anywhere to go, some trails not detailing anything. I was feeling the day had been a massive failure which was upsetting as I had looked into it and they all seemed to be lovely locations. I decided to go back to one of my plans that I had scrapped and drove us again back into town where we stopped and enjoyed a nice picnic at Corbett Gardens.

We sat and ate in the shade enjoying the nice green trees, it was a very hot day and I began to feel incredibly tired and sleepy. We looked at our phones realising we had just been there enjoying each others company for 2 hours, just what the parking time limit was. We returned to the car which was scorching hot, regretting not putting up my sunscreen we drove to the bottom of Mount Gibraltar to go for a walk.

As we walked up we came to a set of rocky stairs or a path to our right. We took the path to our right.

This led around to a set of wooden steps that we took.

This led around and over a tiny wooden bridge just built for rainfall to flow under, and continued up and around until we came to and opening on our left and a big wheel to our right.

We were really enjoying the walk together and I found the opening and open cliff wall very beautiful to look at, a part of me wanting to just walk up and free climb it, Jennai warning me that "You better bloody not".
There was a sign nearby giving us some local history and information about the site.

We soon came to another even bigger opening up on our left, with a big rock in the middle with a plaque on it and a little table to the right we stopped to sit on to drink some water.

While we were drinking a felt a thud on my groin, looking down I noticed a little bee had fallen. Worried he was exhausted from the heat I filled a spoon with some water and offered him some.

I nicknamed him 'Larry'

We continued along the path that continued downward and turned right, seemingly heading back the way we came but down a separate path. Along the way we walked past old overgrown mining equipment.

The path soon split, two our right, leading back up, which I believed would take us to where we were just before or after the big wheel, and straight. We continued straight and it took us onto our path that we had began the walk on that led to the stony steps, so we walked back and up the path to the big wheel and headed back that way towards the stony steps, and we began walking up towards the lookout where we had enjoyed morning tea.

While walking I struggled a bit more than Jennai, just feeling a bit overheated, especially in my long pants. Telling myself again I need to start being more consistently active. The path continued straight up, but even so the walk itself never felt too hard, not like walking up the stairs of Sublime Point.

Finally we reached the top where the walk came up right behind an orientation table right behind where we had morning tea.

We both used the toilet facilitates and I snapped a photo of a sign providing information on Mount Gibraltar Reserve.

We watched two Kookaburras, one swooping down and grabbing a worm and the other I caught a short video of.

We headed home, going out and enjoying some Sushi for dinner, and I was just relieved that we had both had a fun and enjoyable day and that I hadn't completely butchered our one year wedding anniversary.


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Thanks for reading! - Steven

Brokers Nose

So yesterday I went for a bushwalk to Brokers Nose. Now, I've lived in the Illawarra my whole life, and while I had heard of it, I had no idea where it was. So after some googling, Dad and I set off to Wollongong, driving up Mount Ousley we took the Picton exit and took the first right to turn around and pull into the stopping bay just on your left, right at the top of Mount Ousley on the Princess Motorway.

Right off the side of the road

We began walking along the dirt track, curious as to how the walk would be.

We soon came to a split in the track, where the track either continued straight or turned off to our right. We decided to continue straight, assuming that would lead us to Brokers Nose and saying we would explore the other path on our way back.

We continued along the path which had slight inclines, and enjoyed the scenery.

After a while of walking you enter a clearing for powerlines, with a view over the city to your right.

You continue straight, following the dirt path, entering the bush again, and continue walking through here until you once again enter another clearing. We noticed to our left, a small little cross, which made us feel like we were in a Western Frontier.

And to our right, heading down the hill we noticed a track too, however we didn't take it knowing that the way to Brokers Nose was straight ahead.

After entering the bush and walking again, we soon came to another split in the road, one heading up to our right, the other staying flat on our left. Dad said he believed they would both lead to Brokers Nose, but the one on the right probably had some spots for sightseeing over the city, so we turned right, walking up the path, trying our best not to slip due to the incredibly loose top soil.

Soon even this path split again, we took the right path (that does lead you up to some spots where there are some views over the city), so it's worth the little walk up there before you cut back and continue up the other path.

The path continues uphill and we came across a big open area, which we believe that initial left turn would have taken you up to, however we never walked down either way so I can't say for sure.

Continuing up, the path then split again, 3 ways this time, much to our frustration, as we are the sort to like taking and walking every path, however we continued on straight.

Panorama view to show all 3 paths in the picture

There will soon be another path to your right, or you can continue straight (yes another split in the path!) however, both these will lead you out onto a dirt road which you follow right.

You continue up here to find yourself at some sort of radio tower, and then you're less then a minute away from Brokers Nose Lookout.

Coming up on the Lookout

There's an amazing view from up here of the Sea and the City and it's obviously been a popular spot of the years as the rocks are carved up with peoples names and dates.

Brokers Nose Marker

Panorama from the Lookout

There are some amazing looking rocks up here too.

Enjoying the Sights

We began our walk back, but rather than taking the first or second left, which would take us back the way we came, we waited and took the third which began leading us a different way, heading right through the bush. This walk went on for a while, until it opened us up into the clearing with the powerlines.

We followed this left, believing it would take us back to the point with the Cross. However it leads into scrub and we were unable to continue following along this path.

So we headed right, seeing another small path through the bush, which we followed. This leads you down into bush that was more like a rainforest.

We contiued along here, unsure of whether it would lead us back, or just head off to somewhere completely different.

Eventually after some ups and downs the path begins to steadily go down, while the rainforest gets thinner and becomes more like bushland before opening into a dirt path clearing which you can follow left towards the powerlines.

This path is lined with beautiful wattle and beautiful little yellow flowers.

This road soon splits, believing if we followed it left it would lead us back to the cross we continued straight, which has some steep sections to walk up, when you reach the end of this it heads both left and right, we followed it left for a short while which took us back to the very first clearing that the walk opens up to. Back on the original path we headed back, until we got to the very first split that this walk had given us, so we turned left to explore it a little before we headed off home.

You walk past a termite mound, which if you've never seen one you must have never walked in Australia. You soon come to a drop off, as the rest of this walk continues very steeply downhill.

As if going downhill wasn't bad enough, the path is littered with piles of leaves which slip under you as well as incredibly loose top soil, if you don't go extremely slow it would be very easy to slip and fall and roll downhill.

Dad sliding down the loose top soil

Also incredibly dangerous along here is that all around you are heaps of Dendrocnide. A stinging tree, so watch out and try not to touch its leaves as it grows along the side of the path and leaves litter the path too.

Dendrocnide

If you choose to walk here keep your eyes open for Deer, we heard a couple and only saw one which was running away from the loud noises we made as we slid and ran down the dirt slopes.

We eventually came to an open road with a sign by the side.

Just down the road from here this is a gate blocking it off saying private property.

Seeing it also had a sign on the other side I quickly jumped the gate to see what the other sign said.

Although there was still more dirt path heading down we assumed it would only lead into the backs of peoples houses, and after already having been walking for 3 hours we decided we'd try and make our way up the steep, slippery slope and draw our walk to a close. Again, I think it's amazing that so many walks exist just off the side of a road that you can live your whole life in an area and have never done it.

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Thanks for reading! - Steven