Leura

Most of my posts this year have been from walks in the Sydney area. I'm pleased to return to the Upper Blue Mountains with this walk that we did back in Autumn. The photo below was taken on the way to the start of the walk, at the Leura Cascades.  

Leura Cascades

We followed the Federal Pass and Dardenelles Tracks to the Scenic Railway at Katoomba.
 see location map

While the walk is not long, a little over 5Km, it is considered hard.


We walked from Leura station, then caught a bus from Scenic World (at the end of our walk), to Katoomba station.



  (Wildwalks link - a similar walk starting at Gordon Falls: ) 

Woronora River

We started our Woronora walk at Jannali station in the Sutherland Shire, south of Sydney, then through the Burnum Burnum Sanctuary (named after the late Aboriginal activist).

The sanctuary 'contains ... a variety of soil conditions supporting a rich diversity of native plant communities from the Sydney Ridgetop Woodland down through Sandstone Gully Forest on the west facing slope to the riverflats and mangroves, interesting rock platforms and caves.'  [Kaimiaway]

I was impressed by the four-lane 521m long Woronoria River Bridge, which includes a wide shared pedestrian walkway and cycleway suspended below the northern deck. The bridge, completed in 2001, won the 2002 Australian Construction Achievement Award. (ACAA)

 Woronora River, Woronora

The pedestrian bridge (above), is at the end of Park Street Woronora.
My GPS trace stops at the reserve on the western bank. We extended our walk from there to the bus stop opposite the RSL club, where we caught a bus to Sutherland station.

                                        Location Map

 

Pippas Pass - Blaxland

Pippas Pass at Blaxland in the lower Blue Mountains, is an extension of the Florabella Pass walk from Warrimoo. Our aim on this very warm day, was to examine/enjoy/photography some of the Spring wildflowers we came across along the way.

The white flowers above are  Philotheca sp. formerly Eriostemon

The orange-yellow pea flowers are

one of many species commonly known as 'egg and bacon' 

Grevillea sericea

We started this short walk near the Blaxland Library car park. Some of us continued on the track and turned off at the Ross Cr. rock outcrop exit (see 'wildwalks') while others returned the same way.
(Returning to the library via Ross Cr. and the Great Western Highway is ~3.7 Km)

 

RAN Heritage Centre

 NB Centre may be still be closed

Sydney.com: 'The RAN Heritage Centre is currently closed due to council wharf redevelopment and will remain closed until further notice. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Navy Heritage at navy.heritage@defence.gov.au. '

Only a seven minute ferry ride from Circular Quay, is The Royal Australian Navy Heritage Centre, Garden Island. The Main Building, former 1922 Gun Mounting Workshop, houses the exhibition gallery and the 'Salthorse Cafe'.

 

The centre holds over 3000 artifacts, including the conning tower of one of the three Japanese submarines that penetrated Sydney Harbour in 1944.  (above right - diving air supply equipment)

Krupp Field Gun (circa 1889) captured in Rabaul in 1914

 A fully operational Oberon Class submarine periscope has been installed. which allow visitors an unusual view of Sydney Harbour.               Photos from our previous visit to Garden Island