New parents' guide to Sydney

New parent's guide to Sydney

Landing on my desk this week was a copy of a new parent's guide to Sydney that I co-wrote with four others. It's cheeky, fun, has some great ideas, and is only $15 on Amazon.

Just released: this parent's guide to Sydney, called Mini Me.

I co-wrote this fun little guidebook with some other parents who write, including two people who I've worked with in the past, Kayte Nunn, former editor of Holidays with Kids, and the illustrious Liz Ginis, who I worked with for many years at Australian Geographic.

Our brief was to find and describe great Sydney things to do with kids, particularly kids aged 0-5, but our target market was supposedly a hip, inner-city crowd. Our style was to be edgy, cheeky and even a little bit naughty. As a result, the book is a fun read and doesn't take itself too seriously - a necessary quality when you become a parent.

It'd make a great little mother's day present for newish mums in Sydney. Find out more info here.

Below is one of my entries, for a wonderful bookstore up at Beecroft.

The Children’s Bookshop (and Capella Bookshop) 

I was watching her face pretty carefully when I dropped the F-bomb. After all, the middle-aged book-wormy woman in The Children’s Bookshop had been really helpful, seeming to know the plot and main characters of almost every book in this friendly store, which has bright picture books beside the counter and gaily coloured lanterns hanging from the ceiling, and I didn’t want to darken the mood of such a bright, child-friendly space, but I really wanted to know: “Do you have Go the f**k to sleep? by Adam Mansbach?”

“Oh, I think we’re currently out of stock,” she said with a smile. “But I can order it in for you. It’s very funny – have you seen Noni Hazlehurst reading it on Youtube?”

The death of the humble book has been predicted for over a decade, and we’ve seen many of the big book store chains turn over their last page, but thankfully little gems like this store still exist. Unadulterated by too many other distractions (like DVDs and games), this shop is just full of great books, and staff who can actually read. There’s no cappuccino machine (but several cafes in the street), and the store isn’t big enough to have couches, but there are stools, chairs and wonderful bits of carpet for you and the kids to sit and flick through a stack of books. Helpfully set out in age groups from the toddlers at the front, past a long teenage fantasy section, to the small, but surprisingly good, adult section at the back, it’s a joy to visit for any book lover.

As a bonus, they have a regular program of inviting children’s book authors and artists who speak (free to attend) and run workshops (usually a small fee) in a room upstairs. And there’s pre-school story time twice a week. But I doubt they'll be reading Go the f**k to sleep.

6 Hannah St, Beecroft

(02) 9481 8811

www.thechildrensbookshop.com.au

Open Mon–Fri 9am–5.30pm, Sat 9am–3pm, Sunday 10am–2pm

www.thechildrensbookshop.com.au

5 top places to see koalas in the wild

5 top places to see koalas in the wild

Although decreasing in number throughout much of their range, koalas can still be found quite easily in some areas.

Koala in the Otway Ranges, near Bimbi Park

I've just come back from an extraordinary research trip to the Otways in Victoria with Earthwatch, where koalas are breeding prolifically. In fact, too prolifically – they're actually eating themselves out of house and home. I'll be doing a story on that soon.
The good news is that koalas are actually therefore really easy to see in the area. For a native animal that is popular across the world, and yet spends most of its life (18–22 hours a day) sleeping, it is rare to see them so easily.
Here are some of the places I recommend to see them in the wild (remember, koalas naturally don't occur in the west of the country).

Bimbi Park, Otway Ranges, Vic

This cute little caravan park and camping area is currently right in the thick of perhaps the biggest hotspot of koalas in the country. Many of the trees in the park have been protected by iron bands in order to save them, which means koalas can't climb them, but there are literally dozens and dozens of koalas in the trees all around the park. Bimbi Park is not far from the Cape Otway lighthouse, and some gorgeous Victorian coastline (off the Great Ocean Road).

Kangaroo Island, SA

Koala, Kangaroo Island, at dusk

Koalas were introduced here in the 1920s and have loved this wildlife paradise. They're quite common, but hop on any of the excellent wildlife tours on the island and they'll make sure you get up close to a few.

Magnetic Island, Qld

Right near the northern tip of their range, koalas are not necessarily prolific on Magnetic Island, but the island is small and there are enough to make sightings pretty regular. Plus, as a bonus, the gum trees are generally pretty short on the island, so you don't have to peering way up a huge blue gum to see a little ball of fur. Just ask around for the best places to see them, and keep your eyes open.

Narrandera Koala Reserve, NSW

Koalas were introduced into the reserve here in the early 1970s, and have since bred up and expanded their range. In a brilliant natural ad campaign, one was even photographed clinging to the town sign.

French Island, Vic

Perhaps the real ancestral "home" of many of today's koalas, French Island, near Melbourne, has so many koalas that it has been the source of many of the other populations. (Koalas have been translocated to many of the other areas.) You can camp or stay on a farm there, and ride bikes around to see the koalas and myriad other wildlife.

I've spied them in plenty of other places around the traps too, but am keen to hear about your favourite spots too.
www.kensbigbackyard.com.au

Brilliant summer walk

Brilliant summer walk

This cracker of a walk has everything: a secluded swimming beach, wildflowers, rainforest, Aboriginal sites, and one of the best views in Sydney.

View from West Head, Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park

I have lots of favourite walks which I describe in Top Walks in NSW, and this is one of my absolute favourite summer walks, but it's also good in spring and warm autumn days. It's around one of the most northern points in Sydney, West Head, which on a clear day really does have one of the best views in this city of vistas. 
The circuit walk is only 4km long, but you'll want to allow at least two hours, and ideally three or four to get some time at the gorgeous little Resolute Beach. It does have a few stairs, so not suited to everyone.
Park at the Resolute picnic area (toilets), 12km past the entrance into Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, not long before you the road finishes at West Head.

Head straight down the fire trail at the back of the picnic area towards Resolute Beach, ignoring the turn left to West Head or Red Hands Cave (you’ll see them on the way back). In spring, this is a lovely wildflower garden.

Wildflowers and butterflies abound in spring.

After a few hundred metres, there are clearly signposted Aboriginal carvings on the left of the track, including a male figure, fish and eels, but in the middle of the day in summer they are quite hard to see. From the back of the rock platform, take the small, marked, Headland Track. It can be overgrown and scratchy, but it’s worth getting off the fire trail for 200 m. When you rejoin the fire trail, turn left and wander through an attractive forest of scribbly gums, bloodwoods, stringybark, banksias and bottlebrush.

Soon a steep track heads down to the left to “Resolute”, passing a lovely cliff line with a large Aboriginal rock shelter. Continue on the steep descent past cabbage palms until the track hits a T-junction. Turn left to Resolute (the other way goes around the headland to Mackerel Beach), and then the track forks again.
Go down to Resolute Beach, which is just a delightful place to swim and while away a few hours. On weekdays you'll probably have it to yourself. Even on the weekends when West Head is a constant stream of coaches and cars, few people bother to walk down to this little gem. Unfortunately there's little to no shade.
After cooling off, it’s back up 100 stairs, then continuing on to the right, through lovely cool rainforest gullies and along the coast. I recommend not going down to West Head Beach (not as nice as Resolute) but continuing up to West Head Lookout for those sensational 270° views over Lion Island to the Central Coast, out to Barrenjoey Lighthouse and along the whole Palm Beach isthmus.

When you are ready to move on, find the little track that heads left (when facing uphill) marked “Red Hands Cave”. It’s only 850m back to the car at this stage, and pretty flat. Listen out for the sound of cracking nuts high in the sheoak trees and you may be lucky to spy glossy black-cockatoos, with their fire-engine-red tails.

Just 250m from the end, you’ll find Red Hands Cave, with some of the only accessible Aboriginal ochre art in Sydney. Some has faded, but one hand in particular is still very obvious. It’s a peaceful and contemplative spot to spend a few minutes before heading the last couple of hundred metres back to the car.
www.kensbigbackyard.com.au

This walk and 62 others are detailed in my book, Top Walks in NSW

  

Empress Canyon

Empress Canyon

A great fun, short canyon, not far from Sydney

Empress Canyon

Whenever I pop up to the Blue Mountains for a morning or a day, so many Sydneysiders I chat to seem surprised. "All that way just for a morning?" I don't know where that perception of huge distance has come from. The freeway is quick and easy outside peak hours, and I can get to this canyon in Wentworth Falls, from my house in the centre of Sydney, in less than 1.5 hours. Heck people, this is a World Heritage Area right on our doorstep.
Empress Canyon is one of the most popular canyons for commercial groups. It is short, easily accessible, lots of fun, relatively easy and safe, and finishes with a cracker of an abseil: 30m down a gorgeous waterfall (Empress Falls) into a deep pool at the bottom. What's better (for commercial groups anyway) is that there is nearly always an audience on the walking track beside the waterfall, providing a great promotional opportunity.
As anyone who has my book Top Walks in NSW knows, one of the walks I will recommend to almost anyone new to the area is the gorgeous National Pass walk, which comes down Wentworth Falls, half way along the cliffline underneath a series of waterfalls, then up Valley of the Waters past Empress Falls. If some of your party isn't into abseiling down waterfalls, I recommend you go and do this walk, and then wait for them down the bottom of Empress Falls.

Upper and lower section

Steep track to the upper section of Empress Canyon

For some reason, this canyon is usually described without the "upper section". Yet it's such a short canyon I think you'd be crazy not to do the upper section as well – partly because it adds a really fun 4m jump into a sandy pool.
From the Conservation Hut (Fletcher St, Wentworth Falls) car park (toilets and cafe), take the Nature Track from near the toilets for 20–30 minutes. Just keep following signs to Edinburgh Castle Rock. It provides a nice view. Keep following the track for another 4 minutes down underneath Castle Rock, and you'll see a definite secondary track heading off to the right, steeply downhill. At the moment it is marked with a pole marker saying "8". This steep track is quite slippery and sloshy as you head down through a hanging swamp. Stick to the track despite the mud to reduce impact on the swamp.

Canyon

When you reach the creek, turn left and wade and splash your way along for 15 minutes or so, taking care on the slippery rocks. Keep your eyes out for yabbies, big and small. They're not dangerous, although the big ones will take a nasty nip at you if you try to pick them up for a photo or a closer look.
When you get to a climb down (small rope currently attached), put on wetsuits. (A large party may have to backtrack a little to find enough room to do the wetsuit wriggle.) Don't jump this first drop, but you can lower yourself most of the way with the rope and then slide in carefully.
The canyon then has a mix of small pools, walks, and gentle drops. Be careful on nearly every drop, as you would be unwise to jump most of them the full height, because of underlying rocks and logs. All too soon you'll get to the lovely 4m jump into a sandy pool. You can slide it, but it's a great fun jump.
Immediately after you'll hit the track again, but keep following the creek along to the sign-in register (with a tiny diversion to check out a lovely waterfall coming in from the left). This is the "lower" section. It is quite similar, with climb-downs, slides, walks, wades and short swims. If water levels are suitable, one lovely bit involves climbing through a hole through which the water is pouring. There are some dark sections, although none completely light-free. After a large chamber with log jams, you'll slide down into a pool that is just before the final abseil. If you know there are large numbers of people ahead in two groups or more, you may be wise to just wait a little.

Abseil

Top of the 30m abseil

Thankfully (because of the possible build up of people), there are two very secure abseil chains. A 60m rope will reach the water with about 2m to spare, so don't try a single 50m. You will probably have to take whichever of the abseil chains is available, but the right abseil is the most fun (directly under the power of the water) if your group is experienced. Water pounds on your noggin, and the sunshine after the canyon makes the water droplets sparkle as they fly around you. The start has a tricky overhang, so just lean right out, letting out rope.
After the abseil, the pool at the bottom is deep enough to encourage you to climb up on the side up to about 6m or so and jump in a few times. Great fun.
Walking out is short and steep: straight up the populated track, following the signs to Conservation Hut.

Jump in at the bottom of Empress Falls

Tips

Do the upper and lower section.
Wear wetsuits: you'll be more comfortable
www.kensbigbackyard.com.au

Post-Australia Day rant

Post-Australia Day rant

According to our own national anthem, our treatment of asylum seekers is positively unAustralian

I love this country. I really do. I've travelled widely across the world and can think of nowhere else on the planet that I would like to live or raise my children. I lived in the USA for a couple of years and it just doesn't compare to the Lucky Country. Our climate, our resources, our people, our way of life, our environment, our food – and even our struggling education and social welfare systems – really are some of the best in the world.
I consider myself proudly patriotic, but not jingoistic. 
I don't want to get all Sam Kekovich on you, but I will barrack for and support Aussies playing any sport (particularly my beloved Wallabies), up to the point when they start cheating, bad-mouthing or displaying bad sportsmanship. Then my allegiance falters.
Today our Prime Minister Tony Abbott has described the ABC as "unpatriotic" because of its coverage of particular issues. Isn't the difference between patriotism and jingoism the ability to see when your own nation is being unjust, or needs improvement? I think those who work to make our society even better are often being extremely patriotic. Take the extraordinary Ian Kiernan who loved Australia so much he wanted to clean it up, and has now taken his message to the world.
What makes up Australia, and Australians, is one question I've been dealing with in a major feature for Australian Geographic (to appear later this year). We come from all over the world, and may be as loosely tied as barbecues, a belief in a free go for all and some sort of mythical baptism under fire at Gallipoli.
However, if we want to help define what being "Australian" means, surely we should look straight away at our national anthem. (If you've forgotten, it isn't Waltzing Matilda, it's Advance Australia Fair.)
In the sometimes-sung second verse, known far better by primary school kids than most of us adults, there is a key line, which Tony Abbott and others of his ilk seem to be ignoring. It says, boldly and in black and white:

"To those who've come across the seas, we've boundless plains to share".

There it is people. According to our national anthem, we have abundant riches and space to share with "those who've come across the seas". That means asylum seekers, Tony.
The way I read our national anthem, it is UNAUSTRALIAN to think anything else.
If we no longer believe those words, perhaps we should change the anthem to something like: "For those who've come across the seas, we really do not care", or "you just can't have your share..." or "sod off and leave us, yeah".

But until we do, I believe that our treatment of "those who've come across the seas" to be paramount to our definition of what it means to be an Australian.
I am extremely proud to be an Aussie, and hope that we can find new ways to love and care for those fleeing all sorts of horrors in other parts of the world, in order to come to "the lucky country". And that doesn't mean sitting for untold years in the heat and heart-breaking detention centre on Manus Island.



 

Turkeys on the march

Turkeys on the march

One of Australia's most bizarre birds has been steadily expanding its range for decades 

The Australian brush turkey, bush turkey or scrub turkey

I was surprised on one of my regular lunchtime walking loops around Milsons Point/Kirribilli recently. There, within a few hundred metres of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, about 20m from the water itself, was a brush turkey. It was doing what brush turkeys do best - wrecking a garden by scraping all the loose vegetation, living plants and anything else, into a huge mound. I had to laugh. Even there, in some of the most expensive real estate in the country, a wild creature was causing havoc.

Brush turkey in Kirribilli, near Sydney Harbour.

When I was a kid, brush turkeys, or bush turkeys as some people call them, were rarely seen on most bush walks around Sydney. 

Occasionally in the deep recesses of a rainforest we'd see them, but in the 1970s, the furthest south their range reached was what is now Wollemi National Park, in the northern Blue Mountains. Brush turkeys are known up the east coast all the way to the Cape York Peninsula in northern Queensland, and have been wreaking havoc in Brisbane backyards for as long as most people can remember. There they were (and still are) considered a pest by many residents.
A couple of decades ago, they began to move into the Central Coast of NSW in bigger numbers, and started to annoy people there. Their march has continued south, through Sydney and down past the Illawarra. They particularly love rainforests and wet, leafy, shady environments, but will make do with the lovely mulch on offer in most gardens.
Nowadays, on pretty much any bushwalk around Sydney, the Blue Mountains, or any coastal area north of Jervis Bay, I encounter brush turkeys. They waddle around, usually quite unperturbed by humans (unless you are running, in which case they stupidly run ahead of you), building their vast nest mounds, which average about 4m across and 1–2m high.
I've actually loved this change – seeing such a large, wild animal up close regularly is to me quite a joy. So much of our wildlife is skittish, only seen at night, or small (or all three), and it is wonderful to see these big black fowl (they grow to 75cm in length), with their red heads and yellow wattles, going about their business.

In spring and summer you can also see the gorgeous little brown chicks running through the scrub. 

There are some 22 mound-building birds in the world, and Australia has three of them: the brush turkey, the orange-footed scrubfowl (only in far northern Australia), and the rare arid-zone species, the malleefowl. All of them are bizarre in that they build these extraordinary mounds which are specifically designed to reach a very precise temperature – in the case of the brush turkey, 33°C. The male (who nearly always builds the nest) regularly takes mouthfuls of the rotting compost pile in the mound in order to determine the temperature, via a sensitive thermometer inside his mouth, then will adjust the mound by adding more material, or stripping it away to raise or lower the temperature.
About 16 eggs are laid into this massive mound, and the poor chicks, when they hatch seven weeks later, have to dig themselves out, and immediately fend for themselves. They can fly almost straight away, although they usually spend their days on the ground and only fly to a roost at night.
Now, I love them, but I understand I don't have any in my beautiful garden causing a ruckus (my three chooks do that already).
Evidently, once they have decided to build a mound, you are destined to have a mound whether you want one or not. Rather than continually trying to destroy the mound, or shoo away the bird, you are better (according to all the advice) to provide a spot for them, with plenty of mulch and shade, and then to use rocks or gravel for mulch in the rest of your garden, hoping that they'll leave the rest of your garden alone. I'd be keen to know if this works, or if you have any other stories of interactions with these birds.
Brush turkeys have had much of their natural habitat taken away and are still extinct in some areas of their original range. In so many ways, I'm delighted that these wild, bizarre creatures are coming back to some areas that were originally theirs to start with. Maybe we can get emus back next...
www.kensbigbackyard.com.au    

Nudists and campfires

Nudists and campfires

What do these two things have in common?

This year is a wonderful blank sheet. Who knows where any of us will be in a year, a month, even a week from now? Life continues to surprise, delight and occasionally exhaust me, and I am excited to be dreaming up a whole new year of things to do and posts to write. The majority will be on great ideas for things to do in the great outdoors, places and people who inspire me and stories from my travels as a journalist and lover of the outdoors. There will no doubt be more walks, canyons, rock climbs, campsites and mountain bike tracks to describe. Occasionally I'll write about something else that tickles my goat, but I hope always you'll find them enjoyable, accurate, well-researched and worth spending five minutes reading. Look out for a new category that I might call "Thecology", blending ecological understanding with the idea of a Creator figure.
Last year, in terms of readership, two of my posts stood out way above every other. One in particular has so far received three times more page views than any other post. And that, no surprise, was on Sydney's nudist colony. Yes, people, put the word nude, nudist or any hint of people seeing some flashed flesh, and you'll increase your hit ratio. It's a shame, but that's reality.
The next most popular post was on where can you have a campfire near Sydney. I'm glad that there are still enough people out there who want to camp and have a campfire to find this interesting, and I'll continue to search out good places (for myself as much as for you, dear reader!)
My part-time job as associate editor of RM Williams OUTBACK will no doubt take me to some pretty interesting places this year, and my own business as a freelance journalist and editor (yes, I am available for hire people) will hopefully get me into some other trouble around the country. I look forward to sharing insights, practical information, interviews and occasionally strong opinion about this wonderful, mixed up, exciting world we live in.
See you on the track.
www.kensbigbackyard.com.au

PS. Despite the Christmas rush, there's still plenty of copies of Top walks in NSW around, so grab one and plan to knock off a few walks in 2014.