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.

5 little-known Royal treasures

5 little-known Royal treasures

Royal National Park, on the southern outskirts of Sydney, is one of the oldest national parks in the world, and despite some 2 million visitors a year, has some little-known sights and sites. 

Flowers and beaches, two of the Royal National Park's well-known wonders.

Royal National Park is a 160sq.km area of bushland, with heathland, swamps, cliffs, beaches, woodland, rainforest and some beautiful old-fashioned parkland. It has rivers and waterfalls, native flowers galore, and a rich and varied bird and reptile life. There are more tracks than you can poke a walking stick at, including one of the country's best overnight walks (or a long day walk), the 27km Coast Track. There are well-known fishing spots, diving, snorkelling, camping and mountain biking and cycling opportunities, all within an hour of the centre of Sydney.
But there are a few lesser-known treasures, particular favourites of mine, and I'm certainly hoping to discover a few more in 2014.

1. Figure 8 Pools

Figure 8 pools, Royal National Park

This sublime ocean-side rock shelf, only accessible two hours either side of low tide, has a gorgeous handful of opal- and jade-coloured rock pools that are deep enough and big enough to bathe in. They are all stunning, but the most unusual is the perfect Figure 8 Pool, big enough to hold a small party of people. Some people even bring masks to have a look around the pools, which are encrusted with anemones, weeds and occasionally have fish and even seadragons inside.
Where: Two headlands south of Burning Palms Beach, minimum of an hour's walk from a car.
Perfect for: A hot, sunny day

2. Uloola Falls

Uloola Falls

There is a walk-in campsite near these pretty little falls, but I think the best way to see them is on the 15km loop walk from Heathcote Station. In it you travel through a huge range of terrain, wade across rivers, and have what feels like an incredible adventure, plus have the option of a real coffee and a sit-down meal at Audley half way through. For full walking notes, see my book (available as an E-book) Top Walks in NSW.
Where: Near the centre of the park
Perfect for: A rainy winter's day

3. Aboriginal engravings, Marley Head

Completely unmarked and, like so many Aboriginal sites, expunged from modern maps, the engravings at Marley Head make a delightful excursion for those with sharp eyes. Heading south on the Coast Track, you begin to head downhill towards Marley Beach. There are some glorious sea cliffs here, great for whale-watching, and around the sandstone platform are a surprising number of Aboriginal engravings. Like most engravings, they are easier to view when the sun is not directly overhead, and the lower angle of the winter sun is often best.
Where: 3km due south of Bundeena, in the north-east of the park
Perfect for: A winter walk

4. Lady Carrington Drive

Okay, this historic 10km track is pretty well-known, as it leaves from the heart of the picnic area at Audley. It follows the Hacking River's upper reaches, and is relatively shady, flat and leafy, with some lovely forest. It's lesser-known feature, however, is that it remains one of the best mid-distance, easy mountain-bike tracks in the country, with the 20km return trip perfect for people starting to venture into the sport.
Where: Audley to McKell Ave
Perfect for: Any time of year

5. Cliffs north of Wattamolla

Thin shelfs of sandstone, like diving boards

Perhaps the most popular of all the spots in the park, Wattamolla buzzes on weekends and public holidays, with picnickers, swimmers, anglers and rabble-rousers. Very few seem to head out on the walking tracks though, and those who head north on the Coast Track often turn around before it reaches the coast again. Pity. It's only a few kilometres walk north of Wattamolla to some of the most breathtaking sea cliffs near Sydney. You stand on the edge and look across to see how undercut and thin the rock layer is, then realise that you are standing on the same completely undercut cliff, with very little holding you above the ocean crashing below. It is one of my favourite spots around Sydney, particularly on a wild and windy day.
Where: Approx 3km walk north of Wattamolla
Perfect for: A windy but clear day

Note: Full walk notes for the Coast Track are also available in Top Walks in NSW

www.kensbigbackyard.com.au     

The greenest holiday possible?

The greenest holiday possible?

Forget ecotours, camping and voluntouring: perhaps the most environmentally friendly holiday you could have this year is staring you in the face.

You don't have to go to the back of Bourke for a relaxing, green holiday break.

I've just come back from a fabulous weekend away with my wife. We hired bikes, we swam in waves and lay on beaches, we ate out, we walked, we talked, we laughed. And we didn't even leave Sydney.
In the past few years, one of the buzz words to emerge in tourism has been the "staycation".  In its purest form, it means being a tourist in your home town, while staying in your own home. You turn off the phone, and tell your friends you are away. You not only save on accommodation and transport costs, but you finally get to do all the things you've never done. For example, in Sydney you might finally do the Bridge Climb, or eat out somewhere special, or catch a ferry to Manly, or go to Penrith Whitewater Stadium.
A worthy variation on the pure "staycation" though, particularly in a large city, is to go and stay somewhere else for a couple of days, still in your home town. In our case, we went to Manly, and had a brilliant couple of days on the beach.

Why is this such a "green" holiday?

Packing our cars crammed full of camping gear or towing a trailer, and driving several hours away, is one of the most destructive micro-things we continue to do to our planet. Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge supporter of holidays, and believe that tourism needs to be supported (read the introduction to my book, Australia's Best Eco-Friendly Holidays, for more clarification on this point). But burning increasingly precious fossil fuel in order to move large boxes of metal around isn't ideal. Neither is regularly hopping on a plane to go "somewhere else".
By choosing to holiday in your home town, especially if you choose to travel by public transport (in our case, a glorious ferry ride to Manly after a night out in the city), you cut that environmental travel footprint down to almost nothing. You also get the chance to slow down a bit and enjoy what is directly in front of you, while supporting local businesses and people.
If you're still deciding where to take a holiday this Christmas, consider the merits of a "staycation". Go to that national park that's nearby that you've never explored. Have a picnic. Rent kayaks. Go to a show. Remind yourself what's great about the area in which you live.
For more green tourism options, see Australia's Best Eco-Friendly Holidays.

www.kensbigbackyard.com.au

  

 

Rocky Creek Canyon

Rocky Creek Canyon

One of the easiest and most popular Blue Mountains canyons is now even easier to access.

Steam rises from canyoners in Rocky Creek Canyon

There are plenty of absolutely stunning canyons in the Blue Mountains of NSW – places where millions of years have carved deep, polished slots in the sandstone, where ferns dapple the available light, and water is so untarnished you can drink it from the pools beneath your feet. Often using ropes, canyoners descend into these gorgeous spaces, squeezing, swimming and squelching through the terrain, following creeks wherever they lead – through underground caves, chambers and steep-sided valleys.
A few canyons are relatively easy, such as the classic one down the Wollangambe River via Mt Wilson, which is really just a fun day out on a lilo. Others require a lot of experience and rope skills to even attempt.
Rocky Creek Canyon fits into the first category. There are no abseils, navigation is pretty easy, and the canyon is one of the few that you can do in reverse (if water levels are not too high), making navigation even easier.

Like all canyoning, it is worth remembering the risks. If in any doubt about incoming rain or storms, do not enter the canyon. Be prepared to be very cold, even if you have wetsuits, and always carry warm and dry clothing and emergency gear (preferably in a dry bag).

Getting to Rocky Creek

The Zig Zag Railway carpark is near the western end of Bells Line of Road, about 10km from Lithgow. It's a good enough place to meet, with the last toilet available.
Follow the dirt road out to the Newnes Plateau, turning right at the first intersection onto Galah Mountain Road. You will basically follow that road all the way out to the end. It veers right a couple of times, and wanders through pine forest, native forest and over a couple of graded ditches and humps.
However, perhaps because of road grading during the recent fires, the road is in really, really good condition at the moment, and you should have no problem getting any sedan in there (my low-slung Camry made it with just one clunk on the undercarriage).

Walk in

Towering coachwood

The last section of road goes steeply downhill to a small carpark. On weekends it may be crowded in the carpark. There is an information sign, and an obvious track heads downhill. Follow this almost to the bottom, and then take a major fork that goes off to the right. This track will wind sharply down to a gorgeous patch of rainforest at the base of the cliff, with towering coachwood trees and tree ferns. The little footpad then continues on the other side of the creek, winding up slightly and along the creek. Keep following it, until you reach a rock platform with a 3m waterfall off to the left, and another creek coming in from the right. This is the start of the canyon proper and the best place to don wetsuits.

Walk in through rainforest

Canyon

The start of the canyon, with climb-down through a hole on the left of frame

The brave or foolhardy can jump the waterfall, but there are hidden rock ledges, so it is NOT advised. Instead, there is a fun clamber down a hole to the right, and a rope is currently in place to help. From there the canyon involves some short swims, walks and wades, with a gorgeous narrow ampitheatre of rock above. There are yabbies and ferns, and moments when single shafts of light shine on individual rocks way below. There are also a couple of longer swims, particularly towards the end, and a lovely little jump in of a couple of metres. Unlike many canyons, the walking is relatively easy, with a minimum of really slippery odd-shaped rocks.

Finish

Be prepared, if anyone is really cold, or if rain is looking likely, to take the exit about a kilometre downstream from the canyon, when the creek does a hairpin bend to the right. It involves a mildly scary rock scramble up a 30m cliff, then a wander up the ridge and along back to the car park. You should have the topo map, compass and the ability to find this route. However, most people warm up for a little while in any sunny spot they can find outside the canyon (good place for lunch) then return back through the canyon, and it's even more fun going against the current.

Extras
Some people do a higher canyon called Sheep dip, and then go into Rocky Creek from there.

Note

I shot all my images on this trip on iPhone for the first time, discovering that they are pretty useless in low light - all the exposures were too long to handhold clearly. Apologies for the photos on this blog. However, Ian Brown was with us shooting for our feature on Wollemi National Park to appear in Australian Geographic, and his photos are stunning. Keep an eye out for the feature.

www.kensbigbackyard.com.au

Top 5 Summer Walks in NSW

Top 5 summer walks in NSW

As the curtains open on what is likely to be another hot summer, don't put away the walking shoes. Here are some brilliant cool options in NSW, with waterholes, views, rainforests and isolated beaches.

Boulder hopping across the Snowy River

Mt Kossie via Blue Lake

The Snowy Mountains are brilliant in summer, particularly early in the season when the wildflowers are prolific and snowdrifts still blanket the ground in places. The alpine tarns, lakes and creeks are wonderfully refreshing if you feel inclined to cool off, and the air is often crisp in the mornings. Take care with sun protection though, as you have a higher risk of burning.
There are many brilliant walks to do in the Snowies over summer, but one of the best is to the highest point on mainland Australia via the splendrous Blue Lake. It's a 22km loop walk from Charlottes Pass (note, NOT from Thredbo), and will take you over glorious mountains, past tarns and across the headwaters of the Snowy River.

Angourie Coastal Walk

Yuraygir Coastal Walk, Angourie

This cracker of a walk is part of the four-day Yuraygir Coastal Walk along wonderfully undeveloped coast in northern NSW. Those keen to have a night out under the stars can sleep at the turnaround point of Shelley Head, where there is a campsite with no facilities - just a glorious beach that you'll have to yourselves at the ends of the day.
The recommended 12km return walk starts at Angourie, and heads down Back Beach, around the lovely Woody Bluff, over Dirrangan Lookout with views down the coast, then along Little Shelley Beach. Plenty of places to dive in for a dip, although obviously in unpatrolled areas. Wildlife, wildflowers, wilderness: this has it all.

Minnamurra Rainforest

Minnamurra Falls

When you ask people their favourite walk in NSW (as I often do) one of the most consistent answers is "Minnamurra Rainforest". On a well-defined path, suitable for wheelchairs along some of the way, this South Coast walk, less than two hours from Sydney, wanders through some lovely rainforest, with plenty of signs that point out fauna and flora, such as giant stinging trees, figs, beech, red cedar and coachwood. Get there early and you're bound to see lyrebirds.
The easy loop is just 1.6km, but make sure you do the excellent extension to Minnamurra Falls, which takes the total to a mere 4km stroll.

Mount Gower, Lord Howe Island

Guide Jack Shick, photo courtesy LHI Tourism

Almost as close to paradise as you can get this side of heaven, Lord Howe Island is a World Heritage listed wonderland. Not only does it have gorgeous coral reefs, with turtles and tropical fish galore, not only does it have thick green palm forests to plunge through, with more birds than you could poke a walking stick at, but it has brilliant bushwalks, including the solid 875m climb up Mt Gower. This exciting 10km walk can only be done with a guide, but either of the current guides are brilliant, and you won't regret paying for their services at all over the 9-hour day. In a couple of precarious places you'll even need to hang onto a rope. Simply awesome views over one of the most perfect islands in the world, mist forest and rare species, including the Lord Howe Island woodhen.
Plus, there are plenty of beaches awaiting you when you descend.

Bungonia Gorge

Now how nice is that? Swimming hole, Bungonia Gorge

Perhaps an odd choice, but the waterholes in the bottom of the gorge are some of the nicest I've found anywhere for a swim. Yes, you will get hot on the climb on the way out again, so my advice is to take a nice lunch and spend as much time down the bottom as possible. To find the waterholes, take the white track from David Reid Lookout all the way down to the Shoalhaven River, then head up the gorge.
This is not a walk for the faint-hearted, as the walk down is steep and slippery, and you will need some navigation skills as there is no track up the gorge. My recommendation to get back to the carpark is to follow the gorge until you see the red track marker on the left hand side, and take it back up the hill for a 7km loop. Be warned though, you could miss the red marker, so take care.


For complete track notes, photos and more information on all these walks, please see my book, Top walks in NSW. There is a cheaper e-version to download onto iPads etc.

See you on the track.
www.kensbigbackyard.com.au