Tuesday, April 11, 2006

Govett's Leap To Pulpit Rock Bushwalk

Here are some pictures from the bushwalk Morgan and I did in Blackheath last weekend. We were intending to to the walk to Pulpit Rock from Govett's Leap, but missed a turn off and ended up at a place called Boyd's Beach. Only, according to the signage it was Boyds Beach - it turns out that the Megalong Valley is the Land That Grammar & Correct Punctuation Forgot. Oh, and there wasn't really a beach, just a pool with a sandy bank. Nice enough though.


Morgan
Originally uploaded by Other Andrew.



Morgan, as we were wandering around Blackheath prior to starting the walk.


Govett's Leap Sign
Originally uploaded by Other Andrew.



Most of the work done in setting up the tracks and lookouts in the area took place in the 1920s and '30s. The main Govett's Leap lookout area has lots of buildings and plaques commemorating the history and establishment of the area.


Megalong Valley
Originally uploaded by Other Andrew.



It's a bit hard to judge the scale of the Megalong Valley in photos, but it's huge and stretches for kilometres. The name Blue Mountains refers to the fact that the distant mountains really do have a blue tint when you see them 'in the flesh'. Apparently the blue haze has something to do with the Eucalypts that cover them. If you look at the first outcrop on the left of the above photo, and then look at the right hand edge where it juts out into the valley, the little vertical outcrop on the edge is Pulpit Rock, our original destination.


Ghost Gum
Originally uploaded by Other Andrew.



The area is all heavily wooded in Eucalypts, especially River Red Gums and Ghost Gums. I like the way the light is dappled in this pic, and the exposure makes the sky look deep and moody.


Pool
Originally uploaded by Other Andrew.



Every so often we would walk through areas of deep shade, sometimes alongside the water and sometimes through deep glades of tree ferns.


Yellow
Originally uploaded by Other Andrew.



There was amazing flora and fauna everywhere. This flower was tiny, less than 1cm across and very delicate. They were too quick to photograph but we saw lots of birds, including some impressive black and yellow cockatoos.


Bush Reds
Originally uploaded by Other Andrew.



The colours of the bush always amaze me. I especially love the way some species of Eucalypts turn from green to red when the leaves die.

It was a wonderful way to spend the afternoon, and something that Morgan and I both love doing. We're planning on doing quite a bit more bushwalking, expecially now that Autumn has taken the worst blast of Summer heat away and before it gets too cold and wet to be able to do it comfortably. It's so nice to share the experience with someone you care about, all the little joys of pointing things out to each other, chatting and sharing some laughs on the way.

The rest of my photos from the walk are in this Flickr set.

14 comments:

Michael said...

I love the ghost gum shot, too. And the stream/pool. And your boi with the kind eyes. Sounds like a great weekend. So true about the sharing--makes almost everything better.

The Other Andrew said...

You're on the money about the kind eyes, he's one of the sweetest natured people I've ever met. Very considerate and kind.

Anonymous said...

What a great weekend away. I really like the pic of the cupcakes and the shiny glass cover. You do have an affinity for the foods (back to the fairy bread and gummi bears). You must be a rather tactile person? (i dont know if i am directing this at Morgan or you!).
:) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :0

Michael Guy said...

I like the pool of water shot with the bluish reflections; very luminous in a fairy-magic sorta' fashion. Like a gnome could pop up at any moment and grant wishes. But maybe I'm confusing gnomes with genies. I dunno. It just seems like a magical space for young love to softly unfold.

Miss Eudoxia said...

As usual beautiful pics Andrew. I have to agree with Michael, any pics of Morgan certainly do show his as a kind person.
Re the blue haze, it's due to the oils released by the Eucalypts being suspended in the air and difracting the light. That haze/oil is one of the reasons that you get amazing crown fires through eucalypt forests.

Mikey (TLE) said...

Nice shots. I agree on the spooky (in a good way) quality of the pool shot. Looks like Bad Boy and I are all systems go for Friday and Sunday as well, so I will be checking it all out first hand. It was a year ago last Easter (Lindtmas for Bodhi and clan) that I was last in the Mountains. Thought that was with Dave and the Gay Porn Star.

The Other Andrew said...

60s Girl, you are on the money about a love of food and being tactile. Right on both counts!

Michael G, no gnomes or genies. A couple of fairies. One of which doubles as a waterside hobbit.

Miss E, as always you dazzle with your technical prowess.

Mikey, so do we need have that talk about you and the "straight" boys again? :)

Mikey (TLE) said...

60's Girl, yikes! What do you mean, again... No, this one is safe. Cute but safe.

Anonymous said...

Andrew has kind and sparkling eyes, btw. Gorgeous, with colours like a solar eclipse.

[sigh] I've been working through the lunch hour today - we've a lot on and this is the first real time I've had to esccape from it.

Anonymous said...

...and we're both very tactile :)

The Other Andrew said...

"...and we're both very tactile :)"

Yay!

Sorry to hear you've been so busy. :(

Michael said...

OK, I was gonna say "get a room" but since this kind is...

::considers politely leaving but instead settles in to enjoy the smitten kittens::

Anonymous said...

lol Mikey :)

The Other Andrew said...

Hey, isn't it kinda late in the day for you Mr Mike? 3.19pm here is some sort of "stupid o'clock" in your neck of the woods, isn't it?

You do live in woods, right? Dark and mysterious ones?

PS. Expect more "smitten" coming up. Plus a big dose of "besotted".