Winter has been, until now exceptionally mild this year, and many day-time maxima have reached 15 or 16 degrees C with clear blue skies and even mild nights. That, around here, means temperatures above 0 C, as a result of which bulbs are blooming earlier than usual and the bright yellow wattles are also out, despite Wattle Day being a week or so from now. And all this is in July, which corresponds to January in the northern hemisphere.
On one such marvellous day, I donned my shorts and just a shirt before heading off to walk the tracks close to one of my favourite local spots, Dangars Falls. This is part of the Oxley - Wild Rivers national park and the spectacular falls occur when Salisbury Waters plunge 120 m (nearly 400 feet) over an inland cliff face. After a storm, the volumes of water can be spectacular, as it was on this day. And several tracks lead from the falls. Being a nice day, I decide to tramp to McDirt'y Lookout, a return distance of 7 km (4.35 miles), and advertised as a 3 hour return trip. Well, I don't hang around and may have rushed a little in taking only two hours for the trip, even including stops at various lookouts en route.
Have a look at the scenery en route:
These first views are from near the car park and show the heavily incised nature of the various streams.
And here's the 120 m drop of the falls. One can walk to the top of the falls, as I did, and stand within a few inches of the water plunging over the edge.
Upstream the usual trickle of water had been replaced by a solid flow resulting from a major storm we had over a couple of days.
And this picture, taken from the McDirty trail, shows the metal platform I mentioned earlier, which overhangs a little the stream flow as it plunges over the top of the falls. Downstream the deep gorge snakes through the countryside in spectacular fashion.
Extensive woodland drapes the undulating surface of the adjacent 1100 m high tablelands (3,600 feet) through which I was walking - the path was uneven gravel and rock much of the way. Note the eucalypts still have their leaves despite it being winter, which makes for a green landscape all-year round.
And here we are at McDirty's lookout, 3.5 km from base. This is true wilderness, with barely anyone living in this kind of country ... and only a few farm families living atop the pastures surrounding the national park. And you can see a lonely wattle bush bathed in yellow flowers.
Shortly after I departed on the return journey, I was sweating profusely and removed my shirt. Since there was hardly anyone around I wasn't particularly embarrassed. Thus emboldened, it was half-way back when I took my life in my hands and perched atop a very steep drop into the gorge below to take this stunning view of the gorge.
And, since it's not my ghost writing this post, you can assume that I i didn't fall off.
AS
On one such marvellous day, I donned my shorts and just a shirt before heading off to walk the tracks close to one of my favourite local spots, Dangars Falls. This is part of the Oxley - Wild Rivers national park and the spectacular falls occur when Salisbury Waters plunge 120 m (nearly 400 feet) over an inland cliff face. After a storm, the volumes of water can be spectacular, as it was on this day. And several tracks lead from the falls. Being a nice day, I decide to tramp to McDirt'y Lookout, a return distance of 7 km (4.35 miles), and advertised as a 3 hour return trip. Well, I don't hang around and may have rushed a little in taking only two hours for the trip, even including stops at various lookouts en route.
Have a look at the scenery en route:
These first views are from near the car park and show the heavily incised nature of the various streams.
And here's the 120 m drop of the falls. One can walk to the top of the falls, as I did, and stand within a few inches of the water plunging over the edge.
Upstream the usual trickle of water had been replaced by a solid flow resulting from a major storm we had over a couple of days.
And this picture, taken from the McDirty trail, shows the metal platform I mentioned earlier, which overhangs a little the stream flow as it plunges over the top of the falls. Downstream the deep gorge snakes through the countryside in spectacular fashion.
Extensive woodland drapes the undulating surface of the adjacent 1100 m high tablelands (3,600 feet) through which I was walking - the path was uneven gravel and rock much of the way. Note the eucalypts still have their leaves despite it being winter, which makes for a green landscape all-year round.
And here we are at McDirty's lookout, 3.5 km from base. This is true wilderness, with barely anyone living in this kind of country ... and only a few farm families living atop the pastures surrounding the national park. And you can see a lonely wattle bush bathed in yellow flowers.
Shortly after I departed on the return journey, I was sweating profusely and removed my shirt. Since there was hardly anyone around I wasn't particularly embarrassed. Thus emboldened, it was half-way back when I took my life in my hands and perched atop a very steep drop into the gorge below to take this stunning view of the gorge.
And, since it's not my ghost writing this post, you can assume that I i didn't fall off.
AS
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