SydneyAdventurers40+

Sat, Oct 18 · 9:30 AM AEDT

MT WILSON ESCAPE - stunning bushwalks, epic views, spring blooms, easy camping

Cathedral Reserve Camping Grounds, 117 Mount Irvine Rd, Mount Wilson, NS, AU

Join us for a fab weekend at the iconic Mount Wilson village in the Blue Mountains, to enjoy beautiful bush walks amongst stunning forests and epic mountain trails, explore the local heritage gardens with the spring explosion of flowers, have a relaxing night of super easy car camping and dinner under the stars, and experience a true escape in arguably the most beautiful location in the whole Sydney region.

You can

• come for only the Saturday daytime walk activities, and/or
• stay the night at the campground with us, and/or
• come for only the Sunday daytime walk activities

... just RSVP on this page and turn up for the parts that suit you.

We'll be based for the weekend at Cathedral Reserve, an idyllic and peaceful camping area on the edge of Mt Wilson village, with no fees or bookings required, and right next to all the forest trails, gardens, and lookouts that we want to enjoy.

You can bring your tent and camping setup, or use your car to sleep in (if it is roomy enough with the back seats folded down, all you need is a mat and bedding).

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THE PLAN

Arriving in Mt Wilson and setting up camp

• Our base for the weekend is Cathedral Reserve, on Mt Irving Rd in Mt Wilson village.
• For saturday activities, arrive by 9.30am saturday.
• If you are coming for sunday only, arrive by 9.30am sunday
• If you are staying the night, set up your camp on the beautiful lawn as soon as you arrive. If you are going to sleep in your car, you will be able to park right next to our camp spot.
• There are no facilities other than toilets - so bring your water and food (you can cook, or have cold meals) for 2 days, torch, and a chair to sit on.
• As spring is already turning out with quite hot weather and bushfire risk we are not doing a camp fire for this trip.

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Saturday morning bushwalk 10am - 2pm

• 7km easy-moderate walk through rainforest and escarpment trails.
• The trail undulates gently, with only a couple of short ascents, easily handled with moderate fitness.
• The route takes in all the best bits of Mt Wilson's scenery: stunning rainforest full of tree ferns, vines, exquisite birds, wombats, gorgeous waterfall and crystalline creek, elegant streets and garden estates, and emerging onto escarpment over the dramatic canyons of Grose Valley.
• Morning break and toilet stop at a picnic area at 11am.
• Lunch at 1pm at a lookout with epic valley views.
• Easy finish - we'll have a car to transfer everyone back to camp, luxury!

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Saturday afternoon 2pm to 4pm - free time to do as you please
Options for you:

• Relax at camp.
• Explore the famous cold climate gardens - eg. Breenhold is 40 acres of stunning tree-lined avenues, flowers, fountains, rainforest corridors, classic architecture, and sculptures, open 10am - 4pm. See the Mt Wilson gardens guide.
• Driving tour - Mt Irving Rd has rough bitumen but ok if you go slow, it's a beautiful 20km drive through epic forests and idyllic rural properties.

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Saturday evening

• Sunset drinks with a view - at 4pm we'll drive across the village to an amazing lookout to watch the sunset over a huge sweep of the rugged valleys, rock faces and peaks. Bring a drink and appetisers!
• Dinner - at 5pm we return to camp to make our meals at the picnic table and chill out.

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Sunday activities

• Relaxed breakfast
• Pack up our camp by 9.30am.
• Walk 1 - at 10am we drive 5 minutes across the village to do a short 2.5km but impressive walk looping across the dramatic rock pagodas of the escarpment and the wind-carved expanse of a huge cave.
• Lunch - at 12 noon we head into the beautiful Kashmir private garden for refreshments from the coffee van, and sit with our packed lunch (or can also buy a delish woodfired pizza here).
• Walk 2 - at 1pm we drive out of Mt Wilson for 11km on Bells Line of Rd (heading us back to Sydney), and stop at a picnic area for an easy 600 metre walk ascending 40 metres to summit a hill with jaw dropping views deep into the valley below and across the Blue Mountains, wow!!
• Finally, we head home to Sydney at about 3pm. Bells Line of Rd is gorgeous with forests, cafes, orchards, farms, and mountain views all the way.

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Optional after-party

• For the die-hards, on the way home you are welcome to stop off for a drink and food with us at the Hillbilly Cider Shed on Bells Line of Road at Bilpin.
• They make nice pizzas (see the MENU), and serve locally made apple cider ... what else do you need in life?

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IS THIS ACTIVITY OK FOR ME?
The walks are all short and mostly on flat or very gentle undulations around the Mt Wilson plateau. They are graded moderate if you are beginner walker, and easy if you routinely do 8-10km bushwalks.

The saturday morning rainforest and escarpment walk is 7km.

• It has two short ascents of about 50 metres each - these are easily handled if you take it slow, we will keep a very relaxed pace.
• The trails are soft dirt and easy going. No rock scrambling to do.
• The descent to the waterfall is steep with a few carved steps and some loose dirt trails - avoid if you have significant knee issues, and in this case you can sit at the picnic ground at the top of this section while the group does the waterfall loop and returns to the picnic ground to pick you up for the onwards walking.

The sunday morning walk down the escarpment and to the cave is 2.5km.

• The trail is made of carved stone steps, and the descent and ascent are 40 metres each.
• If you want to skip this walk but still enjoy the escarpment views, there is an excellent lookout at the start of the walk to sit at while the group walks the loop down to the cave and back.

The sunday afternoon walk up the hill is only 1.2km return.

• The trail is hard packed dirt and few rocky steps, but nothing technical.
• The ascent and descent are each only 40 metres.

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TRANSPORT

By car:

• Mt Wilson is on the north side of the Blue Mountains, 125km (2.5 hours) from central Sydney.
• Take the M2, M7, then Richmond Rd to Kurrajong in western Sydney, then Bells Line of Rd through the Blue Mountains, and then turn right into Mt Wilson Rd which takes you all the way to the village and campground.

There is NO access by public transport:
You can post in the Comments section on this page if you want to seek a ride and share fuel and highway toll costs with the car drivers.

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GRATUITY
Please contribute $15 per day that you attend (or $30 for the two day weekend) to the organiser to help offset the group's operating costs. You can either

• bring cash on the day, or
• make a PayID bank transfer to the organiser's phone number 0411600717 in the morning before you arrive to the event.

Your contribution will cover, amongst other costs, the purchase of a good supply of wood fuel for the camp fire, so that people are not denuding wood from the surrounding forest at Mt Wilson.

The contribution does not cover entry to the formal gardens at Mt Wilson (eg. Breenhold is $20, Windybanks $12) if you choose to visit them.

Our lunch visit to Kashmir garden on sunday is free entry. Bring your own packed lunch, or purchase coffee/pizza there as you wish.

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BRING

If you are coming for just one day, bring the usual day walking setup: sturdy shoes, dress in layers, sun protection, insect repellent, food and drinks for the whole day (there are no shops or water supplies in Mt Wilson).

If you are going to stay the night, bring sufficient camping gear and food/water for 2 days:

• your food (Saturday lunch & dinner, Sunday breakfast and lunch, plenty of snacks, you can choose to cook or just bring cold meals in a chiller box)
• water/drink (at least 4 litres to last you for 24 hours, there are no public water taps at the camping reserve or in the village)
• if you need to cook saturday dinner and/or sunday breakfast, bring cooking utensils and a gas stove
• insect repellent highly recommended
• sun protection (sunscreen, sunglasses, hat)
• a good warm jacket, pants, and beanie for your head (the temperature in the mountains can drop fast at sunset to below 10 degrees, and sometimes it is windy here)
• sturdy walking shoes
• towel or pad or folding chair to sit on at camp
• your camping gear (tent, mat, sleeping bag) or sleep in your car with normal bedding and pillow
• torch (head torch, hand torch, or just use your phone light)
• toiletries, towel, biodegradable wet wipes

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DISCLAIMER:
By your RSVP to this event you agree to the conditions of membership and participation which you can read in the WHAT WE'RE ABOUT section HERE.

Thu, Oct 23 · 6:00 PM AEDT

ADVENTURE REELS FILM FESTIVAL & DINNER/DRINKS - Orpheum Cinema, Cremorne

Hayden Orpheum Cremorne, 380 Military Road, Cremorne NSW 2090, Sydney, AU

The Adventure Reels film festival brings the world’s best action sport films to the big screen, taking you deeper, steeper, faster and higher with two and a half hours of wild rides, beautiful long ski lines, and skilful stunts with the most out-there skiers, rock climbers, kayakers, BASE jumpers and mountain bikers adventuring in the planet’s most epic wild places.

You’ll love this easy and fun night out in the magnificent space and classic art deco architecture of the Orpheum Picture Palace, and our fellow audience will be Sydney's very positive community of outdoor adventure people ... bushwalkers, mountain bikers, skiers, kayakers, surfers, climbers, and lots of faces that you would know from meetups.

It’s a passionate and lovely crowd so expect some good natured rowdiness, awe-struck gasping and appreciative cheering at the most exciting moments, and a hilarious interval session with prize draws of outdoor gear. Every year we go home feeling very uplifted and inspired to get out there with our own adventures, so join us for this really fab night out.

Here is the trailer for a taste of the films:
https://adventurereels.com/adventure-reels-tour/

RSVP on this meetup page only AFTER you buy your individual festival ticket at the Orpheum cinema website HERE. This event often sells out weeks before so don’t leave your booking to the last minute.

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THE PLAN

Optional pre-film dinner and drinks
We'll be gathering from 6pm onwards for drinks and amazing food at the north side's most famous and iconic restaurant Radio Cairo (right across the street from the Orpheum). The atmosphere is rich, Old World-stylish and exotic with classic black and white films (eg. Bogart in Casablanca) playing in the background, and the spicy african-carribean cuisine is warm and seductive ... the Mozambique Prawns is one of the most wonderful things you will ever put in your mouth!

Radio Cairo is usually quite busy, so please please ... at least 3 days before the event post a note in the Comments section below to let us know that you are joining us for dinner so that we can make a table booking.

Official start
Let's meet up at 6.55pm SHARP on the footpath directly out the front of Radio Cairo (corner of Spofforth Street and Military Rd, Cremorne). If you have any trouble finding and connecting with us, the event organiser is on 0411600717.

Doors to the film festival open at 7pm, seats are not allocated, and there will be a crowd, so we will walk across the street to the Orpheum, make a pit stop at the toilet if needed, and head in to grab some nice seats together - no rush, very relaxed, but let's move without delay to get some good seats.

The Orpheum sells snacks, soft drinks, ice cream, wine and beer ... but you know that cinemas are expensive, and there will be a queue. Get your snacks at the supermarket across the street before meeting the group.

The film festival goes for about 3 hours, including an interval for a toilet break.

Optional after-party
For the die-hards, if you still have energy and a tolerance for late nights, we can head 5 minutes up the road to iconic Maiseys Cafe in Neutral Bay.

Maiseys has been known for over 30 years as arguably the best cafe in Sydney and one of the few all night hangouts on the north side - it consistently has the best coffee and chai from truly professional baristas, nice food, and slick modern atmosphere yet very intimate and chilled. A luscious brew and a chat with friends is a perfect way to end the evening.

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COST

• There is no gratuity for this event.
• Just pre-book your own film festival ticket ($31 adult + $2.50 booking fee) at the cinema website HERE.
• If you are coming for the dinner at Radio Cairo, bring some $5 and $10 notes to pay for your individual food & drink (no split bills).

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GETTING THERE

By bus:
Cremorne has fast bus connections right to the door of the cinema on Military Rd, Cremorne:

• the B1 express from Wynyard station, or the B1 express city-bound from the northern beaches
• route 230 or routes 154X/172X from North Sydney station
• route 144 from Chatswood station and St Leonards station

See the trip planner at www.transportnsw.info for all connections and times.

By car:

• Military Rd and the north shore has very heavy traffic in peak hour, so allow plenty of time.
• There is a free council carpark right behind the cinema (corner of Parraween St and McPherson St), but this usually fills up fast.
• Free street parking can usually be found close opposite the cinema in the streets off Military Rd (ie. in Spofforth Street, Spencer Rd, and Holt Avenue), but it might take some searching so don't leave arrival to last minute.

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DISCLAIMER
By your RSVP to this event you agree to the conditions of membership and participation which you can read in the "WHAT WE'RE ABOUT" section HERE.

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Sat, Nov 8 · 10:00 AM AEDT

EASY KAYAK DAY - paddle plus great food & drinks at the lakeside bar – Narrabeen

ProKayaks, 11 Narrabeen St, Narrabeen, NS, AU

Sunshine + cruising on beautiful waters + fun and inclusive atmosphere + delish food = the perfect day out! Join us for our ever popular monthly social paddling on the protected blue waters, hidden creeks and gorgeous beaches of Narrabeen lagoon, followed by excellent food & drinks and chatting with lovely friends at our fav mexican bar by the lake. You don't need huge fitness, strength or skills to kayak – the leader gives everyone individual coaching attention and support. And kayak hire is cheap and easy right here on the lagoon.

Places are strictly limited, so only RSVP if you are 100% committed.

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THE PLAN
Meet at 10.00am at the bottom end of Narrabeen Street by the lake, on the lawn next to the Limani cafe and the Prokayaks shop - NOT inside the shop.

• We will go into the shop together to individually pay for our kayak hires and pick up our paddling gear.
• Cost is $50 for a single kayak for the 3 hour session (everyone has to use a single seat boat, no doubles).
• There is secure storage for your bags while we are on the water.
• Do NOT take unprotected valuables (phone, keys, cards) onto the water - store them ashore with your bag.
• If you want to take things on the water, bring a dry bag or well-sealed kitchen food box to protect them.

We'll spend 3 hours (10.30am - 1.30pm) paddling on the beautiful lagoon and its hidden creeks, islands, beaches.

As we paddle the leader will coach you individually on how to use your leg muscles instead of your arms for easy paddling - it's definitely about skill rather than brute strength!

Bring snacks and a water bottle as we will take a break on a beach to stretch and have a toilet stop.

After we drop off our boats to the shop at 1.30pm, you can grab your bag to change into your dry clothes.

Then, if you wish, join us 300 metres further along the lake shore at the wonderful mexican bar for awesome tasty food and excellent beer and margaritas.

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DIFFICULTY - IS THIS ACTIVITY RIGHT FOR ME?
This event is fine for beginner paddlers with basic fitness. You don’t need big arm strength or previous experience, but expect to do a moderate amount of exercise at a relaxed pace for 3 hours.

We paddle slowly, take lots of breaks, stick together as a group to keep it social, fun and safe for everyone, and look after you individually to make sure you cope. Nobody disappears ahead on their own, and nobody gets left behind.

You will swivel your shoulders and torso a lot, so do not do this activity if you have injuries to shoulders, elbows, wrists or spine, a hernia, or any other issues causing pain or immobility.

You must be able to swim 20 metres in the unlikely case that you fall out of your boat and have to swim back to it (but we don't normally fall out).

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GRATUITY
Please contribute $15 to the organiser to help offset the group's operating costs. You can either

• bring cash on the day, or
• make a PayID bank transfer to the organiser's phone number 0411600717 in the morning BEFORE you arrive to the event.

This is separate to the $50 kayak hire cost which you pay directly to the kayak shop on the day.

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TRANSPORT
By car:

• There is free parking in the Narrabeen St car park next to the kayak shop and in the adjacent residential streets.
• Spots can be hard to find on sunny days so arrive at least 30 minutes early.

By bus:

• Take the B1 (City to Mona Vale) express bus service from Wynyard station (stand B in Carrington Street), departing 9.05am and arriving at the B-line stop at Narrabeen shops 9.48am.
• See the trip planner at www.transportnsw.info for all connections.
• When you get off the bus at Narrabeen shops, turn to face the lake and walk 300 metres to the left along the lake shore to the Prokayaks shop in Narrabeen Street.

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BRING

• hat, sunscreen, sunglasses
• dress in tshirt and shorts as you would for gym or sport
• water bottle (1 litre)
• snacks
• a dry bag or sealable plastic kitchen box to keep your valuable things dry in your boat (or leave them stored in the organisers locked car).
• normally we paddle barefoot and your feet will get wet, but if you want to wear shoes in your boat bring some shoes which you don't mind getting wet
• towel, change of dry clothes, and warm jacket & pants for afterwards (there is safe storage for your stuff while we are out on the water)

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LIABILITY DISCLAIMER
By your RSVP to this event you agree to the conditions of membership and participation which you can read in the "WHAT WE'RE ABOUT" section HERE.

Sun, Nov 9 · 10:00 AM AEDT

COAST WALK - Bundeena & Marley Beach loop, Royal National Park - 10km easy-mod

Bundeena Reserve Amenities, 96 Loftus St, Bundeena, NS, AU

This awesome adventure-in-a-day has some of the most stunning coastal scenery in Sydney, it follows a beautiful well-formed track, and is very do-able at 10km length. You can either drive, or catch the ferry from Cronulla station, to our start/finish point in the idyllic coastal village of Bundeena. Then let's spend the day traversing the coastal heath of the Royal National Park, crossing secret deer trails and dramatic rock platforms, lunch at a stunning beach, wander big sand dunes and crashing sapphire-coloured surf beaches, and follow the epic sea cliffs of the iconic Coast Track to loop us back to our origin in Bundeena.

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THE PLAN
If you arrive well before the start time of 10am Bundeena has nice cafes and a supermarket for breakfast, coffee and supplies.

We will do a car shuffle for this walk: everyone, whether arrived by car or ferry, will gather at Bundeena village in the car park of Bundeena Reserve (corner of Brighton St and Loftus St) for the start at 10am sharp. Then we will use the cars available to drive everyone 4km up Bundeena Drive to the start of our bush trail.

Lunch stop is half way along the track at beautiful Marley Beach, plus mid-afternoon break up on the sea cliffs.

The end of the walk brings us back to our origin in Bundeena village and the ferry wharf if you are taking public transport home. For the car drivers, the organiser will have a car there and transport you 4km back to the trail head on Bundeena Drive to retrieve your cars and head home from there.

Depending on how fast the group walks the 10km route, we will aim to be at the end point by 4.30pm, for the 5pm ferry departure. Next ferry is 6pm.

If you like, stay after the walk to join us for excellent pizza and drinks on the beach ... the perfect way to end the weekend :-)

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IS THIS WALK RIGHT FOR ME?
This 10km walk is graded EASY TO MODERATE.

• It is within the abilities of beginner walkers if you have done a couple of walks of 5 - 7km length before.
• The route is not technical - a mix of flattish dirt tracks, a bit of soft-sand beach walking, a lot of flattish board walks and smooth rocky cliff paths, and two short steep sections of stairs as we cross two gullies.
• You will be tired by the end, but the pace will be relaxed, we will stop for a substantial lunch break at Marley Beach, plus take as many breathers as you like to enjoy the scenery along the way.

There are NO outpoints part way through the route - once you start, you must walk all the way to the end.

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TRANSPORT

By car:

• Bundeena is 56km south of Sydney CBD, so allow well over 1 hour in case of traffic. Drive via the Princes Highway to Loftus, then Farnell Ave, Audley Rd, Sir Bertram Stevens Drive, and Bundeena Drive to get to Bundeena village.
• There is free parking at our Bundeena Reserve meeting point and in the surrounding streets in Bundeena village.
• Bundeena can get busy on warm days, so arrive 20-30 minutes early to find a parking spot.

By train and ferry:

• Head by train to Cronulla station (take the T4 line from Central station platform 25 at 7.52am, via Wolli Creek, Hurstville and Sutherland, arriving at Cronulla station at 8.44am. See the trip planner at www.transportnsw.info for all connections and times).
• As you exit Cronulla station onto Cronulla St, turn left and walk 100 metres, turn left again into the subway tunnel (sign post points to the ferry wharf), turn left again as you exit the subway onto Tonkin St, walk 100 metres along Tonkin St beside the park, and turn right at the big sign and walk down the driveway to the ferry wharf.
• The Bundeena ferry departs at 9.30am - be there at least 20 minutes early to ensure that you get a seat on that departure. Tickets are $9.10 each way - pay by card or cash. Opal cards are NOT accepted. Arrives at Bundeena wharf about 9.50am. Walk 100 metres from the wharf to the group meeting point in Bundeena Reserve.

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GRATUITY
Please contribute $15 cash on the day to help cover the substantial costs of organising and running the group's events.

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BRING
• opal card for public transport,
• cash/credit card for ferry ticket
• lunch, snacks (there are no shops along the way)
• water (at least 2 litres, there are no refills along the way)
• hat, sunscreen, sunglasses, insect repellent
• a warm jacket (it may be windy along the ocean cliffs, and cool on the ferry home in the afternoon)
• sturdy walking shoes
• beach towel to sit on
• swimmers if you fancy a dip in the surf at Marley Beach.

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DISCLAIMER:
By your RSVP to this event you agree to the conditions of membership and participation which you can read in the WHAT WE'RE ABOUT section HERE.