SydneyAdventurers40+

Be prepared to pick your jaw up off the ground when you see this very impressive scenic place! Ikara Head is a stunning walk on the sandstone plateau between Blackheath and Mt Victoria, free of crowds for true peace, a nice easy flattish track (the only walk in the Blue Mountains with no steep bits?!), and truly breathtaking valley views. Best of all, as it is spring there are billions of beautiful flannel flowers covering the landscape in dense swathes of white.

This day is part of our Blue Mountains adventure weekend on September 20 and 21:

• Sat 20 Sep – 10.45am Blackheath/Ikara Head wildlflower bushwalk
• Sat 20 Sep – 5pm Mt Wilson easy car camp & dinner under the stars
• Sun 21 Sep – 9am Mt Wilson spring gardens tour & Mt Tomah gardens

These events are designed to flow easily one into the next, so join us for some or all of them as you please for a big wonderful weekend away.

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THE PLAN
Meet at Blackheath train station (in the Station Street carpark) at 10.45am. If you need to contact us for any reason, the leader is on 0411 600 717.

If you arrive early in Blackheath, there is a supermarket, grocer and bakery for supplies, and the Altitude Cafe is fantastic for breakfast.

We'll use the cars present to move everyone on a 15 minute drive to the trail: 5km along the Great Western Highway, turn right onto Victoria Falls Rd, and proceed another 4km on the unsealed road (hard packed dirt and gravel) to the start of the Ikara Head Trail.

The walk will be out and back, following a small bush trail along a rocky cliff line with big vistas across the mountains. We thread between pleasant eucalypt forest with waratahs and bottle brushes, around mysterious stone pagoda formations, out onto the open ground of the promontory covered in flannels flowers, and stop at the cliff line huge plunging views of the Grose Valley before us. The only thing you will be able to say is 'wooowwww'.

After a relaxing lunch at this lookout, we'll double back along the same trail to our cars by about 3.30pm.

You can head home directly from here if you drove, or if you came on the train we will drop you at either Mt Victoria station or Blackheath station for a relaxed trip home.

If you are staying with us after this to walk for the rest of this weekend's Blue Mountains program, we'll pause at the truck stop in Mt Victoria to grab a cold drink (and hot food if you want some easy takeaway instead of cooking dinner at camp), then continue from there for the 20 minute drive to Mt Wilson for the car camp at cathedral reserve, and sunday's walk around Mt Wilson.

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IS THIS ACTIVITY OK FOR ME?
The Ikara Head walk is rated as EASY as it is largely flat with a very gentle ascent in the furthest section to the lookout, and a total walk distance of 7km out and back.

The trail is a narrow unformed rocky path with gentle undulations, but is not very rough (no scrambling over boulders or ledges) and can be handled quite well by beginner walkers with basic fitness.

The pace will be relaxed, we will take a substantial lunch stop, and you can take as many pauses along the trail as you need to catch your breath and enjoy the huge scenery.

At the Ikara Head lookout there are unfenced cliffs - everyone must take care not to approach the edges.

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GRATUITY
Please contribute $15 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.

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TRANSPORT

Arriving by car:

• Blackheath is 112km (1 hour 40 minutes) from Sydney.
• Take the M4 motorway, and continue on the Great Western Highway all the way to Blackheath, then turn left at the railway crossing, and right right into Station Street and the carpark.
• Allow some extra time for Saturday morning traffic through the mountains.
• Once we meet up at Blackheath Station to car pool, it is 5km further along the Great Western Highway, then another 4km along the unsealed Victoria Falls Rd (hard packed dirt and gravel) to the walking trail.
• The section of unsealed road has some potholes and ruts, but is ok for a 2WD city car - we'll drive together at low speed to the start of the walking track.

Arriving by train:

• Take the Blue Mountains Service from Sydney Central at 8.24am, passing Strathfield at 8.37am, Parramatta at 8.50am, Blacktown at 9.00am, and Penrith at 9.16am, arriving at Blackheath at 10.40am.
• See the trip planner at www.transportnsw.info for all connections and times.

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BRING

• Opal card for public transport
• your lunch, snacks for the day
• drink bottle (at least 1 litre, no refills on the trail)
• sturdy walking shoes
• hat, sunglasses, sunscreen
• insect repellent
• walking stick (not mandatory, but helps alot with ascents/descents)
• warm clothes for later in the day
• rain jacket, just in case
• towel or pad to sit on at lunch time

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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.

Join us for a relaxing night of super easy car camping, picnic dinner, good company, and a gorgeous logfire, at one of the most beautiful places in Sydney ... Cathedral Reserve in Mt Wilson. This is a beautiful peaceful camping area with no fees and no bookings required, it sits amongst the shaded greens of plane trees and fern groves, and is right next to the elegant beauty of Mt Wilson's stunning private display gardens, epic Blue Mountains scenery, and swathes of stars at night.

If you are not usually a camper, or you don't have a tent and other camping gear, it is very easy to just use your car ... if your car is large enough (say a moderate SUV) to fold down the back seat and create enough space to lie down, just bring an inflatable mat or other soft layers to lie on, warm bedding and your pillow, and you have a very comfortable, convenient and secure camping set up. Viola!

This day is part of our Blue Mountains adventure weekend on September 20 and 21:

• Sat 20 Sep – 10.45am Blackheath/Ikara Head wildlflower bushwalk
• Sat 20 Sep – 5pm Mt Wilson easy car camp & dinner under the stars
• Sun 21 Sep – 9am Mt Wilson spring gardens tour & Mt Tomah gardens

These events are designed to flow easily one into the next, so join us for some or all of them as you please for a big wonderful weekend away.

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THE PLAN
After the Saturday morning walk at Ikara Head/Mount Victoria winds up at about 3.30pm, we will head to Mt Wilson for the night.

If you arrive there before the group, just set yourself up and enjoy the peace :-)

We will set up camp on the lawn, probably at the lower end of the reserve (near the shady trees, fireplaces, and toilet). You can choose any spot you like.

The camping area is simple and beautiful - it has no facilities other than toilets - so bring your water, food (you can cook, or bring takeaway dinner, or have cold meals), a torch, and chair to sit on.

If there are no fire bans, we will bring a bag of wood to have a lovely log fire to sit around.

If you feel like an evening or morning walk, the Cathedral of Ferns trail is right next to our camping spot - it is a very short and easy stroll looping through the mossy forest of giant ferns, beautiful if it is misty conditions. Insect repellent highly recommended in the forest.

Enjoy dinner and great conversation with the group, a peaceful sleep in the mountain air, and on sunday morning we will have a lazy start and breakfast.

If you are staying for the sunday activities, pack up your camp and be ready at 9am to head off with the group for the 8km walking tour around Mt Wilson finishing at about 2pm-3pm.

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TRANSPORT

By car:
Mt Wilson is on the north side of the Blue Mountains, 125km (2.5 hours) from Sydney directly via Richmond, Kurrajong to Bells Line of Rd and Mt Wilson Rd.

Or along Bells Line of Rd and Mt Wilson Rd of you are coming from Mt Victoria (21km) after the saturday morning walk, or from Pierces Pass (12km) after the saturday sunset walk.

You can post in the Comments section on this page if you want to offer a car pool and share fuel and highway toll costs with others.

There is NO access by train:
You can get a train as far as Mt Victoria (see the trip planner at www.transportnsw.info), but there is NO public transport from Mt Victoria to Mt Wilson.

You can post in the Comments section on this page if you want to seek a car pool with others, but you will need to make sure that you have a ride both ways between Mt Wilson and Sydney (or a convenient public transport point).

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GRATUITY
No contribution needed for this one - just looking forward to everyone's lovely company at camp :-)

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BRING

• torch (head torch, hand torch, or just use your phone light)
• your food (Saturday dinner, Sunday breakfast and lunch, you can choose to cook or just bring cold meals in a chiller box)
• water/drink (3 - 4 litres to last you for 24 hours, there is no clean running water at the camping reserve)
• insect repellent
• a good warm jacket, pants, and beanie for your head (the temperature drops fast at sunset in the mountains, 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
• toiletries

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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.

It's spring, yay! So let's take a day trip to the Blue Mountains to immerse in Mt Wilson's legendary exotic gardens, elegant tree-lined avenues with heritage propertires to die for, and epic mountain scenery. We'll spend the morning on an easy 6km loop through the private gardens, teach you some landscape photography if you like, have lunch at a magical spot overlooking the immense expanse of the Grose valley, explore rainforests, waterfalls, a mysterious cavern, and incredible lookouts. On the drive home to Sydney in the afternoon, we can also stop off to wander the equally magical Mt Tomah Botanical Gardens, and the lush beauty of the Bilpin countryside. This is an elegant, low-effort escape from the city, mostly very easy walking, and an overdose of visual pleasures!

HERE is a nice quick video guide to Mt Wilson to whet your appetite.

And HERE is a taste of Mt Tomah Botanical Gardens.

This day is part of our Blue Mountains adventure weekend on September 20 and 21:

• Sat 20 Sep – 10.45am Blackheath/Ikara Head wildlflower bushwalk
• Sat 20 Sep – 5pm Mt Wilson easy car camp & dinner under the stars
• Sun 21 Sep – 9am Mt Wilson spring gardens tour & Mt Tomah gardens

These events are designed to flow easily one into the next, so join us for some or all of them as you please for a big wonderful weekend away.

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THE PLAN

The organisers will be staying at Cathedral Reserve camping area at Mt Wilson on Saturday night, so let's meet up there on Sunday morning at 9.00am.

Meeting up

If you are driving straight from Sydney on Saturday morning, the formal start for the day of touring the gardens is at 9.00am. Meet us at the road entrance into Cathedral Reserve, on Mt Irving Rd at the far end of Mt Wilson village.

Mt Wilson - walking tour of gardens & wild bits

At 9.00am, we'll head off as a group on a walking tour of the private gardens and avenues around Mt Wilson village. There will be lots to fill our day with:

• We'll follow a loop trail around the village, about 8km total. There will be toilet stops along the way.
• First off, a 1km loop through beautiful rainforest of Waterfall Reserve.
• Then the trail winds around the village passing all big private display gardens. Each one charges a modest $10 - $20 entry, payable by card. We'll visit a couple (eg. tranquil Windyridge, magnificent Breenhold) chosen by agreement with the group on the day. Take your time to wander around, take photos, whisper romantic things from Jane Austen novels in the grottos, enjoy the peace. Have a look at the Mt Wilson gardens online guide HERE.
• After a lunch stop, we'll dip down to a rocky lookout with dramatic vistas over the canyon wilderness of Grose valley, and a short bush walk down to a hidden cavern - this is a short 40 metre descent/ascent.
• The road from the lookout back up into the village is steep BUT we've got your back baby! The organiser will have their car there to ferry everyone back up to the village - this is the luxury walking group people!
• Our final stop for the day is the wonderful newly restored Kashmir Gardens which has a terrace cafe and a pizza bar (we can lunch there if the group prefers, or have it as an afternoon coffee stop.
• At the end, the organiser will ferry everyone back to their cars at our start point in Cathedral Reserve. Easy!
• We'll try to wrap up in Mt Wilson by about 2pm.

Walls Lookout - very short walk to incredible views

• This is an amazing place for a brief and very worthwhile stop as we drive out of Mt Wilson back to Sydney
• Turn left out of Mt Wilson Rd onto Bells Line of Road to head towards Sydney, then in 2.5km turn right into Pierces Pass Rd.
• Drive 850 metres along this dirt road to the car park.
• Walk 600 metres along the bush track, and then it's a steep but short 40 metre ascent to Rigby Hill overlooking Grose Valley escarpment.
• Try not to faint when you see the epic view. Wow. Just wow.

Optional tour of Mt Tomah Botanic Gardens

If your eyeballs have not exploded from the many beautiful sights in Mt Wilson, we have the option to also stop at Mt Tomah Botanic Gardens, 23km drive along Bells Line of Road (on the direct route back to Sydney).

• Entry is free.
• The garden complex is huge, with sections for different climatic environments (rock garden, gondwana rainforest, conifers, etc).
• Feel free to explore for as little or as long as you please - it is possible to loop through all the sections in 30 - 60 minutes.
• It's open until 5pm, but you can head home any time you like.

Bilpin

• The drive back to town along Bells Line of Road through Bilpin is very beautiful and famous for the local apple produce.
• Feel free to stop at the Royal Gardenia cafe for apple pies, and grab a coffee and enjoy it on their huge balcony with stunning lush views over the valley back towards Mt Wilson.
• Also many roadside orchard stalls and apple cider shops along Bells Line of Road.

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IS THIS ACTIVITY OK FOR ME?
This walking tour of Mt Wilson is fine for beginner walkers with basic fitness. The total distance to walk around Mt Wilson over the day will be about 8km - it will be relaxed, with many stops to enjoy things, and substantial lunch break and coffee breaks.

The morning walk down to the rainforest waterfall is on a dirt track, but is gently sloping and the 50 metre descent/ascent is quite short.

The walk around the private gardens and public avenues is quite flat, and at worst you will go down and up some small sets of steps into different sections of the gardens.

The trail from the lookout down to the bush cavern is a 40 metre descent, and then same ascent back up - it's not very challenging, and you can even skip it entirely of you wish and wait at the beautiful lookout for 30 minutes until the group returns from the cavern.

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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. It is accessed either

• directly from northwest Sydney via Richmond and Kurrajong to Bells Line of Road, and turn right Mt Wilson Rd, OR
• indirectly from the Great Western Highway through the Blue Mountains (ie. if you joined us for the saturday walks in Mt Victoria), turn right from Mt Victoria onto Darling Causeway, then right onto Bells Line of Road, and left onto Mt Wilson Rd.

You can post in the Comments section on this page if you want to offer a car pool and share fuel and highway toll costs with others.

There is NO access by train
You can get a train as far as Mt Victoria, but there is NO public transport from Mt Victoria to Mt Wilson.

You can post in the Comments section on this page if you want to seek a car pool with others, but do NOT rsvp to the event until you have ensured that you have a ride all the way to Mt Wilson and back to Sydney.

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GRATUITY

Please contribute $15 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.

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BRING

• your food, snacks, and drinks to last you all of Sunday (there are no shops at all in Mt Wilson)
• dress light for walking, but also bring a good warm jacket, pants, and beanie for your head (mountain weather is highly changeable during the day, and the temperature can be quite low in the early morning and late afternoon)
• sturdy walking shoes
• insect repellent for the forest sections
• sun hat, sunglasses, sunscreen
• the private gardens usually collect the entry fee by card, but have some cash handy

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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.

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 favourite 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 10.30am 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 (11am - 2pm) paddling on the beautiful lagoon and its hidden creeks, islands, beaches.

As we paddle the leader will coach you individually on how to hold a paddle correctly, and 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 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 2pm, 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 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, but 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 9.31am and arriving at the B-line stop at Narrabeen shops 10.13am. 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 (with a cord/strap so you don't drop them in the water)
• dress as you would for gym or sport, plus a warm top as spring days can be a bit cool in the afternoon
• 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.