Summerleas Road 2014

Today started out frosty but sunny, a perfect day for a walk.

Bob was going to lead us on a trek that we'd done before, but in the opposite direction.

Getting the gear on, a lot of it came off halfway up the first hill.

We started out on Summerleas Rd., outside of Kingston, parking just where the pavement finishes and the dirt road starts.

After getting geared up, we walked up Old Summerleas Rd. to Hackford Drive past many friendly (I hope) dogs on various properties. Right on Hackford to the start of Picket Hill Track that winds around about before reaching Leslie Vale.

Outer clothes start coming off.

Looking back

Erica lusitanica

Getting into the gums now.

The track goes to the right.

A bush junction, but we know where we're going.

There is a goodly hill on the way, one we usually come down, but with some great views across Kingston, Blackmans Bay and beyond.

I imagine this was an old sawmill, these look like the boiler & water tank.

View over Kingston from the hill

Looking West

Looking East

Morning Tea was taken just a short walk from Leslie Rd.

Morning Tea

Surrounding bush

The track towards Leslie Vale

I suppose this is Callistemon pallidus, or the Lemon Bottlebrush

Leslie Road ahead.

Turning right on Leslie, then left to find the entrance to the Leslie Vale Track. The country around here is definitely horse country. That means the track is wide enough for walkers, mountain bikers & riders. Every where you look you can see horses and other livestock on various small holdings.

Local livestock

The track meanders around before reaching a dirt road called McKenzie Drive. we cross this, meeting a couple of friendly horses up close, before coming out on Bullock Drive.

Friendly locals

Looks like he sees another sucker. Me.

Sorry mate, we'll come equipped with apples, carrots & sugar cubes next time.

The track shrinks!

Cathedral Rock

Yes, we've been up it. I could tell you we had very long ropes, but actually we went up the back.

It's a pleasant walk up Bullock Dr., before reaching Leslie Road again. Turning right on Leslie we walk along the paved road, being careful of traffic, until we reach the local Cricket/Footie oval for lunch.

The elite group

They need more cheerful food.

The rest of us finding a comfortable space on large, pointed, cold rocks.

After lunch, it became interesting.  As in the past, we walked along the fence at the back of the oval until we found the entry point. Unfortunately, the comment was passed "The fence has been fixed". We'll throw a veil over what happened next, and move on.

The next part of our walk involved bushbashing through scrub, following cattle trails and emerging into open, pleasant bush. All the while, we were uncommonly quiet.

After a while, we came to a gravel road, drive, who knows? Stepping around the gate - no signs, we walked down a short distance and crossed around another one. Still no signs.

Walking further we came to an area I recognized from another walk, and knew we would be stepping off into the bush again very soon. I was right. We walked down an old, overgrown track that led through wet bush of a type we hadn't met today.

At the bottom we reached the crossing of Fawcett Rivulet, which is not difficult as long as you don't step on any of the old logs that lie temptingly in the water. Slippery isn't in it, and that water would be COLD. Another bush track leads down until you reach yet another gravel 'road' which leads back to the cars.

Fawcett Rivulet crossing

No one fell in. Waste of time having the camera ready.

 As we reached the end of the walk, and could see the cars at the bottom of the bank, I looked up at the back of a sign nailed high up on a gum.

It was quite a good walk, I wonder if we'll do it again?

No fences were harmed during this walk.

We had 10 walkers and walked 12.1km in 3:48 hours.

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