Chauncy Vale 2017

Today Tas is leading us on a walk I missed back in 2014 at Chauncy Vale, former home of children's author Nan Chauncy and now a wildlife sanctuary.

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We park inside the gate before setting off. When I say "setting off" it's as if someone set light to the blue touch paper, sending the front runners rocketing down the path, leaving a smoke trail and smouldering bush behind.

Heading for the interior. It's that time of year with a low sun causing photo problems

We head along a well marked track, past shelters and buildings for the use of visitors beside Browns Caves Creek. We won't be visiting the caves today. Well, that's the plan at the moment.

We reach a major decision point, but we're heading for Flat Rock Lookouts. This involves a couple of dry creek crossings and somewhere we go astray.

Decisions, decisions

Crossing the creek

Looking back

Next set of signs

Sounds promising

Eve would be what, about 6000 years old now? I think she would be beyond her sell-by date so I'm happy to have missed her

On we go, but take a wrong turn and head towards the cliffs. We're nothing if not flexible and decide to climb up into the sunshine for Morning Tea, which we do.

A decision is being reached

It's nice, open bush and I don't care where we go

Everyone takes a turn on this lookout

We climb up to some of the caves

The slope

The track

The view

Renate photographing Bob and Peter (I think) who are sitting in a cave entrance

Tea finished, we head back down with Ken, Peter and myself in the lead. Turning right at the bottom, we await the others.

The others begin to come into view

We regroup and follow a short track which leads to an old bush road heading up.

Ken with Jenny behind enjoy the climb

Looking over the valley to Browns Caves

We're on track

Stopping to regroup, I asked everyone to smile as if they were enjoying the climb

On we go, knowing there was a turn somewhere up ahead. The bush is still open having been logged in the past. There tends to be some chat as we walk and I blame that for what happens next. We take a wrong turn, ending up on another bush road.

It may not be the correct route, but it's still a nice walk

Looking back into the bush

The track

We come to a spot where the track has been blocked with brush...

...and decide to have lunch

This is a nice spot with lots of seating. The track heads downhill from here and isn't where we want to go, so we'll turn back after lunch, retracing our steps.

I explore the bush around us and take a couple of photos while getting used to my monopod. No, that's not a condition but a camera mount.

Debris in a stump

There is another old track heading off in another direction. Looking on the map it appears that we could have made a loop here back to our original track. Something for the future.

Lunch finished, we head back.

I make my way back to the front, just behind Peter and Bob. Suddenly, Bob takes off at a run causing me to ask Peter what he said that upset Bob. Denying all responsibility, Peter says Bob is going ahead to check where we should have turned off for the Flat Rock reserve.

Bob's waiting for us at the junction, but we decide that due to the time we'll wait for another day. So on we go, heading downhill towards the creek admiring many caves on the opposite side.

I stop to get a photo of this log and by the time I finished taking three photos, the rest had disappeared and it took me a while to catch up.

We had 15 walkers and covered 11.44km. in 4:12hrs. It was perfect day for a walk in the bush and I, for one, don't mind if we didn't reach the advertised destination. It's something for another time and I will make sure we do it again in the near future.

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