Where has the time gone?
Will’s new drone keeping a wary eye on the photographer – fortunately it only shoots photos
We’ve covered a lot of ground over the last few months without actually going too far (if you don’t count our quick trip to California for beautiful Bryn’s wedding!). There’s been baseball (of course), and bushwalking (of course) and camping (yes, of course). But the family also has a bigger drone that takes absolutely fabulous photos and videos, there was a romantic weekend thrown in there and we all had a great weekend exploring the beaches and sand dunes of a popular spot north of Sydney.
Sing it loud – The team belts out the club song after Zach’s 2nd grade team won the grand final in March. See the assistant coach and scorer proudly taking part in the back left
Batter up – Zach playing for his new team in new positions on new grounds with new mates
Baseball remained in the family during the winter season as Zach and a couple of his mates moved up a notch to try their hands in the Sydney Winter Baseball League. Their club isn’t the strongest in the comp but the coaching is a bit better and all the guys are learning new skills and improving their game.
We explored nearby Stockton Beach with its old off-shore wreck (which has since washed away)
But inevitably we get stuck and bring out the digging tools to save us (I wasn’t driving)
The drone follows our path along the vast reaches of Stockton Beach
Check out this drone selfie when we were on the beach.
I am flanked by Michael and Yuri on another exploratory bush walk in the Wolgan Valley
I’ve had the good fortune over the last year or so to explore some of the most beautiful places in the state with many like-minded intrepid bush walkers. These are not casual strolls on wide trails, most of these walks are across trackless land, up and down the escarpments, through deep gullies, sometimes using ropes to go up or down forbidding walls, relying on our GPS to see us through. Most of the walks are led by three intrepid authors, environmentalists and impassioned spokesmen for preserving our great outdoors. You can read more about them at www.bushexplorers.com.au.
The magnificent panoramic view taken from the edge of the Wolgan Valley
This deep and narrow gully has logs propped into holes which have been chiseled into the rock faces and date back over 100 years, probably to make it easier to slide cut logs down the mountain
Pausing for another great view, this time looking down on the Capertee Valley
A long overhang along a cliff line gives us a sense of timelessness
A beautiful world lies deep in a slot away from any substantial sunlight
Bushwalkers making a careful descent along the Pipeline Track on a walk I led last month
The team poses in front of an old water tank, a relic from the mining town of Newnes that stood here 100 years ago
Anna, Zach and I taking in the views at Echo Lookout with the lower reaches of the Wolgan Valley stretching out below us
Old Zephyr cars are some of the last remains of the Newnes community that flourished here many years ago
Julie and I spent a night at the historic Hydro Majestic Hotel in the Blue Mountains and enjoyed a walk near it – including this old Cave House built into an overhang
Bush walking in the Blue Mountains throws up all sorts of interesting features – including this old iron ladder
Bush walkers unite – no romantic weekend in the mountains is complete without an exploratory walk
Oatley Bay, which graces our community down at the end of our street, seen at dusk from the drone as it goes where no man has ever gone before