14 walkers met at the Maitland Bay car park.
From the information centre, we passed the information sign to the start of the car park and followed the path down the hill. We headed down the staircase for some time .
The walk wound through the forest, passing a rock platform with nice views over Maitland Bay. The track continued down the hill from the rock platform, with the rock face to the right and an overhang to the left, before crossing over a wooden bridge and going down more steps to a signposted intersection, Bouddi Coastal Walk. We followed the footpath down the hill, descending some steps, towards the beach. The walk headed down to Maitland Beach with the final stretch winding down through open scrub to the sandy beach which borders a Marine Extension area, creating fully protected land, shore and marine habitats.The beach's south-westerly aspect provides views over the South Pacific Ocean to Barrenjoey and Avalon headlands at the mouth of the Hawkesbury River. A creek breaks the centre of the beach, and the wreck of S.S. Maitland (after which the beach and bay are named) is found on the eastern rock point.
We walked along to a shady spot where we had morning tea.
We retraced our steps to the intersection of Bouddi Coastal Walk. The track goes over many rises with steps, and crosses fenced bridges over the valleys of the Bouddi Grand Deep rainforest with abundant cycads and crowea flowers
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until we arrived in a clearing before a fenced lookout, Gerrin Point. This provides a vantage point for whale watching during migration.
We headed along the edge of the headland following the railed pathway, with the ocean below on the left. An information board explains the tessellated pavement on the rock below.
As the track rounds the headland to Putty Beach, it passes a red rock area and continues down to a staircase onto the beach where we accessed the picnic area behind the beach.
We decided to attempt the short informal path through the bush to the top of the hill before lunch.
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Winding up the hill, the track comes to a fenced house, then along to an intersection with the road to a management track up to The Scenic Rd
A short walk along the road led to Marie Byles lookout
There are beautiful views to the south, along the coast, and over parts of Broken Bay. The lookout is named after Marie Byles, the first proponent of a Bouddi National Park. According to her wikipedia page, Marie Byles is also "known as a committed conservationist, the first practicing female solicitor in New South Wales, mountaineer, explorer and avid bushwalker, feminist, author and an original member of the Buddhist Society in New South Wales."
We sat along the bush track for lunch.
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As the day was very hot and humid we took the short path beside the road back to the cars to walk about 8km.
We enjoyed sociable drinks and brownies at Hardy’s Bay before our drive home.
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Walkers: Helen A, Don B, Annette Ell, Michael & Sue, Colleen, Margaret P, Wendy P, Guenter, Kurt, and Louis. Led by: Phyllis and Anne G
photos: Louis,2,3,6, Phyllis 5,9,10. Helen A 1,4,7,8,12,13,14 Anne G 11