12 April - Plus Walk: Mt Kuring-gai to Berowra via Cowan Creek (East of Ridge)

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Nine walkers set off from Mt Kuring-gai on a beautiful day.  The walk began with brief visits to a lookout over Apple Tree Bay, then to the Firefighters Memorial (commemorating 4 firefighters who died in 2000), and a sunlit cave before dropping down to Cowan Creek on a very well built path.  Morning Tea was at a rocky platform looking out over Cowan Creek where we disturbed a goanna as we arrived. 
 
                             24 04 12 Plus Rick IMG 1565 STarting off    24 04 12 Plus Rick IMG 1568 Sculptured Cave
                                                                                       Starting off on a good track                                                     Colourful sculpured cave
 
                                           24 04 12 Plus Rick IMG 1566 Memorial to firefighters                     24 04 12 Plus Hazel group photo P1290060
                                                      Firefighters Memorial                                                                                           Group at Memorial Lookout
 
                                   24 04 12 Plus Hazel distant view of Cowan Ck P1290060                  24 04 12 Plus Hazel lace monitor P1290060                                                                                                                      Distant view of Cowan Creek                                                                                    Disturbed lace monitor
 
The track did not maintain the high standard of the descent, but had stood up well to the rain from a week ago.  Spectacular views were available up and down Cowan Creek.  The track followed the water's edge around headlands and 4 bays with multiple creek crossings requiring careful negotiation across slippery rocks.  Lunch was had on the North-facing side of Waratah Bay near a boat wreck and the few remains of the slipway and boat shed built by Edward Windybank in the late 1800s.
 
                                  24 04 12 Plus Hazel creek P1290118                  24 04 12 Plus Nick S it was a ship DSCF0480er                                                                                            One of the creeks                                                                                                 It was a ship
 
        24 04 12 Plus Hazel leafy trackP1290116      24 04 12 Plus Nick S spider DSCF0479e          24 04 12 Plus Hazel small snake P1290120                                         Part of the track                                         Spider with a good view                                                                   Startled snake
 
Following lunch, we faced a 220m elevation climb up to Berowra.  This included the creek crossing across Waratah Gully where luckily the creek went under the large rock that we crossed.  A small snake startled some walkers as it went slowly across the track.  At Berowra, some of the group went to coffee at the RSL.
 
 
24 04 12 Plus Rick mmap plus 240412r    24 04 12 Plus Rick Elevation profire PLUS 240412
 
Many thanks to Pragati and Nick for being First Aiders and Wendy for being the tail.
Walkers:  Rick, Steve, Nick S, Pragati, Wendy C, Hazel, Celia, Alan, Leah
 
Photos:  Hazel (4,5,6,7,9,11); Nick S (8,10); Rick (1,2,3,13,14)