Bush Bash thanks to George W. Bush

I, my friend Graeme and my son David had a fabulous bush walk into new territory on the APEC (oops OPEC) holiday just gone. We wandered into the Marramarra National Park between Wisemans Ferry and Arcadia. An amazingly undisturbed tract of bush full of rare wild flowers- some that I have never seen before. The track winds for kilometres all the way along the Hawksbury sandstone ridgetops and then flows down into various tributaries and inlets of the Hawksbury itself. Here are David and Graeme (me in the rear) setting off in the misty, moisty spring dawn (REMEMBER TO DOUBLE AND TRIPLE CLICK ON ANY IMAGE TO SEE IT CLOSE UP)

And here is yours truly catching breath after a steep hill climb… and just look at those flowers spreading into the distance:

Here are some extraordinary new species I had not seen before. First a green Grevillea

Here is the more common red Grevillea right next to it: an amazing quantity of these on this walk:

Then this one I have never seen before. If anyone knows what it is please let me know:

And here is a medley of other delights spotted on this walk: Boronia (etched against a sandstone cave)

A brilliant mixture of spring colours

dampiera (named after William Dampier who fist saw and named the species):

Gompholibium (etched against a burnt tree trunk- brilliant contrast);

a flowering Xylomylum Pyriform – also known as “Woody Pear” because of its amazingly pear-shaped seed cases that come after the flower (it is the same family as the Waratah)

my friend Graeme… (not Father Bush Christmas):

and to finish a bit of bush Graffiti- eat your heart out inner Sydney suburbs… we have it out here too:

If you are interested in finding this amazing tract of unspoilt bush (only 1 hour North of Sydney)… go to Galston Gorge shopping Centre then North to Northholm Christian School and then keep going north and you will find the bush tracks… check the maps for the entry to Marramarra national park….
MG
Might see you down the track!