Escape in the Shire | Wildlife sanctuary

Escape in the Shire

Phone: +61 412 475 168

Address: 4 Melaleuca place 2234 Alfords Point, NSW, Australia

Website: http://www.findmyaustralia.com/

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25.01.2022 Kellys Falls, located in the Garawarra State Conservation Area, is a network of walking trails, cascading waterfalls and scenic lookouts. Water cascades over th...e rocks and drops into a pool, providing a relaxing soundtrack to your lunch at Kellys Falls picnic area, a beautiful spot to get back to nature. From this picnic area, you can walk up to one of four scenic lookouts to take in the views of waterfalls and the rainforest-lined gullies below. With satin bowerbirds, honeyeaters and wattle birds attracted by the flowering banksia, hakea, grevillea and towering Gymea lilies, its a great place for birdwatching. This is also the perfect location to view waterdragons and other interesting reptiles in their natural environment *Due to the degree of difficulty reaching the Lower Falls, it would be irresponsible of me to give directions to this location.

25.01.2022 Even a turtle needs a good stretch every now and then. That was the case for this cute little Macquarie/Murray turtle I spotted in the Hacking river along Lady Carrington drive in the Royal National park #royalnationalpark

24.01.2022 Just a few images I took on my recent visit to St Georges Basin

23.01.2022 This 15.5km walk began at the Box Vale mine track The Box Vale Mine track follows the formation of an historic railway line and passes through cuttings, along e...mbankments and through a tunnel 84 metres in length. The tunnel was cut out around 1890 with a rail line running through the tunnel to transport coal back to Mittagong. From here we trekked the very steep decline with the assistance of a much needed cable running the full 580m down to the Nattai Gorge where the coal was mined. The trail then winds through some very lush fern forest that follow the Nattai river joining onto Forty Foot Falls walking track and eventually getting us back onto the Box Vale mine track. This full loop is nothing short of an adventure and requires a good level of fitness with a bit of orienteering *Give yourself around 5-6hrs for this loop trail See more

23.01.2022 There are 46 species of blind snakes in Australia. Blind snakes are often mistaken for earthworms. They are small worm-like burrowing snake, pink or grey in col...our and have a forked tongue and smooth scales around their bodies (no broad belly scales) that allow them to travel through soil. Their eyes are reduced to small dark spots under the scales of the head and their mouth is well behind and below the tip of the snout; the body is uniform in thickness along its length with a very short tail ending in a conical spine. Blind Snakes live in south-eastern Australia and are found wherever ants and termites (their main food supply) are plentiful. They also eat the eggs and larvae of ants and termites. These snakes are non-venomous and harmless. They cannot bite and have limited defensive capabilities. They are able to produce a pungent odour from the anal glands, vomit up their last meal or prod with the tail spine to produce an unpleasant prickling sensation. * IMPORTANT DO NOT HANDLE SNAKES AT ANY TIME. There are some 100 Australian snakes that are venomous although only 12 are likely to inflict a wound that could kill you. "Contact Andrew from Shire Snake Catchers on 0415448844" Shire Snake Catchers SSC 24/7 See more

21.01.2022 Social distancing games. Father/daughter. The official times are up. Natalie Tannos (31y) 23kph. Greg Tannos (61y) 23kph. Pretty sure I pulled a muscle. #speedcameradash

20.01.2022 WELCOME TO SHARE Rodriguez Pass walking track is a challenging 12km loop hike that can be started from either Govetts Leap or Evans lookout, in Blackheath. This... Grade 5 track winds past numerous spectacular waterfalls, lookouts and lush rainforest in Blue Mountains National Park. *Note. The track is very steep and difficult in places and has minimal signage. Its recommended for experienced hikers with good fitness and navigation skills. Take care as there are exposed cliff edges, steep stairs and slippery creek crossings #nationalparksandwildlife #bluemountains #bushwalkingnsw Adam Dansie Steve Lethlean Margaret Dorrell

20.01.2022 100% Australian honey I must say like most people who love their honey, no thought had really gone into how something so pure made it onto the shelves of ou...r supermarkets. For me, this originally started with a large swarm of bees landing in my backyard. Thankfully, with the help of a friend who is a hobby bee keeper, the swarm was collected and eventually transferred into a Beehive. Months later and all geared up with our weird space like suits, we eventually got to reap the rewards of around 20 litres of pure gold. YUMMMM Keep up to date. Follow my adventures on Youtube and Facebook See more

19.01.2022 This will put a smile on your face. I was filming a small school of Porcupine fish when this happy little bugger came up to my lens and gave me the biggest grin. ENJOY

19.01.2022 I spotted this little family of Macquarie turtles sunning themselves on the Hacking river along Lady Carrington drive in the Royal National Park. Macquarie turt...les, also known as the Murray turtle or Murray short-necked turtle, can grow to about 30cm in length. These turtles have a distinctive creamy-yellow stripe running back along the side of the head from the corner of the mouth and the eyes are small and yellow with a round black pupil. @nswnationalparks #nswparks NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service Audley Dance Hall & Cafe See more

19.01.2022 It was another interesting day out in the Royal National Park that started out at Waterfall Station walking along Uloola trail. Uloola trail is a 7km one way tr...ip to Uloola Falls on a mostly uninteresting fire trail. We decided to break away from the trail for a bit of bush bashing to explore Uloola Brook with the intention of following the brook back to Ulloola Falls. BIG MISTAKE The brook is not really interesting at all and most importantly there is no easy way of doing this without fighting your way through some pretty dense bushland. I would suggest you stay on Uloola trail at all times and this will safely get you to your destination. See more

18.01.2022 Mirang Pool and Elbow Pool- Heathcote National Park

17.01.2022 What a great way to start of the New Year with an 11km walk starting at Cape Solander on the Cape Baily track walking to Wanda Beach. Cape Baily Track, locate o...n the headland of Kurnell in NSW, is a 6.4 kilometer moderately trafficked trail that takes you out to Cape Baily Lighthouse and back. We decided to continue our walk from the lighthouse taking us past Voodoo point, the very scenic Boat Harbour Aquatic reserve and finishing at Wanda Beach in Cronulla. This is an excellent trail with lots of photo opportunities along our beautiful coastline. See more

16.01.2022 National Falls- Royal National Park

16.01.2022 Kookaburra rules

15.01.2022 I filmed this Short-beaked Echidna at Cradle Mountain in Tasmania. The fur of the Tasmanian subspecies is much thicker and longer concealing most of the spines, unlike that of their cousins on mainland Australia. NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service National Geographic Australia

15.01.2022 I have a few thousand friendly visitors that have flown into my backyard today. This is the time of year when bees are swarming looking for a safe place to st...art new colonies. If you have been visited or "invaded" by a swarm please do not harm them. Our bee population needs to be protected. If you are concerned call your local council or a beekeeper (see links attached) Illawarra Beekeepers https://illawarrabeekeepers.org.au Hoods Honey Marnie Rogers shared these interesting Bee facts B E E S Fun facts: A colony of bees consists of 20,000-60,000 honey bees and one Queen. Worker honey bees are female, live for about 6 weeks and do all the work. Male honey bees (also called drones), have no stinger and do no work. All they do is mate.... then die. The honey bee is the only insect that produces food consumed by humans. A single bee will produce only about 1/12 of a teaspoon of honey in its lifetime. The bees buzz is the sound made by their wings which beat 11,400 times per minute. When a bee finds a good source of nectar it flies back to the hive and shows its friends where the nectar source is by doing a dance which positions the flower in relation to the sun and hive. This is known as the waggle dance. Approximately one third of the food we eat is the result of honey bee pollination. Pollination is vital in helping plants grow, breed and produce food.

15.01.2022 National Falls in the Royal National park

15.01.2022 Living in the shire can be a lifestyle. Also check out my home page Find My Australia

14.01.2022 Temptation creek like youve never seen it

14.01.2022 From time to time nature can give us some very pleasant surprises. This was the case with a Goose that seems to have adopted a family of Wood ducks in th Shire.... And mother goose certainly made it clear that no one was going to get close to this young family as she continually rounded up, followed and hissed at any potential threats to the little ducklings A local did tell me that there were originally 2 geese in the area and that one had been hit by a car and killed. It seems the other goose may have taken on her maternal instincts when this young family of Wood ducks were hatched

14.01.2022 Figure Eight Pool - Royal National Park

14.01.2022 What started out as going for a walk in the Royal to get our minds off these disastrous fires, ended up being a pleasant surprise. Unkowingly, when we stopped t...o look out over the Hacking river, this beautiful 2.5m Diamond Python was at our feet. More than ever now, please look after our wildlife See more

12.01.2022 The Illawarra Escarpment Walk is a 17 kilometer trail located near Stanwell Park in New South Wales This walk, rated moderate, is a combination of 3 tracks star...ting on the Wodi Wodi Track located at Stanwell Park station. Approx 5km into the Wodi Wodi you will arrive at a signed junction leading you onto Forest Walk trail. (note. There is also a 1.8km option at this point to Coalcliff station for those not wishing to continue). Forest Walk is a beautiful walk which follows the top of the escarpment, and has multiple lookouts providing spectacular views up and down the coast. Keep an eye out as this walk also offers the chance to see some of our unique wildlife. We did take a short diversion north along the Forest Walk to check out Coalcliff Dam The dam, which was owned by the Illawarra Coke Company was used for its now-closed coke-making operations at Coalcliff. From here we headed back south along the track eventually arriving at Sublime Point where you will have one of the most amazing uninterupted views making you feel like youre on the edge of the world. NOW this is where the fun begins. Sublime Point walking track is one of the iconic treks of the Illawarra escarpment. This exhilarating track hugs the cliff face and has a series of ladders and a giant staircase allowing you to rock-hop your way down to Austinmer. At the end of this trail follow the road a further 1.5km downhill until you eventually arrive at Austinmer station. Note. Consider downloading the Alltrails App. This is a valuable tool that will track your exact location using GPS. Always download the trail you are about to do while you have mobile range as the GPS tracking will still operate when mobile signals are lost See more

12.01.2022 Soldier crabs storm the beach in Port Stephens Note. Please observe but do not collect. A few interesting facts about Soldier Crabs: Soldier crabs have an in...ternal clock that perfectly syncs them with the falling and rising of the tide. They are one of the only crabs that can walk straight forward, instead of sideways. They are known as soldier crabs because they all "march" together across the sandy mud flat. When approached, they bury themselves into the sand using a cork screw motion, until they are completely covered. Because of their bright colours, they are often known as "Easter Eggs on legs". They have adapted to life on land by breathing through their bum. They hang around in same sex groups. Large groups of males and large groups of females can often be found wandering around separately. No one knows why. They are the cleaners of the sandy mudflats. They scoop up sand into their mouth and suck off the bacteria and other organic matter and spit the newly cleaned sand back out. #crabs #crablegs #crab #marching #soldiers #marinelife #marinebiology #marineconservation See more

12.01.2022 Bottle Forest Track-via Karloo+Olympic Pools

12.01.2022 These are the results of my last walk in the Royal National Park. The full video of this beautiful Diamond Python can be seen on my page

12.01.2022 I filmed this beautiful display of Blue Soldier crabs as they surfaced from the water in their thousands at a beach in Port Stephens. NSW National Parks and Wil...dlife Service Port Stephens Port Stephens Examiner #bbcearth #earthpics #wildlifephotography #nature_sultans #OurPlanetDaily #MajesticWildlife_ #Nature_prefection #WildlifeOwners #nature_brillinance #nature_sultans #natgeography #MajesticWildlife_ #wildlifevision #exclusivewildlife #EarthCapture #nat_geo #wildlife_photography #SafariMonks #wildlifeaddicts #wildlifeplanet #earthofficial #wildlifeonearth

11.01.2022 So how many of you have recently been woken by a loud unusual prehistoric cry of Gkwark-awk-awk-awk in the middle of the night? More than likely it is one of ...the world's Largest Parasitic Cuckoo. ... The migratory Channel-billed Cuckoo. This bird flits in and out of Sydney each year around spring and summer. Being a cuckoo, it lays its eggs in the nest of another bird, and being a large cuckoo, it must lay its eggs in the nest of another large bird. The species usually chosen as foster parents are Pied Currawongs, Australian Magpies, crows and ravens, although occasionally eggs are laid in the mud-nests of White-winged Choughs or Magpie-larks, and very occasionally in the nests of birds of prey. See more

10.01.2022 I couldn't resist getting the camera out to capture some of the interesting karate like moves displayed by this Large Brown Mantis in my front yard. Large Brown Mantis are also referred to as a Stick Mantis, Praying Mantis or Mantid and are common in Australia.

10.01.2022 How do we celebrate this Australia Day 2020? We celebrate those who have tragically lost their lives fighting these devastating bushfires. We celebrate the many... thousands of volunteers that have been and are still out there fighting these fires. We celebrate our neighbours our friends and our overseas friends who expect nothing but are just there to help. We celebrate everyone who have given up their time to raise money for all in need. We celebrate those who have a massive task to save and protect our unique wildlife This Australia Day is very special. WE CELEBRATE See more

09.01.2022 Today marked a new but strange day for my family and I. Is this our new world?

08.01.2022 Maddens falls is an easy walk in the Dharawal national park. This short walk starts on Darkes Forest Road in Darkes Forest across the road from Appleshack at G...lenbernie Orchard. (Buy their local honey...yum) The walk starts on a wide, gently sloping maintenance trail, before a boardwalk branches off to the right after about 200-odd metres. Youll land right in the thick of a heath here, with abundant birdlife and possibly snake-life too! See more

08.01.2022 40 FOOT FALLS is a 9-10km return walk that begins at the back of lake Alexandra in Mittagong. The track which is mostly easy takes you through lush fern forest ...and mostly follows the creek to the falls. This walk is probably up there with one of the most picturesque walks I have come across and most certainly is worth the drive out to Mittagong. The trail is reasonably well marked however there are still a few sections where you can lose your way. As always I highly recommend downloading the AllTrails app. You can then download "Forty Foot Falls" to your smart phone. This will show your exact GPS location and keep you on the trail. * I would rate this walk as easy-medium but you should consider the distance and your limits. Mittagong, New South Wales See more

08.01.2022 Scouters Mountain Trail - Heathcote National Park

08.01.2022 Mt Westmacott via Lake Toolooma This 7km loop trail in Heathcote National Park gives you a wonderful sense of solitude and is the perfect walk for that little e...scape away from the everyday rat race. The walk passes uninterrupted bushland to the scenic secluded Lake Toolooma. In 1906, a dam which formed Lake Toolooma, was constructed over the Heathcote creek for supplying water to the steam trains. The water was pumped to a holding reservoir and fed to the water tank in the Waterfall yard. The water tank and a 1908 turntable remain and are of historical significance from the steam train era. (info MAC'S HISTORY CORNER) Continue further on and you arrive at CampCoutts, a Scout camp which has been in use for around 100 years. From here the track can be quite steep at times however you will most certainly be impressed by the views from Mount Westmacott (presumed to have been named after Captain Robert Marsh Westmacott, ( 1801-1870). See more

07.01.2022 What a great day out in Jervis Bay. Water temp sitting around 23 degrees and heaps of marine life. Does it get any better. I will say the Grey Nurse shark was the bonus of the day

07.01.2022 Mill Creek MTB trails

05.01.2022 I filmed this massive Smooth Stingray that was burried in the worlds whitest sand off Murrays Beach in Jervis Bay. Jervis Bay Wild Hyams Beach Jervis Bay, NSW

04.01.2022 How do we celebrate this Australia Day 2020

03.01.2022 Firstly I must say although the waterways along Kangaroo Creek are very picturesque, this is NOT a walk I would recommend for anyone wanting a easy day out. *E...XPERIENCED BUSHWALKERS ONLY Upper Kangaroo Creek lies between Karloo Pools and Waterfall Station. We started the 12km, one way bushwalk at Waterfall Station on Uloola Fire trail, turning off at Kangaroo Creek track. This overgrown track was at first fairly visible and easy to stay on, but eventually totally disappeared making the last 5km trek to Karloo Pools extremely challenging as we bush bashed our way through some very difficult terrain. Once arriving at Karloo Pools we then headed back to Heathcote station via Karloo Track. Overall time for us was around 5.5 hrs ** Important. Know your limits, be prepared and do your research before heading out on this walk. Royal National Park #royalnationalpark See more

01.01.2022 They're back. So how many of you have recently been woken by a loud unusual prehistoric cry of Gkwark-awk-awk-awk in the middle of the night? More than likely... it is one of the world's Largest Parasitic Cuckoo. ... The migratory Channel-billed Cuckoo. This bird flits in and out of Sydney each year around spring and summer. Being a cuckoo, it lays its eggs in the nest of another bird, and being a large cuckoo, it must lay its eggs in the nest of another large bird. The species usually chosen as foster parents are Currawongs, Australian Magpies, crows and ravens. See more

01.01.2022 Another adventurous day out at stage 2 of Wollangambe canyon in Mount Wilson. This canyon involves long swims for which inflatable mats and wetsuits are require...d. It also involves two rope climbs leading to the start of this stage which is definitely not for the faint hearted. Very Important to note, do your research on this canyon as you can easily miss the exit point leading out. It may also be worth downloading a topographical map AVOID THIS ACTIVITY IF RAIN IS FORECAST EXTREME RISK AS CANYON IS SUBJECT TO FLASH FLOODING * This stage took us around 8hrs to complete and does require a reasonable level of fitness. As always be very prepared and take extra water, first aid kit and a supply of munchies See more