Hornsby Blue Gum Walk loop - the hard way : August 24 2025

My wife headed out to hospital to see her father. Decided to catch a train to go walking. Cold is under control - use the train. Did the lookup - train available at 1206

Well - so much for planning - train left as I got to the station. Running a minute early. Waited for the next. Found then there are no trains up the line - buses. Replan time

Do the Blue Gum walk for greenhood orchids - never noticed this old style building form in the main street of Hornsby. For Sale board got my eye

My normal access path to the Great North Walk is closed - too wet

Walked past the old incinerator a lot - first photo from the top side

The houses stand on top of these sandstone cliffs - creeks flowing across the tops

That photo stop scored this red mushroom window - well - half a mushroom

Walked the track with eyes right as I knew the greenhoods were on that side - cluster low down. Last walk I saw one open down low

Blunt greenhood from the side. First few flowers were all facing away from the tracking - looking to the rising sun

A bit of labellum showing but not enough for ID

And facing me. Twisted labellum and clear view of the column

Angled labellum and column too

Top down angle - twist showing well

More angles

Matching rosettes for completeness - blunt greenhood - pterostylis curta

A few more colonies up the hill - four in frame here - marked

Two bigger colonies side by side - at least 20 flowers open in each colony

A good backup plan produces as planned

A framing photo - two greenhoods - one in focus

This is part of the Great North Walk. The water canister is two thirds full. Guessing a group walking the Walk will replenish and carry away the empty

Not a lot of mushrooms left - got one in focus

Nodding greenhood found right on the track. Last time I had to go off track to find some. Saved me a muddy side trip

Matching rosette - pterostlyis nutans.

Hypericum - bold in yellow

Context photo - decided to not walk back the way I came - take the loop right from the You Are Here marker up into the suburb. Steep but shorter than the way I came

A few different flowers on the way up. Not the beet flower photo but the leaves are in focus

Did stop for a few rests. I never rest but this cold is still making things hard for any exertion

Sydney boronia

Dampiera purpurea on the way up

Banksia flowering - early

House being built right on the edge of the bush - taking a while

Stopped for a chat with a young man walking down - a few mushrooms where we stopped

Made it to the suburbs - big walk from here back to Hornsby - one house closed up with no for sale boards but all tidied up

This is a different location shot. Lots of houses built on the edge of the bush on battleaxe roads - framing of the photo takes in a few Gympie lilies

Here is a battleaxe property for sale - a slice of land going down to the bush to the the left of the house in frame

Long walk back to main road past this grand old building from another era

Looping around - better view of Mt Wilga Private Hospital - not any idea of the history - looks like a few others I have seen in back woods areas

Grand old style house on the way out

Had to take the photo

Fab magnolia and an old cottage

Long walk back to station. Resisted the urge to go in for a beer

Walk done - steps done - orchids found - tired

Did cook dinner - roast chicken on BBQ

Forgot to post this on 23rd - my 2nd granddaughter is two months old

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Daily Activity, House Chores, Photowalking

Height 183.0 cm		Weight 90.0 kg		Body Fat %
Waist cm		Thighs cm		Chest cm