weekend walks
weekend walks: hen and chicken bay
It was a busy weekend so we had to squeeze in a walk somewhere – as part of, our training for the Camino.
We chose to walk around Hen and Chicken Bay which is considered to be the “Inner West” of Sydney (10 km away).
The morning was crisp and the sky overcast but there was no rain. The weather was actually perfect walking conditions.
The walk took us along the water, through residential streets, around golf courses and along mud flats.
We have never been to Cape Cod but we were told this section is inspired by the architecture (someone who has been can tell us if that’s true…).
And just for the record, we did not see any hens or chickens 🙂
Have a good week, folks!
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weekend walks: west head in ku-ring-gai chase national park
We were graced again today with blue skies and sunshine. The weather was a pleasant 20° Celsius without any wind this week (thank goodness). We drove to Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park so we could see Red Hand Cave and enjoy a walk to West Head Lookout and back.
The Red Hand Cave is Aboriginal rock painting and is dated to be about 2000 years old. It was very fascinating to see.
The view out to sea from West Head Lookout was stunning! We could just see Barrenjoey Lighthouse….
Our eagerness to walk (also as part of practice for the Camino), we thought we should challenge ourselves more. And we did. We headed down, down and further down til we reached West Head Beach, which we were SO pleased to do! It was so picture perfect and serene with calm blue waters in between us and Barrenjoey Lighthouse.
But then, it was time to head back UP! As easy and lovely as it was to head down, walking back up was completely a different story. Our only highlight was spotting 3 kookaburras in a tree at once – unfortunately we weren’t quick enough to snap a photo of the 3 of them. So one will have to do 🙂 
Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park is approximately 25 km north of Sydney, covering about 154km². Car entry costs $11 per day and gates open at sunrise and close at sunset.
Hope you all have a lovely week ahead!
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weekend walks: auburn botanical gardens
For $4 who would’ve thought we would’ve seen kangaroos, brush turkeys, green peafowls and a Japanese Garden. We were running a little bit short of time this weekend, so squeezed in only this little walk. We hadn’t visited the Auburn Botanical Gardens before but weren’t we simply surprised.
As we entered, the Japanese Garden is the first thing we see. There is traditional landscaping wrapped around the lake, complete with a tea house, zen garden and bridges. The late afternoon sun striking the leaves and the trees made for a beautiful backdrop. For a moment, it took us back to when we were in Japan. The entire Botanical Gardens are serene but this part was particularly peaceful and photogenic.
Walking to the left of the Japanese Garden is the fauna reserve – there we saw wallabies, kangaroos and an emu. There was an enclosure for a wombat but we were not able to spot him. We could spend hours watching animals, especially the way they interact with one another. This particular kangaroo was trying to reach the feeding pan but was constantly being frightened off by a Cape Barren Goose.
As we weave around to our right after leaving the animals, we enter the native rainforest section where we come across our first brush turkey, first of many as it turns out.
Actually, there are so many birds roaming free in these gardens, it was really quite a treat!
Our last stop for the visit was the sunken rose gardens – the roses we did see were all in full bloom and the colours as striking as ever but unfortunately there weren’t too many left in the bushes. The rest must’ve been pruned only recently.
Our biggest surprise was seeing the Reflection Pool. The signage states that the tree at the far end is a progeny of the original Lone Pine from Gallipoli in 1915. We found that fitting for us to be able to visit on ANZAC Day*. Another very peaceful place in the gardens for us to stop and reflect: Lest We Forget!
The Auburn Botanical Gardens is about 19km west of Sydney. It is open 9 am to 5 pm (and until 6 pm on weekends).
* ANZAC Day is the anniversary of the landing on Gallipoli back in 1915 during World War I. It is the day when Australia and New Zealand remember those who served and died in military operations.
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weekend walks: singapore zoo
We had forgotten how hot and humid Singapore is – it was 9 years (to the day in fact) since we had been here! Walking around Singapore is not only draining but also uncomfortable. Our only refuge is air conditioning wherever we can find it.
This weekend walk was around Singapore Zoo. Our day trip to the zoo also included a visit to the River Safari which was created by the Night Safari guys.
As with all our other walks, we always discover something new. This time, as we walked through both parks, we grew an even greater appreciation for animals. There are just so many different types: big, small, colourful, spiky, smooth, furry… Each one individually created with its unique characteristics and role in our world! It’s always a harsh reminder how much destruction has occurred and is still occurring, endangering lives of so many precious creatures.
We all can play a part (no matter how small) in making it possible to save this planet and all the wonderful animals so that our future generations can enjoy nature and wildlife as we can today.
Another thing that we learnt was how much we would like to be able to see some of these animals in their natural environments one day.
Hope you enjoy our pictures this week from Singapore Zoo.
And only a few minutes before, he was keeping cool inside his cave, looking outside the doorway!
Additional travel info:
How to get to Singapore Zoo / River Safari / Night Safari?
We took the RED MRT to Ang Mo Kio, caught bus no 138 to Singapore Zoo.
How much are tickets to Singapore Zoo?
A Park Hopper ticket cost us $50 for both Singapore Zoo and River Safari. The combo ticket includes unlimited tram rides around the zoo. There are other combinations available but we chose not to visit the Night Safari this time.
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