Exploring the Royal National Park, NSW Australia - A Wandering Through the Wilderness

Hello fellow Steemians!

Weekends can often be spent neck-deep in chores deliberately avoided during the week. No one's making any judgements. Game of Thrones is an important addition to anyone's work week. Us included. One thing we try not to forget, however, is to experience life outside the walls of cozy home with internet at the ready and a cup of coffee just a jug's boil away. Today's (and last week's) journey took us into the gorgeous wilderness of our local Royal National Park - if you're interested in going, the specifics can be found after the article*.

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The Royal National Park is actually only outranked as the oldest National Park listed worldwide by Yellowstone National Park in the United States**. It is a fact I've been aware of for some time, but the significance of this declaration only really has an impact on you when you step past the guard rails of the road and begin to hear the hiker's musical metronome - the rhythmical crunch, snap and grind of the earthy material beneath your boots. When you take in the layers of green, the echo of chirps and twittering, and breathe in the arboreal aroma, your mind begins to realise that all of this could have been swallowed up into the expanse of Sydney's arguably catastrophic method of growth and development - urban sprawl. On behalf of every visitor of the Royal National Park, thank you, Sir John Robertson.

Sir John Robertson. New South Wales 5th Premier and founder of the RNP in 1879.

The majesty of the cabbage-tree palm (Livistona australis) is highlighted by it's wide, fanning leaves with finger-like projections providing deep shade to the undergrowth below.

As the girls looked up, this is what they saw.

Walking through a space that's so deeply steeped in earth's raw history makes you feel like a sort of time traveller. If you're able to survey a raw, exposed escarpment, hill or other geological formation, you have the privilege of witnessing the history books of the land. Geological strata (horizontal lines of varying thickness visible in exposed rock) represent layers of sediment deposited and compacted by newer layers over millennia. The growth we see are the newest inhabitants - the plants and animals. Just as they are, we too are merely borrowing time to spend within the canopy's motherly embrace. Meander along the trail. There's time. Keep breathing and let it rejuvenate your being.

Jurassic-looking plants like this are found all over the trails.

Notice the colour of the water. After rainfall, tannins from decaying matter leech into the waterways and provide a reddish-brown hue to the water. The orange sandstone rocks may also be leeching pigmented compounds into the water.

Cabbage-tree palm leaves cast spidery shadows across the path.

The Gymea lily (Doryanthes excelsa) usually projects a tall flower stalk from Spring to early Summer for individuals older than 5-10 years***. Quite a long time to wait for a flower. Thankfully, the foliage is just as gorgeous.

The Lilly Pilly berries were found scattered all over a clearing near where we set up to have lunch. The Lilly Pilly (Acmena smithii) usually produce these mauve coloured berries that are in fact edible!****

This Lilly Pilly berry is unusual in it's obvious lack of pigment. I'm not sure if it has something to do with the decomposition process or other factors. Lilly Pilly berries can be eaten raw or made into jellies.*****

This appears to be a stinging nettle (Urtica dioica). Desperate for nature's toilet paper? Look elsewhere. The visible spines on the leaves and stems act like hypodermic needles containing a mixture of serotonin, histamines, acetylcholine (a neurotransmitter) and even formic acid. It appears these projections evolved to deter herbivores from this nutritious plant.******

The Trangia stove provides us with a portable means of cooking and heating water. Who was it that said you need cozy home to provide tea and coffee?

Methylated spirits (methanol/ethanol) is used to fuel the burner. Adding a little smear of dish liquid to the base of the pot will circumvent some of the carbon sooting and make cleaning easier. I forgot this time :(

Adding water we brought along for tea and coffee. If you're sourcing water from local streams within the park, ensure you have either purification tablets or prepare to boil for at least ten minutes. It's a first world precaution we do to water that's likely to be pretty damn clean even in it's untreated state.

When we came to a fork in our trail, I spotted three cockatoos tearing apart what appeared to be tree roots. The shredding was clearly audible against the otherwise serene ambience of the forest.

I recall watching a flock of cockatoos perch on the handrails of a public school I began teaching at less than 15 kilometres away. The children would have to halt lessons to shoo away the birds. The birds would use their beaks and claws to unzip and pry open school bags to get at sugary snacks and a feast of assorted fruits and vegetables destined for human consumption during “crunch and sip”. The brighter students soon purchased simple locks for their bags, while others learned the hard way.

More recently, a small group of cockatoos had visited our apartment in North Wollongong. We decided to purchase wild bird seed to encourage their patronage. While it was lovely to have such beautiful, large birds on our humble balcony for our enjoyment, they soon brought with them minds full of mischief and mayhem. Within a month of their presence we were alerted to the behaviour of a small group of cockatoos wreaking havoc with our neighbours. Lo and behold, the same group had been a part of throwing wet clothes of their lines and clinging to window ledges whilst shredding the wire screens which once kept flies from entering the breezy openings. Sadly, our affectionate and giving relationship with our cockatoos had come to an end. The process of discouraging the birds from returning was emotionally difficult, but made much easier when they turned against me, snipping my plants in two and gnawing into our wooden balcony railings. We named the leader of the pack Lord Voldemort and even now whenever we see cockatoos, we call them 'Voldy's'.

A very discernible crest visible against the dark foliage.

The car trip back was leisurely. Leaving a place like the Park only makes you want to revisit again next weekend. The main detractor is the Park's popularity with 'uncivilised' locals. What can only be described as a parade of race cars (Lamborghini's, Ferraris and all manner of weekend wannabe's) along with motorcycles spoil the tranquility with their throaty exhausts and overly excitable engines. Thank all those who drive small, quiet cars allowing you to continue your conversation and enjoy what nature has to offer.

You're welcome.

Thankfully, the car still had about 25% charge upon returning to our nearby DC Fast charger. Within 20 minutes, she was back to 80% full.

While I was waiting for the car to charge, I decided to take a stroll. This was as close as I could get to this Rainbow Lorikeet as he/she was slurping nectar from this flower.

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All the best,
Nick

*http://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/visit-a-park/parks/royal-national-park
**https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_National_Park
***https://www.anniesannuals.com/plants/view/?id=3970
****http://www.burkesbackyard.com.au/fact-sheets/in-the-garden/trees-and-palms/lilly-pilly/
*****http://www.burkesbackyard.com.au/fact-sheets/food-and-recipes/food-health-nutrition/lilly-pilly-jelly/
******http://www.indefenseofplants.com/blog/2017/7/6/the-stinging-nettles