[New post] Kingfisher Pool – Heathcote National Park 2022
Hasmukh Chand posted: " The sunny spring weekend was too good to waste indoors, so I decided to grab my camera and telephoto lens and catch the train to Waterfall. I made my way to the Bullawarring walking track which is part of Heathcote National Park with the aim of reach" Conservation, Environment, Climate Change and Sustainable Development
The sunny spring weekend was too good to waste indoors, so I decided to grab my camera and telephoto lens and catch the train to Waterfall. I made my way to the Bullawarring walking track which is part of Heathcote National Park with the aim of reaching Kingfisher Pool. It was midday by the time I got on the walking track which meant that bird photography was going to be difficult. Initially I was a little disappointed but then I realised that spring meant that native flowers would be in full bloom. They would have to be my photography subjects instead.
The beginning of the track was a challenge as I had to scurry down a rocky slope, stepping and weaving my way between large boulders while avoiding protruding roots and fallen branches. On a handful of occasions, I had to slide on my butt. It's the kind of terrain that is slow going at the best of times, made slower for me because of the camera dangling around my neck and the occasional contouring around the escarpment to take photos of native flowers and observe bees.
At the bottom of the slope, the path veered right and took me past knee-high bracken fern and tall banksia shrubs. While I caught fleeting movements in the shrubs, the birds were hard to see and even harder to photograph. I noticed that some trees also bore signs of fire damage. This portion of the track was also muddy and I could see the footprints left by past adventurers. A number of small streams flowed across the track which made progress slow. The rust coloured water hinted at the tannings that had leached into them from the decaying vegetation matter and the bracken fern. I wondered whether the water tasted as rusty as it looked or whether it was closer to weak tea. I decided against finding out.
At the end of the trail, the track turned left and brought me to a much larger stream. Once again, I had to take a slight detour so that I could cross the stream after which the track turned right. I knew I was close to Kingfisher Pool as I could hear a loud waterfall off to my right. A sign post further on confirmed my suspicions but it was a little misleading as the correct path was further ahead of the sign. As I walked down the correct path, I amused myself with thoughts of what I would do if I got lost and whether any of the lessons I had learned watching the many seasons of survival show Alone was going to come in handy (don't eat muskrats I reminded myself and the thought made me smile).
I came across another muddy section of the trail. Here, I took my shoes and socks off and continued on. The mix of warm and cold puddles and the mud squishing between my toes made this a pleasant experience. For a few minutes, the sensation took me back to my childhood in Fiji where barefoot walking was the norm. Hot summer days, wet rainy days, gravel, paved roads, running, walking, playing footy - all of it was barefoot and shoes were the exception. It might seem a bit primitive but it's such a great way to connect to the earth.
Soon I found myself at Kingfisher Pool. I boulder hopped my way to a shaded spot where I stopped for a picnic while soaking my feet in the cold running stream. The only sounds I could hear were the running water and the birds serenading in the trees. The dragonflies that droned across the pools and the ants that helped themselves to my crumbs were my only companions.
I felt so far from everyone and the lack of internet and phone reception added to the sense of isolation and serenity. The return trip to Waterfall Station was much quicker as I had put my camera away. All up, the trip to and from Kingfisher Pool took about three hours and when I got home in the afternoon, I felt content after my adventures and managed to take some photos of native flowers as well.
I look forward to my next adventure.
(I did this walk 29.10.22. I was on the trail at 12.30pm and returned to the train station at 3pm)
Native flowers I photographed during my walk. Image credit; Hasmukh Chand 2022
Another beautiful native flower. This one was full of bees. Image credit; Hasmukh Chand 2022
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