Off to the favourite National Park, Ku-ring-ai Chase N.P. to enjoy the flora & fauna. The Salvation Walking track features wet heath lands and hanging swamps. All in yellow and pink at the moment. While the entry fee is being charged, mainly birds provide the acoustic ambiance. After that, West Head Road turns into a free roaring racing track with wildlife smeared across the road.
For the sake or re-creation it is one of those rare places that one can move their body in Sydney without inhaling toxins or having one's attention totally focused on other people's hazardous motor-cars. Our relaxed walk was interrupted by 'hell riders'. Four mature adults insulating their bodies with plastics against the environment came hurling along on huge 'mountain bikes' from behind. As it was illegal to make a racing track out of a WALKING track we did not move aside. After various verbal bullying they crashed through the delicate heath, breaking vegetation as they went and raced off. The entire track was mushed up by mountain bike tracks for any park management to see. I especially object to the riding of these vehicles on the delicate sculptured sandstone platforms which chip easily. The indigenous artifacts are lost forever this way. Another space in 'nature' converted into a free gym where the 'I, me, myself' can hurl their body around.
Hell riders " attention is fixated onto the object of your arousal and you quite easily miss things like road signs or someone stepping off from the pavement, because your attention is absolutely locked onto the competitors"
Bush walkers tread lightly and give names to all flora, fauna and land-formations.
Update: 050807 The entire Salvation Loop full of speeding 'bicycle' riders harassing walkers. The wet track ploughed up by the many bikes daily.
Result of broad daylight car-racing: Two dead wallabies on the side of West Head Road.
See also NP going to the dogs
Bikes and damage to sandstone engravings
Images: Ku-ringai Chase N.P. tessellations, bleached,drosea and tea tree-swamp (Salvation loop) mushed by heavy vehicle use. Usually frogs breed in these puddles.
29 July 2007
National Parks for bushwalkers or vehicles?
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