93 Crackneck

 

One of the many things I loved about living in Barry Street was its proximity to Crackneck. Crackneck is a view site that stands high above Bateau Bay and has a wonderful view north to The Entrance and Norah Head. Then south to Terrigal and Avoca. From there, a track starts that goes through the bush to Forrester’s Beach. It is a lovely part of the world and I was able to walk there every morning. It is a well-used track and I would get to see some people over and over again and so I made lots of new friends there. One starts off by just passing the time of day but as time goes by the conversations get longer and they become dear friends. People who have the same love of the bush as I do and it is good to share time with them. Sometimes we seem to do more Talking than Walking but that is good too. There are quite a few wallabies there and it is always a pleasure to spot them and have a chance to watch them for a little while. There are also echidnas there and birds and snakes too. I once saw a really huge Diamond python there but have not been lucky enough to see her again or to spot the echidnas.

 

The Wallabies are so lovely to watch. I remember the first time I saw one, when I had not been walking at Crackneck for very long. I had obviously startled it and it bounded across the track and off into the bush before I had time to think. I walked on a little further and met Bill who was one of my walking friends. I was so excited as I had no idea that there were wallabies in the area. I told Bill “I just saw a kangaroo”. He smiled at my enthusiasm and my ignorance, he informed me, “Actually it was really a Wallaby, we don’t have kangaroos around here”. But never the less I was thrilled and since then often see the lovely creatures. They are pretty shy but sometimes if you have come up to them quietly, they will just watch you for a little while, continue to munch on the leaves they were so busy on and wait until you make a fast move before bounding away to safety. The first day I saw a wallaby was also the same day as I saw the huge Diamond python. She slithered across the track about five meters in front of me and I watched her for a minute or so before she was lost in the bush, but I was so excited I did not think to get out my camera and take her picture. Shortly after that National Parks and Wildlife did a back-burn in the area to minimize the risk of uncontrolled fires there, and Lisa another regular walker, told me that she had met one of the women from National Parks and Wildlife walking out carrying a huge python. The lady told Lisa that because of the back-burn they were going to take the python away to a place of safety but that they would return her later. So, I was sure she was in the area but although I always look out for her, I have never seen her again.

 

One morning when I was on my way back from my walk I met up with Kim, another of my walking friends, and she told me that she had just spotted a snake. She said that she had been up there walking the evening before and had spotted the snake curled up beside the track and when she had passed the there that morning it was still in the same place. She thought that there must be a problem with it and I agreed. When we got back to that spot again, she pointed him out to me. And sure enough there he was still curled up in exactly the same position. While we were standing looking another of our walking friends, Andy came passed and in his usual casual way said “Don’t worry about it, he’ll be right”.  But Kim and I thought differently so Kim rang one of those organizations that care for sick and injured wild life. As I was going to church that morning, I could not stick around but Kim waited for the lady so that she could show her exactly where he could be found.

 

The next day we got the news that our snake was a very sick little vegemite. He was identified as a Diamond Python. He had been taken to a vet for a thorough examination and it was discovered that he had two broken vertebrae, was covered in ticks and was severely dehydrated and malnourished. It was assumed that he had been ridden over by a bicycle, even though bicycles are not really supposed to be on the track.  He would be taken into care until he was well enough to be released and the lady promised to keep us updated on his progress. It was touch and go for a while but with the loving care that he was given he slowly recovered. The lady that was looking after him told us that she had got very fond of him as he “has a very lovely nature” (I wonder what she meant by that). As he had been found at Crackneck Reserve she had named him Crackers. And as this all happened around about Christmas time, we called him Christmas Crackers. 

 

I think it must have been about six or eight weeks before Crackers was well enough to be released into the bush again. Kim was able to witness the event but it had to be at a time that was rather inconvenient for the rest of us. Never mind we were just glad that he was well again and we think of him whenever we pass that spot and wish him well.

 

Since we have moved house, it is a 10-minute drive to get to Crackneck so I don’t go every morning now. I do still go a few times a week but I have other local walk, on the beach or around the lake that I also love but I do think that Crackneck is still my favorite.