This weekend (or maybe next) we are going to explore the Elvina Track engraving site in the Kuringai National Park, just North of Sydney. This site has the “emu-in-the-sky” engraving that aligns with the “constellation” when emus are laying their eggs. It is an extensive Aboriginal ‘male initiation’ engraving site. There is a car park and a 200 metre walk to the site.

If any Sydney-siders (or others) would like to come along for an afternoon of adventure, photography and fun then give us a hoy. The late afternoon is the best time to photograph the petroglyphs as the grooves become shadowed and more pronounced.

I’d love to see it but it will have to be some other time.

Joel Werner has had some nice stories recently on hills and karst in NSW and beyond.

http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/offtrack/the-gardens-of-stone/3788636

http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/offtrack/celestial-chamber/4595454

http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/offtrack/exploring-the-illawarra-escarpment/4141810

There are a lot of engravings around the Sydney region and on the Central Coast.

I stumbled onto a large well defined one in the bush on Wards Hill Rd above Hardys Bay years ago..

Looks like the spot is now building blocks.

Ian said:

There are a lot of engravings around the Sydney region and on the Central Coast.

I stumbled onto a large well defined one in the bush on Wards Hill Rd above Hardys Bay years ago..

Looks like the spot is now building blocks.

Probably because you didn’t bring it to someone’s attention?

fsm said:

This weekend (or maybe next) we are going to explore the Elvina Track engraving site in the Kuringai National Park, just North of Sydney. This site has the “emu-in-the-sky” engraving that aligns with the “constellation” when emus are laying their eggs. It is an extensive Aboriginal ‘male initiation’ engraving site. There is a car park and a 200 metre walk to the site.

If any Sydney-siders (or others) would like to come along for an afternoon of adventure, photography and fun then give us a hoy. The late afternoon is the best time to photograph the petroglyphs as the grooves become shadowed and more pronounced.

Sounds good.

It was the light i tell you.

Ian said:

There are a lot of engravings around the Sydney region and on the Central Coast.

I stumbled onto a large well defined one in the bush on Wards Hill Rd above Hardys Bay years ago..

Looks like the spot is now building blocks.

We have been to some of the Central Coast sites. The Elvina Track site appears to be quite extensive.

fsm said:

Ian said:

There are a lot of engravings around the Sydney region and on the Central Coast.

I stumbled onto a large well defined one in the bush on Wards Hill Rd above Hardys Bay years ago..

Looks like the spot is now building blocks.

We have been to some of the Central Coast sites. The Elvina Track site appears to be quite extensive.

Girrakool National Park has quite a few.

Don’t ask me for locations. We’d find them almost entirely by accident, off the tracks.

This site has a great shot of the “emu-in-the-sky” and information about the Elvina Track engraving site…

http://www.atnf.csiro.au/people/rnorris/SydneyRockArt/sites/Elvina/index.htm

Sounds great. I grew up in the area and visited a few sites when I was a kid. Very keen to see the emu (I live interstate now though…).

I remember a cave with stencils in Fiddletown, a rock with a fish engraving only seen by boat at Berowra Creek, quite a few up on the Central Coast where my folks now live and one engraved rock right next to the rail line near Berowra station.

Have a great time fsm!

Our big adventure is happening this weekend. Ruby shall be astride an elephant, covered in veils and drinking mint juleps. I will be trudging behind, wearing a pith helmet and carrying cameras, tripods and assorted baggage.

The Elvina Track is located at UBD street directory reference Map 117 G5. From Sydney, go up the Pacific Highway and turn right at Mona Vale Road. Turn left into McCarrs Creek Road and then left into West Head Road. The carpark near the engraving site is about 2km on the right. The engraving site is about 200 meters from the carpark. You can ‘Google Earth’ the site at these co-ordinates: 33.64365 S 151.26398 E

We will be there about 1:00pm Saturday. Everybody is welcome to come along.

I can’t make it, but hope you post pics :)

I once had a pith helmet…….it pithed off :/

It’s rained overnight and it’s cool and cloudy with possible showers for today. But we will be brave and face the elements on our quest this afternoon. Apparently we are not allowed to take an elephant into a national park, so he’ll have to hide in the back seat with a blanket over his head.

fsm and I lost contact 6 hours in a torrential downpour. I stumbled on blindly as the day turned into night being bitten by a whole host of insects and other things. the gangrene has taken hold and I am feverish, with my legs dangling over a ledge on the side of a cliff I scaled to get to high ground to see where I was.

I fear the others must have died in the valley below, eaten the lost tribe we stumbled across 2 days ago. I managed to shoot 2 r 3 of them with my revolver I had wisely decided to bring with me. wherever fsm is I wish him luck to get back to civilisation and tell our story and put up some tasteful monument to me (the huge shimmering golden tiger monument we have discussed previously).

Don’t panic! Call off the search and rescue. We have survived the ordeal and have posted some pictures…

http://cobberwebs.com/scienceForums/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=84