The Plant Outside My Window

I was happy to be back in my Sydney bedroom after a long, uneventful flight from the US. 

I make the trip every year and always look forward to spending time with my family down under. I also look forward to one of my favorite views: the back garden through the large picture window in the bedroom.

But when I stood in front of that window this time, I was startled to see a creepy-looking plant seemingly watching me through the glass. 

A botanical Peeping Tom!

A Peeping Tom, of course, is someone who watches others without their consent.

With careful aim, I could maneuver my camera to see other sections of the garden—like the water dragon basking alongside the frog pond.

My daughter created the pond to attract frogs.

She ONLY gets water dragons!

Stumpy is a regular.

Not much had changed in the garden since I had been away—except for that awful plant peeking through my window pane and working my last nerve!

Enough to give me the heebie-jeebies.

Really!

I considered simply pulling down the shade and forgetting about it, but I was too intrigued. Instead, I started photographing its growth.

My imagination ran wild with possibilities.

Could it become a real-life Jack and the Beanstalk?  I pray not!  

Perhaps it could be an alien plant from another galaxy, like Audrey II from Little Shop of Horrors.  

Sure looks like her!  

"Feed me!"

I finally sat my daughter down and enthusiastically explained my concerns about the plant. Then I showed her my sequence of photographs.

She took one look at me, my pictures, and the window and said, “Mom, that’s just a fern.” 

Silence!

A few days later, the mysterious coils began to unfurl.  Sure enough, my daughter was right.

It was just a fern!

I did a bit of research and learned that the spiral coils on a new fern leaf are called fiddleheads, which unfurl into fronds. 

 Fiddleheads' curled tips resemble fiddles. Well, duh! 

When it comes to bringing beauty out of things that at first appear ugly, nature has a way!

Sydney is home to an incredible assortment of native ferns that grow in soil, on rock surfaces, and, in some cases, literally out of the walls.  (Ferns grow on walls when wind-blown spores land in damp mortar cracks, stone crevices, and decaying organic debris.)

Rock Fern, Hare’s-foot Fern, and Necklace Fern are just a few of the common ferns that grow wild.

I photographed this fern popping out of a retaining wall!
This sort of thing is very common around Sydney!

And then there was the way the plant outside my window had attached itself to the house. Pretty amazing—but awfully ugly!

See how the soft, green, lacy fronds of ferns add depth and elegance to the untamed bushland, creating a landscape of tranquility and peace.  

That's what I'm talking about!

Echo Point Park, Roseville Chase.

The Australian tree tern has a flair for the dramatic!

Tree ferns in my daughter's back garden.

I really had a great time shooting ferns from various angles!

The large, feathery leaves of ferns scattered throughout Echo Point Park's bush landscape.
Charming! 

The more I learned, the more fascinated I became by Australia’s ancient botanical history and its connection to the supercontinent Gondwana, which began breaking apart during the Jurassic period about 180 million years ago.  

Afterward, Australia retained some ancient fern lineages while developing its own unique flora and fauna.

Ferns, in particular, are among the oldest groups of plants on Earth, with ancient relatives flourishing long before humans ever appeared. 

This makes some ferns prehistoric!

A wild fern tree shading a rock-edged fish pond gives the back garden a very prehistoric feel.

With my daughter still standing there, amused by my bewilderment over the plant outside my window, I asked her, “Didn’t you see Jurassic Park? Some dinosaurs became ill after eating fictional prehistoric ferns.”

Having her attention, I continued.  “The one in my window could be just as poisonous.” 

She raised one eyebrow. 

I asked if I should be worried that this Jurassic plant might be after me.

In playful relief, she laughed and said, 

"You? Don't worry, it's not coming for you—

It's coming for your view!"

Whoola!

"You can't block the growth of a wild tree fern."

While I didn’t want to lose my awesome window view, I must admit I do love the wild ferns growing all over Sydney.

That is . . .

all but the one outside my window.

The plant outside my window turned out to be a beautiful Australian tree fern. Go figure!

Peeping Plants . . .

Prehistoric Ferns . .

One very persistent Australian tree fern determined to steal my view . . .

Sydney is definitely NOT in Kansas!

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Echo Point Park

My family invited me on a nice walk through Echo Point Park, located close to our house in Roseville Chase, for a bushwalk.   

Aussies are outdoor people who love to get out and enjoy nature, which is plentiful in Sydney.  

I was a bit cautious upon entering because I'm not especially fond of woods, and the entryway looked a bit ominous, but I took a leap of faith and entered because I do like to walk.

Creepy side entrance to the bushwalk

Bushwalk - nowhere to go but straight ahead.

I kept reminding myself it was just a walking trail but couldn't stop thinking, this is Australia! 

Echo Point Park vegetation

My caution paid off because I was on high alert when the path narrowed and exposed a cliff - without guardrails! 

Then and there, I knew this would not be a walk for the faint of heart!

One of Echo Point Park's uphill footpaths.

My son-in-law was clever enough to bring along his walking stick, which is very helpful when navigating rough bush terrain.

No one told me!

Bushwalking was new territory for me, so I focused on him instead of worrying about critters that may be lurking.  

Son-in-law leading the way through Echo Point Park

Large rocks, broken branches, leaf debris, aggregate stones, uneven footpaths, and fallen trees waited for me ahead on the forest floor.

Pathways lead to more paths.

I would have reported the fallen trees to the Ku-ring-gai Council, Echo Point's local government, if I could pronounce it.

It all made me think about the Haunted Forrest in the Wizard of Oz, but just like Dorothy, I forged ahead.

 

My family & I climbed hills, walked on higher and lower paths, winding roads, raised stones, and narrow footpaths.

Daughter and grandson, climbing a hill.

Native ferns are everywhere throughout the walk.

A few of the footpaths were concrete and pleasant to walk on.  The trees and landscape of the park are typical of Sydney.

There are a lot of outdoor stone and wood staircases in the park, some with 100 steps or more.

This staircase is just one of many at Echo Point Park.

I looked for landmarks to avoid getting lost if separated from my family and found a good one.  

However, I kept forgetting where in the park it was located. 

The twin Creeks Track nature walk was tempting, but I wasn't up to another 8.2 miles through Garigal National Park.

Some areas near and around the park are bushland reserves protected by the North Sydney Council to ensure they are not disturbed by urbanization or careless visitors.

There are thousands of grass and bush fires each summer in and around Sydney.  

Foresters post signs in the bush to remind guests to obey fire prevention laws and help to protect natural bushlands.

Beautiful sandstone outcrops are everywhere in Echo Park. A trip to the park is worth it to see them.   

Echo Point runs alongside the Middle Harbour, a tide-dominated estuary which you can see through the clearing of the Eucalyptus tree (Gum).  

The water in the Harbour comes from the Tasman Sea, which is part of the South Pacific Ocean, the same body that supplies the Sydney Harbour.  

My daughter and grandson overlook Middle Harbour.

Echo Point beach.

Seashells were plentiful, which was shocking. I live in Virginia Beach and haven't seen a shell along the shoreline for years.  I love collecting them and find the sense of discovery satisfying, not to mention the joy I get whenever I come across an interesting one.

Currents push oyster shells onto the beach all along the coastline.  The water is pristine and rich in sea life.

Fishing is allowed, and if you're good, you can catch kingfish, squid, mulloway, and bream.

My granddaughter, fishing at Echo Point Park.

Echo Point Picnic Area near the fishing spot.

Secluded picnic area.

Along the water, there are great hiding places and secluded spots.

The park has a lot of breakaway pathways leading to the entertaining areas of the park, like secluded pavilions, picnic areas, playgrounds, and a cafe!

A  playground for children makes a lot of sense because children don't have to go bushwalking just because they are at Echo Point. 

Echo Point Park playground

The cafe attracts a lot of locals meeting up for breakfast (brekkie) or brunch; however, it was hard for me to find, even with the signs.

The cafe is an excellent attraction and a brief distraction from the lumps and holes on the dirt road. 

But you can't escape the bush, it's all around you in Sydney, so it is best to learn to enjoy it.

There is a lot going on at Echo Point Park. 

It's a great place to fish, hike, dine, picnic, dog walk, visit a playground, or take a dip in the harbor. 

However, there have been some small shark sightings, so I'd skip the dip if I were you.

For travelers to Sydney who are looking to break away from the tourist locations, you must put Echo Point Park and Cafe on your "to see' list!

Bushwalking . . . 

Aussie & their walking sticks . . .

Rocky trails, cliffs, and oysters . . . 

I am Not in Kansas!