Murrumbidgee Corridor: Pine Island to Point Hut and Mt Stranger

General Information

Grading:  easy

Distance:   7.9 kilometers

Total climb:   160 metres

Time taken:   1 hour 55 minutes

Maps:   Tuggeranong 8727-3S 1:25 000

Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:   24.3 kilometers

Start point map grid reference:  55H FA 87522 77114

Destination map grid reference:   Point Hut 55H FA 888343 7481

                                                      Mt Stranger 55H FA 88899 76584

End point:  same as start

Route

Description

We started this walk at the southern end of the Pine Island Reserve and headed south along the walking track that follows the Murrumbidgee River. There were some nice views across the river and down by its banks.

After about 3 kilometres walking we reached the Point Hut picnic area and started our return journey via Mt Stranger. We followed the Bicentennial Trail from Point Hut for about 1.7 kilometres before heading bush towards the mountain. This was pretty easy going through grass and Patterson's curse to then trig at the summit of Mt Stranger. This gave us views of both rural and urban landscapes.

Descending the mountain towards the west we struck the Bicentennial Trail again and followed it for just short of a kilometre before cutting back to Pine Island.

Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve: Camels Hump (4)

General Information

Grading:  medium

Distance:  12.8 kilometers 

Total climb:  600 meters 

Time taken:  3 hours 15 minutes 

Map:  Tidbinbilla 8627-2S, 1:25 000 

Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:  49 kilometers 

Start point map grid reference:  55H FA 71471 74624 

Destination map grid reference:  55H FA 72016 79083 

End point:  same as start

Route

Description

This was my fourth visit to Camels Hump using this route, though my first in almost four years. For details refer to my first walk there (link).

Canberra Nature Park: Red Hill and Davidson Hill (2)

 General Information

Grading: easy

Distance:   8.6 kilometers

Total climb:   291 meters

Time taken:   2 hours 13 minutes

Maps:   Canberra 8627-3N 1:25 000

Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:   9.3 kilometers

Start point map grid reference:  55H FA 91054 87473

Destination map grid reference:  Red Hill 55H FA 92384 88494
                                                    Davidson Hill 55H FA 92290 87556

End point:  same as start

Route

Description

This walk was identical to the one completed on 25 June 2019 (link).

Yass District: Bobbara Hill, Binalong

 General Information

Grading:  very easy

Distance:   3.3 kilometers

Total climb:   184 meters

Time taken:   1 hour 30 minutes

Maps:   Binalong 8628-4S 1:25 000

Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:   100 kilometers

Start point map grid reference:  Binalong 55H FB 46326 66009

Destination map grid reference:  Yass 55H FB 45720 65760

End point:  Same as start

NOTE: Bobbara Hill and its access road are on private land. We did the walk as part of a charity event which is held once a year for the benefit of the Binalong Primary School P&C. The Hill is not accessible to the public at any other time without the landowner's permission.

Route

Description

The starting point for this walk was just off Bobbara Road about 5.5 kilometres past the Black Swan at Binalong. The walk to the summit of Bobbara Hill is a short one along a sealed service road, and although steep at some points, my 22-month-old granddaughter was able to walk it with us. At the top of the hill there is an Air Services Australia installation and a communications tower, but the views are spectacular all around. Blooming Patterson's curse, a noxious weed of the worst kind, covered the hill but I have to say it looked quite nice.

Yass District: Mundoonen Nature Reserve North of the Hume Highway

General Information

Grading:  medium

Distance:   10.5 kilometers

Total climb:   470 meters

Time taken:   3 hours 40 minutes

Maps:   Jerrawa 8728-3N 1:25 000

Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:   65 kilometers

Start point map grid reference:  Jerrawa 55H FB 872782 44043

Destination map grid reference:  Jerrawa 55H FB 87286 47036

End point:  Same as start

Route

Description

The Mundoonen Nature Reserve straddles the Hume Highway between Yass and Gunning. We decided to do the smaller section of the Reserve north of the Hume Highway. Our starting point was the Sheldricks Lane turnoff, about 3.4 kilometres along the Hume Highway from its intersection with Yass Valley Way.

Our first task was to climb up the access road to the summit of Mt Mundoonen. Unfortunately there are only limited views here due to the surrounding forest, but it's another peak to take off my list.

Passing the trig marker we continued to the end of the paved road near the towers in the distance. At the point we turned left to follow the ridge heading a bit east of north. The top of the ridge is easy walking through dry sclerophyll forest.

We followed the ridge until we came to a knoll at map reference 55H FB 87231 45102. Ahead of us was a deep gully with another hill on the other side, so we started to walk down the ridge on the left before heading north again at a lower elevation. We found a couple of mostly dry watercourses which were quite nice to walk along while they took us in roughly the right direction.

At map reference 55H FB 87008 46349 we found the abandoned farmhouse complex which we had heard about, all still in very good condition. We paused there for lunch.

From the farmhouse we made our way to the dam at map reference 55H FB 87196 46802...

...and from there continued north to the boundary fence of the Nature Reserve. We followed the boundary fence to the east, which took us to the hill at the end of the ridge we followed from Mt. Mundoonen.

There were some nice rural views to the north from there

We followed the ridge all the way back to Mt. Mundoonen and our starting point, including this time the steep hill we avoided on the outward journey.