Canberra Nature Park: Cooleman Ridge and Mt Arawang

General Information

Grading:  easy

Distance:   7.5 kilometers

Total climb:   253 metres

Time taken:   2 hours

Maps:   Canberra 8727-3N 1:25 000; Tuggeranong 8727-3S 1:25 000

Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:   16 kimometres

Start point map grid reference:  55H FA 84743 85116

Destination map grid reference:  Mt Arawang - 55H FA 85840 84231

End point:  same as start

Route

Description

This walk was pretty much identical to the one completed on 18 February 2020 (link), but we followed the trail clockwise this time. This meant that the climb to the summit of Mt Arawang was shorter and less steep.

Stromlo Forest: Brown Hill

 General Information

Grading:  easy

Distance:   10.2 kilometers

Total climb:   351 meters

Time taken:   2 hours 30 minute

Maps:   Canberra 8727-3N 1:25 000
             Cotter Dam 8627-2N 1:25 000 

Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:   18 kilometres

Start point map grid reference:  Canberra 55H FA 82646 89755

Destination map grid reference:  Cotter Dam 55H FA 80526 88953 (Brown Hill)

End point:  same as start

Route

Description

This was another loop around the Stromlo Forest, taking in the Observatory and Brown Hill. We started from the (still closed) cafe near the top of Mt Stromlo and headed north where we struck some good views:

We primarily walked along management trails down to the western edge of the forest which we followed around to Brown Hill, which we climbed. We were a bit surprised to find a mini-bus full of sightseers from the National Arboretum already on the summit. After taking in the views we headed back up Mt Stromlo to our starting point.

Merimbula Boardwalk

General Information

Grading: very easy

Distance:   4.5 kilometers

Total climb:   4 meters

Time taken:   1 hour 10 minutes

Maps:   Pambula 8824-2S 1:25 000

Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:   247 kilometers

Start point map grid reference:  street address

Destination map grid reference:   none

End point:  Same as start

Route

Description

The Merimbula Boardwalk starts just to the right before crossing the bridge at Merimbula. It follows a mixture of gravel paths and wooden boardwalks. It follows the northern edge of Boggy Creek around to the boat ramp off Lakewood Drive. It's probably best just to leave it to the pictures to describe...

Bournda National Park: Sandy Creek Walking Track

General Information

Grading:  easy

Distance:   5.6 kilometers

Total climb:   149 meters

Time taken:   1 hour 25 minutes

Maps:   Wolumla 8824-2N 1:25 000

Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:   254 kilometers

Start point map grid reference:  55H GV 61710 20067

Destination map grid reference:   none

End point:  Same as start

Route

Description

This walk started at the North Tura Picnic Area at the end of North Tura Road, about 8.5 kilometres drive north of Merimbula. Note that a park use fee of $8 per day (at the time of writing) applies and the only way of paying is to put correct change in an envelope, write your details (so you'll need a pen) and place the envelope in the designated box at the picnic area. There is a viewing platform at the picnic area overlooking Tura Beach.

I chose to do the walk counter-clockwise, so I followed the trail to the north through coastal scrub until I came to Bournda Island.

I descended down to the beach and walked up the beach a short distance, then over the rocks and on to Bournda Beach. Continuing north along the beach, and with Bournda Lagoon on my left I turned inland around the northern end of the Lagoon to reacquire the Sandy Creek Walking Track. Some nice views back towards the Lagoon, Sandy Creek and Bournda Island from this section of the track.

The track eventually descends towards Sandy Creek, which it follows for about 1.2 kilometres. At this point it is necessary to cross the Creek, which when I visited was about ankle deep and required crossing in bare feet (although it would have been easy to cross if I had been wearing hiking boots and gaiters). Here is a view of the crossing after I had passed across.

From the Creek the track climbs again. This last section of the track contained a feast of reptiles with a small black snake slithering off in front of me, followed by a goanna taking fright at my approach and climbing up a track-side tree.

After that the rest of the walk was uneventful.

Canberra Nature Park: Black Mountain Loop

General Information

Grading:  medium

Distance:   10.6 kilometers

Total climb:   387 meters

Time taken:   2 hours

Maps:   Canberra 8727-3N 1:25 000

Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:   6 kilometers

Start point map grid reference:  street address

Destination map grid reference:   none

End point:  Same as start

Route

Description

This was another loop around Black Mountain, taking in the Aranda Snowgums, Aranda Bushland, Little Black Mountain, the Botanic Gardens and the lookout above Lady Denman Drive. It's all pretty easy walking apart from the steep descent down the southern side of the mountain along Lady Denman Drive. The starting point was the carpark near Glenloch Interchange and I followed a clockwise route.

Canberra Nature Park: Bruce Ridge Nature Reserve

General Information

Grading:  easy

Distance:   8.4 kilometers

Total climb:   176 meters

Time taken:   2 hours 10 minutes

Maps:   Canberra 8727-3N 1:25 000

Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:   4.5 kilometers

Start point map grid reference:  street address

Destination map grid reference:   none

End point:  Same as start

Route

Description

This walk began at the carpark across the road from 160 Dryandra Street O'Connor. We walked up the management trail to the right of the carpark until we came to a promising-looking bike track, which we followed. Bruce Ridge is a maze of quaintly-named mountain bike tracks but there are occasional maps to consult and trail markers to guide.

We pretty much followed tracks at random, but with a general intention of paralleling Gungahlin Drive before heading back along the top of the ridge. We passed through some very nice eucalyptus forest that looked quite stunning in the morning sunlight:

Eventually we came to an underpass beneath Gungahlin Drive leading to the Calvary Hospital complex.

We walked through and had a look, but were put off by a sign on the hospital gate saying "No Smoking/ No Urinating". Returning to the track we followed a trail with a series of tight switchbacks along the Belconnen Way side of the Reserve, which had some nice views of Black Mountain.

We then followed a management trail up to the nearest of two very large water tanks on the Ridge, and from here at the highest point of the ridge we could get some good views in several directions.

Getting back on to bike tracks me made our way along the top of the ridge and then back down to our starting point.