Uriarra: Tongs Hole and Downstream Molonglo River

General Information

Grading:  easy

Distance:   2.6 kilometers

Total climb:   180 meters

Time taken:   1 hour 10 minutes

Maps:   Umburra 8627-1S 1:25 000

Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:   20 kilometers

Start point map grid reference:  55H FA 79466 97509

Destination map grid reference:  55H FA 79510 97031

End point:  Same as start

 

Route

 

  

Description

This walk starts on Stockdill Drive, just before the gates into the Lower Molonglo Water Quality Control Centre. We first followed the walking track down to Tong's Hole, which is quite a nice spot on the Molonglo.

 

From there we continued off-trail down the Molonglo, hoping to get as far as the Molonglo plank bridge. Unfortunately, however, we came across a rather robust outfall from the Water Quality Control Centre which we could not cross. Crossing to the other side of the Molonglo River to pass this by was also not an option, so we had no choice other than to turn back. We took a higher route back to our starting point, which gave us some compensating views down the river and westwards.

 

Overall, the walk was a bit of a disappointment. 

 

 

Brindabella National Park: Devils Peak

General Information

 

Grading:  medium

Distance:   4.9 kilometers

Total climb:   268 meters

Time taken:   3 hours 30 minutes

Maps:   Cotter Dam 8627-2N 1:25 000

Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:   48 kilometers

Start point map grid reference:  55H FA 66441 95586

Destination map grid reference:   55H FA 66448 94353

End point:  Same as start

Route

Description

This walk started at a point on Two Sticks Road under some power lines about 1.5 kilometers from the intersection of Two Sticks Road and Blue Range Road. We headed straight into the bush, which was quite thick and difficult to walk through, with virtually no hope of being able to walk in a straight line.

As we were walking the terrain kept turning us to the right, so we decided to make for the lesser peak to the north west of Devils Peak. This was not a bad decision since it gave us some good views to the north and west.

We then turned south east towards Devils Peak. We arrived at the actual peak itself, but it was thickly forested and gave no decent views. We continued south east, however, until we came to the rock face looking east, and there were great views towards Mount Blundell and Mount Coree.

We returned to our starting point pretty much the same way (but obviously not going back up the lesser peak we had climbed earlier).

Canberra Nature Park: Mt Taylor

General Information

Grading:  easy

Distance:   4.6 kilometers

Total climb:   221 meters

Time taken:   1 hour 20 minutes

Maps:   Canberra 8727-3N 1:25 000

             Tuggeranong 8727-3S 1:25 000

Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:   18 kilometers

Start point map grid reference:  street address

Destination map grid reference:   none

End point:  Same as start

 

Route

 

Description

The starting point for this walk was the carpark off Sulwood Drive near Mannheim Street in Kambah. We walked around the back of the suburb of Torrens before starting our ascent to the summit of Mt Taylor. We returned along the western side of the mountain.

Namadgi National Park: Yerrabi Track

General Information

Grading : easy

Distance:  3.6 kilometers 

Total climb:  236 meters

Time taken:  1 hour 40 minutes 

Map:  Yaouk 8626-2N, 1:25 000 

Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:  72 kilometers 

Start point map grid reference:  55H FA 80607 35764 

Destination map grid reference:  Boboyan Trig Tor Lookout 55H FA 79574 36676 

End point:  same as start

Route

 

Description

This track starts at the Yerrabi Track carpark on Boboyan Road about 4.5 kilometres of the Hospital Hill Lookout. The track is quite clear and easy to walk, at first through forest which is regenerating after last year's bushfire, and down to Little Dry Creek.

After crossing the creek the Track climbs steadily towards Boboyan Trig, with some views opening up to the east and the south (Boboyan Valley):

Continuing past the trig the track goes down to a rock outcrop on the western side of Boboyan Hill. Steps have been placed in the rocks to take walkers down to the Tor Lookout where there are great views of Brindabella peaks including Mt Namadgi, Yankee Hat, Mt Kelly, Mt Gudgenby and Sentry Box Mountain.

After a break for lunch we climbed back up to the trig and returned along the track back to the carpark.

Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve: Cascade Trail

General Information

Grading: easy

Distance: 2  kilometers 

Total climb: 110 meters 

Time taken: 50 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 71466 74628 

Destination:  Loop walk

End Point:  Same as start

Route

Description

The starting point for this walk is the Mountain Creek carpark in the west of the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, at the end of Mountain Creek Road. We started by following the well signposted Lyrebird Trail and then turned off to follow the Cascade Trail, which loops back to the Lyrebird and thence back to the carpark.

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...

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: Bowning Hill

 General Information

Grading: very easy

Distance:   4 kilometers

Total climb:   220 meters

Time taken:   1 hour 30 minutes

Maps:   Yass 8628-2N 1:25 000

Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:   73.5 kilometers

Start point map grid reference:  Yass 55H FB 66960 49630

Destination map grid reference:  Yass 55H FB 67512 50027

End point:  Same as start

NOTE: Bowning 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 Yass Valley SPIN Foundation. The Hill is not accessible to the public at any other time without the landowner's permission.

Route

Description

Bowning Hill would be familiar to anyone travelling on the Hume Highway west of Yass: a large, steep hill just to the left of the highway. The starting point for the climb was off Common Road (which is about 8 kilometers past the Yass Service Centre turnoff). The climb was along a bitumen service road that zigzags up the western side of the hill.

As we got near the top we could see a rocky outcrop on the top of the hill, although we found that this is not the highest point.

The views from the top are spectacular. We could easily make out Black Mountain Tower, Mt Gingera and Mt Tennant, but the views in all directions were uninterrupted.

After spending quite a while at the top of the hill (despite the cold wind blowing), we made our way back down the hill by the same path.

Canberra Nature Park: Gungaderra Grasslands Nature Reserve

General Information

Grading:  easy

Distance:   4 kilometers

Total climb:   128 meters

Time taken:   1 hours 15 minutes

Maps:   Canberra 8727-2N 1:25 000

Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:   8 kilometers

Start point map grid reference:  Canberra 55H FB 92425 01103

Destination map grid reference:   n/a

End point:  Same as start

Route

Description

This walk commenced just off the Barton Highway outside the entrance to the 1RPH radio station. We had to climb a barbed wire fence near a locked gate to get into the reserve (we found a few other wire fences during the walk but we were able to find gaps in them).

Proceeding up the track inside the gate our first order of business was to find some ancient gnarly trees that we had heard about. This required some backtracking, but we eventually found the trees one after another in the light forest to the left of the track.

 

After finding the trees we walked up to the top of Gungahlin Hill (map ref. 55H FB 92348 01747) before heading northeast to another hill at the northern end of the grasslands (map ref. 55H FB 92173 02334). There were some nice views across the grasslands from here.

Turning back we headed for a third hill in the grasslands (map ref. 55H FB 92933 01600), also with some nice views.

 From here it was a short walk back through grassland and light forest back to our starting point.

Canberra Nature Park: Aranda Snowgums

General Information

Grading: very easy

Distance:   2 kilometers

Total climb:   18 meters

Time taken:   45 minutes

Maps:   Canberra 8727-2N 1:25 000

Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:   6 kilometers

Start point map grid reference:  Canberra 55H FA 89746 94098

Destination map grid reference:   n/a

End point:  Same as start

Route

http://maps.six.nsw.gov.au/

Description

This walk started at the Black Mountain carpark near Glenloch Interchange. We walked down to the stile over the fence leading into the Aranda Snowgums and followed a loop pretty randomly around the area. A short walk for a little bloke.

Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve: Ashbrook Fire Trail

General Information

Grading:  very easy 

Distance:  4 kilometers 

Total climb:  116 meters 

Time taken:  1 hour 

Map:  Tidbinbilla 8627-2S, 1:25 000 

Guide:  link 

Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:  49 kilometers 

Start point map grid reference:  55H FA 72353 72785 

Destination map grid reference:  55H FA 73048 74180 

End point:  same as start

Route

http://maps.six.nsw.gov.au/

Description

Having left one car at the Koala Enclosure carpark, we drove to the Hanging Rock carpark (off the Tidbinbilla Loop Road) where we started the walk. We followed the fire trail along and then over Ashbrook Creek, heading up through some beautiful forest until we came to a fork in the road. The left fork went up to the end of the fire trail at Mountain Creek Road, but we chose instead to follow the right fork which goes back to the Tidbinbilla Loop Road following the koala enclosure fence.

You can view photographs from a previous walk that included the Ashbrook Fire Trail through this link.

Cairns Region: Cattana Wetlands Jabiru Lake Circuit

General Information

Grading: very easy

Distance:   1.5 kilometers

Total climb:   negligible

Time taken:   20 minutes

Start point distance by road from Cairns PO:   17 kilometers

Route

Cairns Regional Council

Description

This was a very short walk which we were able to fit in with a day's sightseeing around Cairns. It started from the Cattana Wetlands carpark off Dunne Road, Smithfield. With limited time we chose to do the loop around Jabiru Lake. The surface was flat and paved, making for easy walking and plenty of time to take in the wetlands and its birdlife.

Cairns Region: Earl Hill Summit Track

General Information

Grading:  easy

Distance:   3 kilometers

Total climb:   210 meters

Time taken:   1 hour

Start point distance by road from Cairns PO:   19 kilometers

End point:  same as start

Route

http://qtopo.dnrm.qld.gov.au

Description

This walk started from the carpark in Reed Road, Trinity Beach, just before the roundabout intersection with Roberts Drive. From here it is about a 350 metre walk to the start of the Earl Hill summit walking track in Roberts Drive.

The walking track is clear, well-maintained and well-used, although some sections are quite steep.

The track follows the ridge south southeast of the summit, where there are some views of Trinity Beach to the north...

...and back towards the coastline towards Cairns itself to the south.

I walked back to the car the same way.