Saturday, 26 July 2025

Narrandera: Flora and Fauna Reserve

General Information

Grading:  easy
Distance:   6.7 kilometers
Total climb:   37 meters
Time taken:   1 hour 250 minutes
Maps:   Berembed Weir 8228-S 1:50 000
Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:   341 kilometers
 

Route

 
 

Description

This walk commenced on Melbourne Street East where there is a footbridge over the canal. Crossing the footbridge I wandered down Oakbank Street to the Flora and Fauna Reserve entry. From there I headed south to a beach on the Murrumbidgee River.


 Following the river I walked through some nice forest and river views to a second beach.


 

From the second beach I headed north, watching the tree canopy for koalas (supposedly quite numerous there) but without luck. So I continued to the edge of Lake Talbot before heading back to the reserve entry.

 

Thursday, 29 May 2025

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. 

 

 

Thursday, 8 May 2025

Rob Roy Nature Reserve: Mt Rob Roy

 General Information


Grading: medium
Distance:   11.5 kilometers
Total climb:   594 meters
Time taken:   3 hours  40 minutes
Maps:   Tuggeranong 8727-3S 1:25 000
Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:   29 kilometers
Start point map grid reference:  55H FA 91197 72691
Destination map grid reference:  55H FA 93088 69956
End point:  same as start

Route

 


Description


The hike started from Orange Thorn Crescent in the suburb of Banks. We proceeded up past the water tank and the steep climb to Big Monks Hill. We retraced our steps from Monks and then followed the trail south to the southern spur of Mt Rob Roy. A nice view to the west along the way.
 
 
The track divides at map reference 55H FA 93273 69075 and there is a locked gate there with a no trespassing sign. Rather than risking the landowner's ire, we just went north through the bush until we came to the track leading up the southern spur of Rob Roy. We had a break at the summit before heading back along the management trails to our start point.
 

Wednesday, 2 April 2025

Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve: Pierce Hill

General Information


Grading: medium
Distance:  14.25 kilometers

Total climb:  675 meters
Time taken:  4 hours 45 minutes
Map:  Cotter Dam 8627-2N, 1:25 000, Tidbinbilla 8627-2S, 1:25 000
Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:  31 kilometers
Start point map grid reference:  55H FA 73871 83758
Destination map grid reference:  55H FA 72654 80387
End point:  same as start

Route

 

Description

This walk commenced at the locked gate on the Tidbinbilla Range Road at map reference 55H FA 73871 80387. Proceeding past the gate, we walked along the road to Pierce Hill, slightly off the road to the left. Some nice views along the way.
 

 
Continuing past Pierce Trig to the south we came to a track on the left (map ref. 55H FA 72775 79977) that leads down a ridge towards Oakey Creek. This is quite steep and treacherous initially.
 

 
The track winds through some very nice bushland looking back towards Pierce Hill before entering Pierces Creek Pine Forest.
 

 
We followed forestry trails back to our starting point.

Wednesday, 5 March 2025

Namadgi National Park: Booroomba Rocks, Blue Gum Creek and Bushfold Flats

General Information

 
Grading:  hard 
Distance: 14.9 kilometers 
Total climb: 606 meters 
Time taken: 7 hours 45 minutes
Maps: Corin Dam 8626-1N 1:25 000, Williamsdale 8726-4N 1:25 000
Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:  56 kilometers 
Start/end point map grid reference:  55H FA 80550 62138 
End Point:  Same as start
 

Route

  


Description

This walk was led by the Brindabella Bushwalking Club. I joined the walk as a guest.

The walk commenced at the Booroomba Rocks carpark and we quickly walked up the track from there to Booroomba Rocks itself. From there we could look down Blue Gum Creek and the route we were to follow.

 

After taking in the views we went off-track along the ridge to the northeast and descended to the unnamed creek at around map reference 55H FA 81508 63972. This was quite a steep and rocky section of the walk.


Finishing our descent we proceeded in a roughly northerly direction down to Blue Gum Creek, where we could look back at Booroomba Rocks from below.


 We stopped along the creek for lunch.



We followed Blue Gum Creek to the northeast, crossing the creek many times and rock-hopping to find the best path. After walking about 2.5 kilometers along the creek we came to a management trail that follows Georges Creek to the south. We followed this to Bushfold Flats, where we took the Australian Alps Walking Track back to our starting point.

Thursday, 30 January 2025

Stony Creek Nature Reserve: Stony Creek to Murrumbidgee River

General Information

Grading:  easy
Distance:   8.5 kilometers
Total climb:   297 meters
Time taken:   2 hours 35 minutes
Maps:   Canberra 8727-3N 1:25 000; Cotter Dam 8627-2N 1:25 000
Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:   16.5 kilometers
Start point map grid reference:  55H FA 82107 92200
Destination map grid reference:     55H FA 79070 91611
End point:  Same as start
 

Route

 

Description

This walk started in Stromlo Forest just off Uriarra Road about 2.5km from the Coaldrake Avenue roundabout (see map reference above). We followed Coopers Fire Trail for about 2km until we reached some power lines. There is a fence here that divides Stromlo Forest from Stony Creek Nature Reserve, and a convenient wooden stile to cross over.

Entering Stony Creek Nature Reserve we made our way through open grassland towards Stony Creek itself.

 

Following the southern side of the Creek its sides became steeper until it ran through a rather nice rocky gorge.


 

We had vague ideas about following the Creek through the gorge, but the steep descent and obvious blackberry infestations turned us off the idea. We later found that there was also a waterfall (at that time dry) which we would have had to climb down.

 

 

Eventually we came to a fence which we were able to cross under where it passes over the Creek, and it was a short distance from there to a very peaceful stretch of the Murrumbidgee.

 

Making our way back to the fence, we climbed out of the Creek bed and headed towards the southern border of this part of the Reserve. We then followed the border fence, with some more views towards the Murrumbidgee, Stony Creek and beyond.

 

Making our way back to the stile we went back up Coopers Fire Trail, but took a detour up TSR Fire Trail (just for a bit of variety) and back to our starting point.

Thursday, 2 January 2025

Ginninderry Conservation Corridor: New Track to the Murrumbidgee

General Information

Grading:  easy
Distance:   8.9 kilometers
Total climb:   264 meters
Time taken:   2 hours 15 minutes
Maps:   Umburra 8627-1S 1:25 000
Ginninderry walking tracks information: https://www.ginninderry.org/corridor-walking-tracks
Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:   17 kilometers
Start point map grid reference:  55H FA 81450 99525
Destination map grid reference:   None
End point:  Same as start
 

Previous Similar Walks

23 November 2021, 22 May 2024, 28 May 2024, 16 June 2024

Route


Description

A new section of the Ginninderry Conservation Corridor walking track has recently been opened northwest of the swing bridges and down to the Murrumbidgee River. We decided to check this out.

Starting at The Link on McClymont Way we followed the pink trail up to Woodland Lookout and then down to the other side of the swing bridges where the new section of track begins (shown in dark blue on the Ginninderry walking trail map). We followed this up to Jahli's Lookout and then down to the river, where a nice swimming area has been designated.


We followed the blue track back to the pink track and then back to The Link by the usual route.


Saturday, 28 December 2024

Yass Distrct: Mundoonen Nature Reserve South of the Hume Motorway

General Information

Grading:  medium
Distance:    15 kilometers
Total climb:    733 meters
Time taken:   4 hours 25 minutes
Maps:   Jerrawa 8728-3N 1:25 000
Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:   65 kilometers
Start point map grid reference:  55H FB 87265 44055
Destination map grid reference:  none
End point:  Same as start
 

Previous Similar Walks

14 November 2020

Route



Description

This was very similar to the walk done in 2020 (link above).

 

Wednesday, 13 November 2024

Canberra Nature Park: Red Hill, Davidson Trig and Mt Mugga Nature Reserve

General Information

Grading: easy
Distance:   12 kilometers
Total climb:   428 meters
Time taken:   2 hours 50 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).

 

Thursday, 10 October 2024

Yass District: Bango Nature Reserve

General Information

Grading:  medium
Distance:    9.9 kilometers
Total climb:    416 meters
Time taken:   3 hours 10 minutes
Maps:   Tangmangaroo 8628-1S 1:25 000 and Yass 8728-2N 1:25 000
Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:   73 kilometers
Start point map grid reference:  55H FB 80613 54409
Destination map grid reference:  None
End point:  Same as start
 

Route



Description

The Bango Nature Reserve is about a 12 minutes drive north of Yass. It is accessible to the public only via a 250 meter frontage along Blakney Creek Road South. When travelling north from Yass look for a gate and a NSW National Parks sign on the right - this should be about 13 kilometers from the intersection of Laidlaw and Orion Streets in Yass. There is a small area suitable for roadside parking just near the gate. Unfortunately the gate is locked and there is no way to enter the reserve without climbing over either the gate or the fence.

Our plan was to explore the Nature Reserve by doing a loop around it. We first headed for a peak (55H FB 81576 54242) pretty much due east of our starting point. This was quite an easy climb, with the only obstacle being a fence a few hundred metres in, but there is an unlocked gate that can be used to get through. From this first peak we followed the ridge to Hawkins Trig (55H FB 81824 53582), which dates from 1887.

 
We paused for morning tea atop the trig before continuing along the ridge and making our way to the eastern border of the Reserve. We passed by a few grass trees at one point along the way:

We hit the eastern border at around map reference 55H FB 82704 52537. This gave us some great 180 degree views over the adjacent pastoral lands and a nearby wind farm (which we had earlier caught glimpses of through the trees).


We followed the fenceline for a while to see what other views presented themselves. At one point we could get a view taking in the nearby Mundoonen Nature Reserve (including Mt Mundoonen) and the distant Brindabella Range. Mt Tennent was clearly discernible about 90 kilometers away.

We then left the fenceline and descended a very steep slope down to the southern border of the Reserve before turning back to try and find the old farm track that cuts through the Reserve from the Bango property. We found this track relatively easily, but it was faint and difficult to follow. We passed through some very nice gullies on the western side of the Reserve.


Eventually we found the western fenceline which we followed back to our starting point.

While technically this walk was bush bashing, it was extremely easy walking through light forest and short grass. Although the Reserve is relatively small (441 hectares) it can easily provide three or four hours of excellent walking. There are no clear views from the highest peaks, but there are views all along those parts of the border fenceline that we walked along.