Namadgi National Park: Honeysuckle Creek Campground to Booroomba Rocks

General Information

Grading : medium

Distance:  11.5 kilometers 

Total climb:  375 meters

Time taken:  3 hours 30 minutes

Moving Time:  2 hours 35 minutes

Map:  Corin Dam 8626-1N, 1:25 000 

Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:  53 kilometers 

Start point map grid reference:  55H FA 79143 60486

Destination map grid reference:  55H FA 81967 62279

End point:  same as start

Dates walked: 21 April 2022, 13 February 2026 

Route

 

Description

This walk was almost identical to one I completed back in 2022. Details can be viewed through the link here.

Castle Hill

General Information

Grading:  easy

Distance:   9.1 kilometers

Total climb:   407 meters

Time taken:   3 hours 11 minutes
Moving time: 2 hours 5 minutes

Maps:   Tuggeranong 8727-3S 1:25 000

Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:   33.5 kilometers

Start point map grid reference: 55H FA 83721 73853

Destination map grid reference:  55H FA 84416 71684

Dates walked: 23 January 2026

 

Note: This walk was through private land and was done with the permission of the landowner. 

 

Route

 

Description

The walk started from Tidbinbilla Road about 5.7 kilometers from Point Hut Crossing and near some overhead power lines. We followed these power lines for the first part of the walk before deviating up the spur that leads to Castle Hill. Almost immediately there were views to the north, and Castle Hill itself became prominent to the south east. 

 

We continued along the ridge and up a rather barren-looking Castle Hill itself, where there were great views all around.

After some discussion at the top of Castle Hill we decided to continue down the south east spur and return via Booroomba Road. There is an (apparently) disused vehicular track down this spur; very steep and treacherous, but much better than walking through the thick scrub on that side of the Hill. We found Booroomba Road and followed it until we passed a cattle grid, at which point we left the road and found Paddy's River. 

From there we returned to the power lines and back to our starting point. 

Blue Mountains: Leura Cascades to Echo Point

General Information

Grading:  easy

Distance:   6.4 kilometers

Total climb:   225 meters

Time taken:   2 hours 5 minutes
Moving time: 1 hour 40 minutes

Maps:   Katoomba 8930-1S 1:25 000

Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:   328 kilometers

Start point map grid reference: 56H KH 52005 65718

Destination map grid reference:  56H KH 51020 64250

Dates walked: 3 January 2026

 

Route

 

Description

This was more of a tourist stroll than a bushwalk, but worth reporting nonetheless.

The walk started at the Leura Cascades car park off Cliff Drive, from which point we followed the well-maintained walking track towards Echo Point.

  There were occasional views back towards Leura and Sublime Point.

Eventually we made it to The Three Sisters and Echo Point, where the crowds were crazy but did not prevent us from taking a few pictures of the sights.

 We returned the same way to our starting point.

Tasman Peninsula: Three Capes Track

General Information

Grading:  hard

Distance: 48.2 kilometers

                            Day 1 - 4.4 kilometers

                            Day 2 - 11.6 kilometers

                            Day 3 - 17.9 kilometers

                            Day 4 - 14.3 kilometers 

Total climb:   1,994 meters

                            Day 1 - 211 meters

                            Day 2 - 407 meters

                            Day 3 - 633 meters

                            Day 4 - 743 meters 

Time taken on track:   16 hours 20 minutes

                                           Day 1 - 1 hour 20 minutes

                                           Day 2 - 4 hours

                                           Day 3 - 5 hours

                                           Day 4 - 6 hours
Moving time on track: 11 hours

                                            Day 1 - 1 hour 10 minutes

                                            Day 2 - 2 hours 30 minutes

                                            Day 3 - 4 hours

                                            Day 4 - 3 hours 30 minutes

Start point map grid reference: 55G EN 69385 22514

Destination map grid reference:  55G EN 78364 22846

Dates walked: 4-7 December 2025

 

Day 1

 

This adventure actually started with a bus trip from Hobart to the Port Arthur Historical Site. After a few hours to look around at Port Arthur, we started the official Three Capes journey by a boat trip to the cliffs below Mount Brown and thence to our landing beach at Denmans Cove.

We walked along Denmans Creek for a short distance before taking to the track and walking the relatively short distance to our first night's accommodation at Surveyors, with occasional views across Port Arthur.

A spectacular view southwest towards Mount Brown and Cape Raoul can be had from the deck at Surveyors.

 

Day 2

 

Waking up early we continued along the track southwards towards Arthurs Peak, which proved to be a lot easier to climb than it looked from the boat on Day 1. From the peak we had views back to Cape Raoul and got our first glimpse of Cape Pillar.

 

Continuing from Arthurs Peak we walked eastwards through open heath full of seasonal wildflowers...

 

...before turning south back into forest on to Cape Pillar and our second night's accommodation at Munro.

 

Day 3

 We got up early to watch the sunrise.

Leaving our heavy overnight packs at Munro, we started walking with light day packs southeast towards the tip of Cape Pillar. This was a mix of walking through heath and along cliff lines.

Eventually we reached a side track to The Blade, a notorious narrow outcrop with sheer drops on both sides. I walked up until I felt uncomfortable, then turned around.

 

Eventually we reached the end of the track on Cape Pillar with its excellent views over to Tasman Island.

We returned to Munro the same way we had come, picked up our overnight packs and made our way to our third night's accommodation at Retakunna.

 

Thanks to our early start we were able to get there before the rain started. It lasted all night, accompanied by howling winds.

 

Day 4

 

The first challenge on Day 4 was to climb Mount Fortescue, which looms above Retakunna to the northeast. I think this was my favourite part of the track, passing as it does through some very pretty rainforest.

Continuing northeast along the cliff line from Mount Fortescue we came to an intersection, with the left heading to our final destination of Fortescue Bay and the right towards Cape Hauy. Leaving our overnight packs again by the trackside we headed towards Cape Hauy. Even without our overnight packs, this proved to be the most physically demanding section of the Track, with a series of steep ups and downs on uneven stone steps.

 

Eventually reaching the end of the Track at Cape Hauy, I observed seals basking on the rocks far below (so far that they looked more like slugs) and sea birds flying around the cliff face.

 

Turning around we then made our way back to the intersection and collected our overnight packs. We then continued on the track towards Fortescue Bay; a short distance, but made difficult by the level of exhaustion after the earlier sections of the day's walk. From Fortescue Bay we were bussed back to the Port Arthur Historical Site, and then on to Hobart.

Canberra Nature Park: Tuggeranong Hill

General Information

Grading:  easy

Distance:   9.4 kilometers

Total climb:   346 meters

Time taken:   2 hours 10 minutes
Moving time: 2 hours

Maps:   Tuggeranong 8727-3S 1:25 000

Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:   26.5 kilometers

Start point map grid reference: 55H FA 92169 74114

Destination map grid reference:  none

Dates walked: 21 November 2025

 

Route

 

Description

The walk started at Callister Crescent in Theodore. Inside the Reserve we followed a management trail to the northeast until we almost reached the Monaro Highway before turning around and heading back via the ridge we had just passed. There were some good views from the top of the hill.

 

Returning back to our starting point we did an anticlockwise loop around the base of Tuggeranong Hill.

 

Murrumbidgee River Corridor: Casuarina Sands to Knoll Lookout

General Information

Grading:  medium

Distance:   14.9 kilometers

Total climb:   451 meters

Time taken:   4 hours 30 minutes

Moving time:  3 hours 15 minutes

Maps:   Cotter Dam 8627-2N 1:25 000

Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:   22 kilometers

Start/end point map grid reference:  55H FA 77526 89718

Destination map grid reference:  55H FA 79969 84636

Dates walked: 31 October 2025 

 

Route

 

  

Description

This walk starts at the western end of the Casuarina Sands carpark and follows the Casuarina Sands to Kambah Pool section of the Murrumbidgee River Corridor track. For my part I was largely doing this walk to complete the last untrod section of the River north of Point Hut Crossing.

The trail begins at the end of the carpark and soon passes under the road bridge and heads south. Initially it is quite flat, following an alignment about 100-150 metres from the River. It then trends further away from the River, providing only limited views through the trees.

At two points along the track it deviates into private property over fences via stiles, with warning signs to stay on the track and not interfere with livestock. Not a difficult request, but we were bemused as to why these sections of track (which in some places followed the fenceline) were not constructed in the Reserve.

There are quite a few creeks to cross along the way, some of them bridged (the bridge over Bulgar Creek being particularly impressive, and as it turned out, a good place to have lunch) and others with steep steps down and back up again.

 

Just before our destination, the track veers left and through the fenceline once more. From here we could see Knoll Lookout in front of us.

 We climbed up to the lookout, which features elevated views of the Murrumbidgee in both directions.

 

We returned to our starting point by much the same route, stopping at Bulgar Creek for lunch.

Namadgi National Park: Horse Gully Hut

General Information

 

Grading: Medium

Distance: 17.6 kilometers
Total climb: 517 meters
Time taken: 4 hours 25 minutes

Moving time: 3 hours 35 minutes 
Map:  Colinton 8726-3N 1:25 000
Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:  80 kilometers
Start point map grid reference:  55H FA 81464 29033
Destination map grid reference:  55H FA 86626 33637

Dates walked: 2 September 2015, 24 October 2025

Route

 

Description

 

This walk starts at the Mount Clear Campground, just off Boboyan Road in the far south of the Australian Capital Territory. The walking trail follows management trails through the Naas Valley which are part of the Bicentennial National Trail. There are a number of points of interest along the track that are marked with numbered posts (there is a published guide that provides information on these points of interest, so it's a good idea to take it with you).

Leaving the campground the track passes through fairly open terrain, past the Mount Clear horse yards and with occasional glimpses of Naas Creek.

About 2 kilometers into the trail there is a bow in Naas Creek which means that it has to be crossed twice, or walked around. The first time I did this walk the water level was quite high so we decided to walk around the bow rather than try to ford the creek twice. This was quite heavy going through thick grass, and was a bit swampy in places, and we were probably lucky not to encounter any snakes. The second time I did this walk I was able to cross the creek with some deft rock-hopping.

The trail continues through more wooded terrain with a lot of climbing up and down.

About 7 kilometers into the walk the trail goes noticeably downhill with some moderately steep sections down to a grassy clearing and Horse Gully Hut.

 

 

The hut itself is a comfortable place to have lunch, with amenities including a table and chairs.

I returned to the Mount Clear camping ground the way I'd come, but on my second walk (October 2025) took a short side-trip along the way to the Demandering Hut ruins. This hut was destroyed in the 2020 bushfires and sadly I never got to see it.