Canberra Nature Park: The Pinnacle, Weetangera Cemetery and Kama

General Information

Grading:  easy

Distance:   8.6 kilometers

Total climb:   218 meters

Time taken:   2 hours 10 minutes

Maps:   Canberra 8727-3N 1:25 000

             Hall 8727-4S 1:25 000

Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:   3 kilometers

Start point map grid reference:  street address

Destination map grid reference:   none

End point:  Same as start

 

Route

 

Description

We started this walk at the parking area for Kama Nature Reserve off William Hovell Drive. From there we followed the track up into The Pinnacle Nature Reserve and to The Pinnacle itself. We then headed west and northwest, behind the suburb of Hawker, to an underpass under William Hovell Drive. From there it is a short walk to the historic site of the Weetangera Methodist Church and its cemetery. The site is in far better condition that when I last visited it in 1976.

We were then faced with a choice of going back the way we had come or following William Hovell Drive back towards Kama Nature Reserve. With our aversion to backtracking we decided on the latter. At first we tried to follow the fence line on the west of William Hovell Drive where there was a track of sorts. When this gave way to long, thick grass and drainage ditches we crossed to the other side, only to find much the same conditions there. Reluctantly we had to walk along the roadside back to the Kama parking area. Rather than stop there, however, we decided to quickly do the Kama Dam Walk before heading off for lunch.

Canberra Nature Park: Mt Wanniassa and Farrer Ridge

General Information

Grading: easy

Distance:   7 kilometres

Total climb:   257 meters

Time taken:   1 hour 45 minutes

Maps:   Tuggeranong 8727-3S 1:25 000

Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:   21.5 kilometres

Start point map grid reference:  street address

Destination map grid reference:   55H FA 92284 81649 (Mt Wanniassa)

End point:  Same as start

 

Route

 

Description

This walk begins at the end of a rough dirt track that leads off Sulwood Drive just before Erindale Drive. From here we walked under the first of three underpasses - this time under Erindale Drive - and made our way up to the summit of Mt Wanniassa via management trails.

Descending down the other side we made our way towards the second of our underpasses - under Long Gully Lane. Paralleling Long Gully Lane on our left we headed through some denser bushland to the corner of Isaacs Nature Reserve and through another tunnel under Erindale Drive to Farrer Ridge Nature Reserve. We followed management trails and walking tracks back through the Reserve to our starting point.

Blythburn Cottage

General Information

Grading:  hard

Distance: 17.8 kilometers
Total climb: 727 meters
Time taken: 6 hours
Map: Corin Dam 8626-1N 1:25 000
Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:  50 kilometers
Start point map grid reference:  55H FA 74893 68589
Destination:  55H FA 80286 69556
End Point:  Same as start

NOTE: Blythburn Cottage and most of this walk are on privately leased land. We undertook the walk with the leaseholder's permission, for which we express our gratitude.

Route 

Description

We started this walk at the point where the Smokers Trail meets the Corin Road. We first proceeded up management trails through native bushland and residual pine plantations to a point at map reference
55H FA 75654 68474. From here we had to find a walking track which headed east paralleling the south side of Punch Bowl Creek. This proved to be more difficult than we hoped since the rock cairn that was supposed to be there has disappeared. Eventually we found it on the eastern side of the management trail slightly up from the point where it turns sharply to the left. It's a bit tricky to pick out initially, but obvious once you see it.

We followed the trail and after a short time started to hear roaring waters ahead: the waterfalls on Punch Bowl Creek.

The trail continues through some very beautiful bushland...

...until it clears to give some more open views to the east.

Eventually the trail comes to a gate at the border of Namadgi National Park, at which point there are some old vehicular tracks leading through the private lease land. We followed these through White Horse Flat and into an open valley. With thistles.

After some looking around we located Blythburn Cottage and paused there for lunch. Blythburn was the home of "pastoralist and poet" Elizabeth McKeahnie, from 1882 until her death in 1919. It's well worth following the link to find out more about this fascinating woman.

We headed back pretty much the same way we had come. A slight glitch at the end where management trails marked on the map leading back down to Corin Road seem to have disappeared over time, and this added a bit of distance to the overall tally.

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.

Canberra Nature Park: Black Mountain

General Information

Grading:  easy

Distance:   8.5 kilometers

Total climb:   339 meters

Time taken:   3 hours

Maps:   Canberra 8727-3N 1:25 000

Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:   3 kilometers

Start point map grid reference:  street address

Destination map grid reference:   none

End point:  Same as start

Route

Description

Yet another loop around and up Black Mountain. We parked near the electricity sub-station on Frith Road and entered the Botanic Gardens through the Black Mountain Gate. Walking through the lower part of the Gardens we made our way to the Bushland Nature Walk Gate and then followed the Nature Walk itself up to the lookout. From there we continued along the track until we met the fire trail which we followed up to Black Mountain Drive. From there we climbed to the summit and back down to then down due east to the Botanical Gardens again. We went back into the Gardens for a coffee before heading back to our parked car.

Canberra Nature Park: Melrose Nature Reserve and Enchanted Hill

General Information

Grading: medium

Distance:   11.7 kilometers

Total climb:   533 meters

Time taken:   3 hours 40 minutes

Map:   Tuggeranong 8727-3S 1:25 000

Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:   22 kilometres

Start point map grid reference:  street address

Destination map grid reference:  55H FA 94882 73565 (Enchanted Hill)

End point:  same as start

Route

Description

The starting point for this walk was the parking area just off the Monaro Highway on Old Tuggeranong Road (near the paintball area). We started by climbing up the road through pine forests until we found a sign saying Melrose Nature Reserve on the right. We entered the Reserve and headed roughly south, with some good views towards Melrose Valley.

About 2.8 kilometres into the walk we headed east towards the site of the old railway workers camp and then on to the disused Goulburn-Bombala Railway line itself.

We followed the tracks for s short distance to the point where it crossed Rocky Gully, where we turned off to the left and followed the Gully up to a point where we could climb Enchanted Hill. This last climb was rather steep, but the views from Enchanted Hill were very good in all directions.

To return we followed an old trach down the Hill and eventually came to the Monaro Highway which we followed back to the starting point.