Port Macquarie Coastal Walk

General Information

Grading : easy

Distance:  8.8 kilometers 

Total climb:  195 meters

Time taken:  2 hours

Map:  Port Macquarie 9435-2S, 1:25 000 

Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:  661 kilometers

Route

Description

We started this walk at Town Beach and followed the marked trail to the south along the coastline. This meanders through bushland (including Sea Acres Nature Reserve) and along beaches, with the trail mostly easy to follow and with great views from time to time.

The trail officially ends at the Tacking Point Lighthouse.

We went on a little bit further down Lighthouse Beach so that we could have a brief camel ride along the beach and have a good lunch at the Tacking Point SLSC.

Note: 

I haven't included the return journey as part of this blog posting. We walked back along Lighthouse Road and Pacific Drive, just shy of 6 kilometers and not particularly interesting. Other options include returning via the Coastal Walk or catching a bus from Pacific Drive.

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.

Namadgi National Park: Brandy Flat Fire Trail

General Information

Grading:  medium

Distance:   11 kilometers

Total climb:   399 meters

Time taken:   3 hours 15 minutes

Maps:   Michelago 8626-4S 1:25 000

Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:   65 kilometers

Start point map grid reference:  55H FA 81153 42817

Destination map grid reference:   Brandy Flat Hut - 55H FA 82727 45753

End point:  55H FA 81326 48881

Route

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

Description

We took two cars on this walk. The first we placed at the Glendale Walking Track carpark on Brandy Flat Fire Trail, just before the locked gate (the end point of our walk). The second car we drove down to the South Brandy Flat carpark just before the unsealed section of Boboyan Road begins: if you hit gravel you've gone too far. 

From the South Brandy Flat carpark we set out along a short section of walking track which soon connected with the Brandy Flat Fire Trail, which we followed from there. We first descended steeply to the aptly-named Dry Creek and then started a steep climb up the other side.

This was pretty hard going, but as we gained elevation we were treated to some good views back towards Mt Gudgenby, Yankee Hat, Mt Kelly and Rendezvous Creek on the far side of Boboyan Road.

Climbing to just a bit under 1100 metres in elevation the track levelled out for a while before we started a mostly gradual 100 metre descent to Brandy Flat Hut.

From Brandy Flat we could get a good view of Booths Hill, which we decided might be worth climbing another day.

Climbing away from Brandy Flat we passed through some more forest before the terrain opened up again and we could soon get views across to the area around Nursery Hill.

Not long after crossing Reedy Creek we came to the walking track on the right  which we followed from there. Some more nice views along the way...

...and we were able to pause in one of these spots for lunch before making it back to the car we left at Glendale.

Canberra Nature Park: Mt Arawang and Cooleman Ridge

General Information

Distance:   5.5 kilometers

Total climb:   unknown

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:   18 kilometers

Start point map grid reference:  55H FA 86230 84684

Destination map grid reference:   Mt Arawang 55H FA 85840 84231
                                                     Cooleman Trig 55H FA 84402 85689

End point:  55H FA 83909 86302

Route

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

Description

This walk started on Namatjira Drive, Chapman though to avoid backtracking we had first left another car at the end of Kathner Street. There is a locked gate into the Nature Reserve and a small parking area near this gate. We set off straight up Mt Arawang, which offered views in all directions (apologies for the lack of pictures for this walk). Descending Mt Arawang on the other side we followed management trails in a generally northwest direction, always trying to keep to the more elevated options to avoid unnecessary climbing. Eventually we reached Cooleman Hill on the right and climbed up to the trig for some more views. Continuing down the other side of the Hill we continued on management trails to the car we had left at Kathner Street.

Canberra Nature Park: Hackett to Mt Majura and Mt Ainslie

General Information

Distance:  8.3 kilometers
Total climb:  472 meters
Time taken:  2 hours 10 minutes
Map:  Canberra 8727-3N 1:25 000
Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:  6 kilometers
Start point map grid reference:  55H FA 97256 96974
Destination map grid reference:  Mt Majura - 55H FA 98570 98432
End point:  Mt Ainslie - 55H FA 96327 94919

Route

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

Description

Having placed a second car on the top of Mt Ainslie, we made our way to the carpark off Mackenzie Street in Hackett where the walk began. We first made our way up to the summit of Mt Majura via formed trails. Retracing our steps almost to where the walk began, we went bush for a while to take a shortcut through to the nearest formed trail which we followed for a while before heading bush again to climb Mt Ainslie. While this was steep, it was relatively easy going. We reacquired the formed trail near the summit of Mt Ainslie where our walk ended.

Namadgi National Park: Honeysuckle to Orroral

General Information

Distance: 7.2 kilometers
Total climb: 104 meters
Time taken: 1 hour 35 minutes
Maps: Corin Dam 8626-1N 1:25 000; Rendezvous Creek 8626-1S 1:25 000 
Guide:  Graeme Barrow, Exploring Namadgi & Tidbinbilla: Day Walks in Canberra's 
                                        High Country (1995), pp. 28-29.
Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:  57 kilometers
Start point map grid reference:  55H FA 77314 58151 [Corin Dam]
Destination:  Same as end point
End Point:  55H FA 77108 55444 [Rendezvous Creek]

Route

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

Description

The starting point for this walk was a locked gate on the Link Track, just off the Orroral Ridge Road about 3.3 kilometers for the Honeysuckle Creek camp ground. From the locked gate we followed the Link Track, which is wide and well-maintained.



The first kilometer or so of the track is being the range on the eastern side of Orroral Valley, but after that some views of the Valley below start to appear.



As we got closer to the Valley, the trail became quite steep downhill in some places.



At the bottom of the range the trail veered northwest before crossing the Orroral River via a bridge. It then crossed the valley to link up with the Cotter Hut Road and then to the Orroral Tracking Station site where we had left a second car. The Valley was quite green and lush.





This is a short walk, mostly downhill and along management trails. It could the done as a return walk if only one car is available, but it is a very steep uphill climb to the locked gate on the Link Track and may best be done by starting at Orroral Valley to get the climb out of the way while still fresh. It would also be possible to combine this walk with the Granite Tors trail, which starts on Cotter Hut Road near the Tracking Station site. This would double the length of the walk and require cars at either end (or a drop-off/pick-up).

Murrumbidgee Corridor: Red Rocks

General Information

Distance:  11.25 kilometers
Total climb:  308 meters
Time taken:  3 hours 40 minutes
Map:  Tuggeranong 8727-3S 1:25 000
Guide:  link
Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:  20 kilometers
Start point map grid reference:  56H FA 84908 81249
Destination map grid reference:  55H FA 86545 79167
End point map grid reference:  55H FA 87308 80314

Route

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

Description

We started this hike in Winser Crescent Kambah, walking from there through to the Bicentennial National Trail which we followed to the northwest to Kambah Pool Road. We then followed Kambah Pool Road to the left until we passed into the Murrumbidgee Corridor Nature Reserve about 2 kilometers into the hike and turned south towards the river. At the river we joined the Murrumbidgee Discovery Track and followed it southeast. Our initial plan was to cross the river around map reference FA838801 and walk up Bullen Range via the Bullen Powerline Fire Trail, but after much looking around we could find no suitable crossing point, the river being quite high. Slightly dejected, we continued along the Track until we found a nice spot for a break.



From there we pressed on to our destination Red Rocks Gorge.





Having taken in the sights at Red Rocks, we left the Murrumbidgee Discovery Track  and headed northeast to link up once again with the Bicentennial Trail, which had some good views back towards the Bullen Range.



Eventually we reached the eastern side of Kambah, where we picked up a second car to return us to our starting point.

This hike was, for us, about 3 kilometers longer than it needed to be due to a lot of looking around for a suitable crossing point. It was surprisingly scenic and the trail was clear and easy to walk on. It has encouraged me to one day attempt the 27 kilometer Murrumbidgee Discovery Track from Casuarina Sands to Point Hut.

Googong Foreshores: Shoreline and Western Foreshores Walks

General Information

Distance:  13 kilometers
Total climb:  300 meters
Time taken:  4 hours
Map:  Hoskinstown 8727-2S, 1:25 000
Guide:  link
Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:  30 kilometers
Start point map grid reference:  55H GA 04863 77024
Destination map grid reference:  55H GA 04776 67918
End point:  same as destination

Route

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

Description

This walk required two cars, one of which we placed at the London Bridge carpark at the southern end of Googong and the other at the Foreshores carpark near Googong Dam.  From the Foreshores carpark we could have started directly along the Western Foreshores Walk, which is along a management trail, but we decided it would be more scenic to do the 2.6 kilometer Shoreline Walk first and meet up with the Western Foreshores Walk at Shannons Inlet. As it turned out, the Western Foreshores Walk was not particularly scenic, through not particularly inspiring bushland and with only occasional views of Googong Reservoir.



We probably should have left our first car at the Tin Hut rather than London Bridge carpark, since that would have made the walk slightly shorter and this last section was along a hot and dusty road. This was not a particularly inspiring walk, although it did cover almost the entire length of Googong Reservoir. I suspect it would be better to do this by kayak.

Kosciusko National Park: Tabletop Mountain and Four Mile Trails

General Information

Distance:  23.7 kilometers (day 1 - 13.1 kilometers; day 2 - 10.6 kilometers)
Total climb:  630 meters (day 1 - 366 meters; day 2 - 264 meters)
Time taken:  7 hours 45 minutes (day 1 - 4 hours 25 minutes; day 2 - 3 hours 20 minutes)
Maps:  Cabramurra 8526-2S 1:25 000; Denison 8626-3S 1:25 000
Guide:  Derrick Stone Walks, Tracks & Trails of New South Wales (2012), pp. 182-183.
Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:  206 kilometers
Start point map grid reference:  55H FA 34798 28358 [Cabramurra]
Destination map grid reference:  55H FA 33565 19421 [Cabramurra] - campsite
End Point map grid reference:  55H FA 39033 23931 [Denison]

Route

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

Description

This hike required two cars and a large backpack for overnight camping. The first car we placed at our planned end point, a carpark on the Eucumbene River - note that this track to this carpark requires 4WD or AWD. Having placed the first car, we drove on in the second car to a carpark just off the Snowy Mountains Highway at the southern edge of Kiandra which is the northern end of the Tabletop Mountain Trail. We started the hike in a generally southerly direction along the Tabletop Mountain Trail (part of the Australian Alps Walking Track) through grassland with the occasional stand of trees. Many trees in the area were dead, possibly as a result of the 2003 bushfires. We were also plagued by swarms of flies and had to wear fly nets over our heads to stay sane. About 6.5 kilometers into the hike we deviated east of the trail to visit Four Mile Hut.



There had been no other water on the trail before this, so we took the opportunity to refill in the nearby Four Mile Creek. There was also a pit toilet up the hill from the hut - a welcome sight to any hiker who doesn't relish the idea of digging and refilling their own in the hard ground. After a good break at the hut we retraced our steps to the Tabletop Mountain Trail and continued south to Nine Mile Creek. Having found here that the creek was clear and fast-flowing, we decided that this was a good spot to spend the night and pitched our tents around 3.30pm. This proved to be a good decision, as it was difficult to find water later in the hike.



Our campsite was in the middle of the old Nine Mile Diggings mining area, and there were mining earthworks all around us. There were also a lot of annoying small ants, but these disappeared after sundown. The next morning we continued along the Tabletop Mountain Trail south and then east. At one point we found what seemed to be the remains of an old mining race below the trail.



About 1.5 kilometers from our campsite we met the Four Mile Hill Fire Trail, which we followed north until we came to Broken Dam Hut. 



We had expected to find some more water in Broken Dam Creek, but it was dry. More positively, though, we found another pit toilet near the hut. After a brief stop at the hut we continued along the Four Mile Hill trail going up and down some significant slopes until we reached Four Mile Hill (1690 metres elevation). This had us quite exhausted, as the morning was already warm and the lack of opportunities to refresh our water along the track was requiring us to use what we had with care.



Fortunately the trail from Four Mile Hill to the Eucumbene River is all downhill - in fact, it drops over 400 meters in elevation in 3.2 kilometers. Eventually we came to the river and crossed a ford (still knee-deep water) to get back to the first car.

This is a walk I am not sure about. On the negative side, the flies and ants were annoying, the dead trees everywhere were depressing, and the lack of water sources (particularly along the Four Mile Hill trail) was disturbing. On the positive side, the mining history of the area is everywhere and the grasslands and summer wildflower remnants were very pretty. 

Canberra Centennial Trail: Mulligans Flat to Hall

General Information

Distance: 17 kilometers
Total climb: 462 meters
Time taken: 3 hours 35 minutes
Map:  Hall 8727-4S 1:25 000
Guide:  link
Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:  17 kilometers
Start point map grid reference:  55H FB 96448 07768
Destination map grid reference:  55H FB 88578 06552
End Point:  same as destination

Route

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

Description

This walk is through two stages of the Canberra Centennial Trail: part of the Watson to Northern Border Campsite stage and all of the Northern Border Campsite to Hall stage. It mainly follows the northern border of the Australian capital Territory (ACT) and New South Wales (NSW). While it is all along a formed trail, some care is needed as the trail is used by fast-moving mountain bikers who can sometimes come around blind corners at breakneck speed. We started the walk at Mulligans Flat Nature Reserve, just off Mulligans Flat Road northeast of the suburb of Forde. The first part of the walk is a climb through the Nature Reserve towards Oak Hill, which is unfortunately on private property on the NSW side of the border. From here the trail follows the ACT/NSW border through the Northern Border campsite, which has some facilities for the hiker, including toilets. About 7.5 kilometers into the walk, the northernmost tip of the ACT is reached and the trail heads southwest towards One Tree Hill, which is reached about 11.5 kilometers into the walk. We ascended One Tree Hill to take in the excellent views of canberra and its environs, which adds about 1 kilometer (and some climbing) on to the total walk. Backtracking from the summit of One Tree Hill, we continued to follow the Centenary Trail to the village of Hall.

This is a very pleasant walk through some nice rural bushland only a short distance from the city. The track is very dry and stony, however, and can be hard on the feet. There is no water along the trail apart from a rainwater tank at the Northern Border campsite, which I suppose could provide drinking water if you have some form of reliable water purification device. I prefer to take plenty of water with me. There are some nice rural and urban views along the trail. If you look carefully along the fence line that marks the ACT/NSW border, some of the original survey markers can still be seen.