Canberra Nature Park: Palmerville and Gold Creek

General Information

Grading:  easy

Distance:   14.6 kilometers

Total climb:   152 meters

Time taken:   2 hours 20 minutes
Moving time: 2 hours 15 minutes

Maps:   Hall 8727-4S 1:25 000

Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:   10.3 kilometers

Start point map grid reference: 55H FA 87709 99827

Destination map grid reference:    Palmerville 55H FB 89814 01432

                                                       Gold Creek 55H FB 89626 03881

Dates walked: 17 September 2025

 

Route

 

Description

This walk started at the McDermott Place carpark on Lake Ginninderra, for no other reason than to make the walk as long as possible. From there I headed to Ginninderra Drive, which I followed to the bridge before turning north and following Ginninderra Creek to the Palmerville Heritage Park.

 

I took a stroll through the Heritage Park and then continued along Ginninderra Creek until the Barton Highway. From there I went through the Gold Creek village area and stopped at one of the excellent cafes there for a rest before heading back to the starting point by much the same route.

Urban Canberra: Spence, Melba and Mt Rogers

General Information

Grading:  easy

Distance:   7.4 kilometers

Total climb:   214 meters

Time taken:   1 hour 40 minutes

Maps:   Canberra 8727-3N 1:25 000

Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:   15 kilometers

Start point map grid reference:  55H FA 87698 03424

Destination map grid reference:   55H FA 87224 02903 (Mt Rogers)

End point:  Same as start

Route

Description

This walk began at the Spence Shops off Clarey Crescent. We first walked down a long, straight pathway through the suburbs of Spence and Melba until we came to Ginninderra Creek. We then turned around and climbed back up the hill through Melba until we reached the Mount Rogers Reserve and walked around to the summit

There were views, mostly towards the south and the west, from here.

We walked back down from the summit and the short distance back to our starting point.

Urban Canberra: Lake Burley Griffin to Red Hill

General Information

Grading: easy

Distance:   8.3 kilometers

Total climb:   209 meters

Time taken:   2 hours

Maps:   Canberra 8727-3N 1:25 000

Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:   4 kilometers

Start point map grid reference:  55H FA 92487 91648

Destination map grid reference:   55H FA 92141 88953 (Red Hill)

End point:  Same as start

Route

Description

This walk is largely identical to the one completed on 5 February 2019 (link).

Urban Canberra: Parliament House, Red Hill and Embassies

General Information

Distance:   9.5 kilometers

Total climb:   180 meters

Time taken:   2 hours

Maps:   Canberra 8727-3N 1:25 000

Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:   4 kilometers

Start point map grid reference:  55H FA 92487 91648

Destination map grid reference:   55H FA 92141 88953 (Red Hill)

End point:  Same as start

Route

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

Description

Although this was more of a city walk than a bushwalk I decided it was worth including in this blog. 
The starting point for the walk was the carpark at the Canberra Yacht Club in Mariner Place, Yarralumla. From here we headed via Parliament House to Melbourne Avenue, which we followed to a management road along the base of Red Hill. Picking up a walking track a bit further down the management road we climbed past an electricity station painted to resemble Doctor Who's Tardis towards the lookout at map reference 55H FA 92141 88953. From there we walked back down Red Hill following Hopetoun Circuit past Adelaide Avenue. We then followed Hampton Circuit and Empire Circuit past a number of Embassies and back to the Yacht Club.