Canberra Nature Park: The Pinnacle and Mt Painter

General Information

Grading:  easy

Distance:   9.2 kilometers

Total climb:   341 meters

Time taken:   3 hours

Maps:   Canberra 8727-3N 1:25 000

Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:   9.4 kilometers

Start point map grid reference: 55H FA 86284 96432

Destination map grid reference:  Mt Painter - 55H FA 87754 95142

                                                     The Pinnacle - 55H FA 85674 96486

End point:  same as start

 

Route

 

Description

This walk starts at the parking area off Springvale Drive near De Salis Street.

Entering The Pinnacle Reserve, I followed the Bicentennial National Trail to the left and down to Coulter Drive. I walked down  Coulter Drive and then turned off onto the trail up to the summit of Mt Painter. Returning back to The Pinnacle Reserve the same way, I did a clockwise loop around the Reserve, stopping at The Pinnacle itself before heading back to the starting point.

Brindabella National Park: Devils Peak

General Information

 

Grading:  medium

Distance:   4.9 kilometers

Total climb:   268 meters

Time taken:   3 hours 30 minutes

Maps:   Cotter Dam 8627-2N 1:25 000

Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:   48 kilometers

Start point map grid reference:  55H FA 66441 95586

Destination map grid reference:   55H FA 66448 94353

End point:  Same as start

Route

Description

This walk started at a point on Two Sticks Road under some power lines about 1.5 kilometers from the intersection of Two Sticks Road and Blue Range Road. We headed straight into the bush, which was quite thick and difficult to walk through, with virtually no hope of being able to walk in a straight line.

As we were walking the terrain kept turning us to the right, so we decided to make for the lesser peak to the north west of Devils Peak. This was not a bad decision since it gave us some good views to the north and west.

We then turned south east towards Devils Peak. We arrived at the actual peak itself, but it was thickly forested and gave no decent views. We continued south east, however, until we came to the rock face looking east, and there were great views towards Mount Blundell and Mount Coree.

We returned to our starting point pretty much the same way (but obviously not going back up the lesser peak we had climbed earlier).

Yanununbeyan State Conservation Area: Spring Creek Gorge

General Information

Grading:  medium

Distance:   10.2 kilometers

Total climb:   407 meters

Time taken:   4 hours  20 minutes

Maps:   Captains Flat 8726-1N 1:25 000

Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:   50 kilometers

Start point map grid reference:  55H GA 13034 63448

Destination map grid reference:  55H GA 12805 60486

End point:  same as start

Route

Description

I had previously done a version of this walk on 14 September 2018 (link), but this later route was considerably easier and arguably more interesting. As on the previous walk, we started at the day use area carpark off Woolcara Lane about 14 kilometers south of Captains Flat Road. We first climbed the ridge to the summit of Corner Hill and followed the Corner Hill Fire Trail to the south. Just before the ridge we were on started to get steeper as it approached the Queanbeyan River, we headed east and then south through some moderately difficult terrain (but not as difficult as the previous route following the river).

Eventually we found ourselves on a ridge line taking us due south towards our destination. This was easy walking through dry forest. The most interesting sight was a rusty old truck in the middle of nowhere partly crushed by a fallen tree.

Eventually the ridge we were on fell down towards the river and with a bit of a final steep descent we were in the Spring Creek gorge.

We paused in the gorge for lunch and then climbed out the same way we had climbed down. We made our way to another ridge further to the east of the one we had followed to get to the gorge, and this took us north to Woolcara Lane. We walked along Woolcara Lane back to our starting point.

Namadgi National Park: Gorilla Rock

General Information

Grading : medium

Distance:  6.6 kilometers 

Total climb:  176 meters

Time taken:  2 hours 30 minutes

Map:  Corin Dam 8626-1N, 1:25 000 

Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:  53.3 kilometers 

Start point map grid reference:  55H FA 78933 60480

Destination map grid reference:  55H FA 78676 62527

End point:  same as start

Route

 

Description

This walk starts from the Honeysuckle Creek Camping Ground near the end of Apollo Road. We first followed the walking track towards Booroomba Rocks. At map reference 55H FA 79161 61901, where the track crosses a creek, we headed bush pretty much in a straight line towards Gorilla Rock (which can't be seen until you are close to it). The bush wasn't too bad to fight through, and we eventually found what we were looking for.

 

After a look around, we headed back the same way we had come.

 

Uriarra: Blue Range

General Information

 

Grading: hard

Distance:   18.2 kilometers

Total climb:   737 meters

Time taken:   4 hours 25 minutes

Maps:   Cotter Dam 8627-2N 1:25 000

Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:   37 kilometers

Start point map grid reference:  55H FA 70471 92950

Destination map grid reference:   no specific destination

End point:  Same as start

Route

Description

This walk started at the locked gate before the Blue Range Hut Camping Ground. We started by heading north, intending to visit the Sherwood daffodils, but after we turned off to the right we found that the Sherwood area was closed due to feral animal culls and we had to retrace our steps to One Stick Road. We then started climbing up towards Blue Range, at first to the west and then veering round more to the north-east, following whichever trail looked to be promising. Crossing the ACT/NSW border we found ourselves eventually on Genges Trail, which meanders along Blue Ridge. We followed Genges Trail for some distance until it ended at Blue Range Road, which we then followed back down the range. There were some great views to the east along the way from both Genges Trail and Blue Range Road.

We then followed whatever trails seemed to take us in the right direction until we came back to our starting point. 

Uriarra: Two Sticks Hill and Lower Blue Ridge

General Information

Grading: hard

Distance:   16.5 kilometers

Total climb:   717 meters

Time taken:   3 hour 50 minutes

Maps:   Cotter Dam 8627-2N 1:25 000

Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:   32 kilometers

Start point map grid reference:  55H FA 74137 95543

Destination map grid reference:   55H FA 71375 95817

End point:  Same as start

Route

Description

This walk started at a small carpark just off Mountain Creek Road 1.5 kilometers north of Uriarra Road, my usual starting point for the Sherwood Daffodils walk. Proceeding through the gate at the carpark I climbed to the top of the ridge. Passing the dam and the fence I turned off on to the rougher track to the right through the trees:

 

This track took me to the power lines and gave some good views to the south and east.

Past the power lines the trail follows the border of the pine plantation and becomes less distinct. Recently fallen pine trees cover the trail in a number of places. After a short distance the trail turns sharply to the west and I gradually made my way back to Sherwood Road, which I followed past the turnoff to the daffodils and over the locked gate. Keeping to the right I followed the track on the western side of Two Sticks Hill, looking for a place to climb to the summit. At map reference 55H FA 71059 96088 I found this place, which looked promising enough to try:

 

It was a very steep climb, but it did take me up to the NSW/ACT border marker, and past that to the rather unimpressive summit of Two Sticks Hill.

 

I descended the same way, which was quite tricky and treacherous given the gradient and loose surface. Back at the main track I continued north to a locked gate where I turned left up a very rough and steep trail, where I had a rare sighting of a lyrebird. This trail turned around to the south, following the base of Blue Ridge. At first the track was rough, steep and slippery, but soon became a well-maintained management trail. This trail proved to be one of the highlights of the walk: beautiful native bush and all I could hear was birds and my own footsteps. It helped that by this time the sun had come out.

I continued south along this trail until I came to map reference 55H FA 70149 94632, where I turned left and followed that trail to One Stick Road and West Knob Road, which took me back to Sherwood Road and my starting point at the carpark.

 

Canberra Nature Park: Gossan Hill Nature Reserve

General Information

Grading:  easy

Distance:   9.2 kilometers

Total climb:   216 meters

Time taken:   1 hour 50 minutes

Maps:   Canberra 8727-3N 1:25 000

Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:   6.3 kilometers

Start point map grid reference: street address

Destination map grid reference:  Gossan Hill - 55H FA 89735 97589

End point:  same as start

 

Route

 

  

Description

I started this walk from the Aranda shops in Bandjalong Crescent, Aranda, partly because it would be easy to park there, and partly because I wanted to extend the length of the walk to get to my preferred length of at least 10 kilometers. Parking was a bit more difficult than I had anticipated because it was school drop-off time. And I came up a few hundred meters short of the 10 kilometer mark.

From Bandjalong Crescent I walked down a pathway towards the Aranda playing fields and crossed Belconnen Way via the pedestrian footbridge. From there I turned left up towards Bitumen Track (aptly named) and then turned off onto Urban FT and Radford FT (tracks in the Reserve are pretty well signposted). I then took the Gossan Six FT up to a 667 meter lookout with views to the west.

Continuing past the lookout I turned right on to Gossan Seven FT where I had my first look at Gossan Hill and some views to the north and east.

At the end of Gossan Seven FT I turned left on to Middle FT, which took me to College Street near Radford College. Going bush, I followed the Radford College fence line until it took me back to Radford FT and Gossan One FT which parallels Haydon Drive. Again to extend the walking distance I crossed Haydon Drive and walked the trails behind Calvary Hospital. Near the Calvary parking station I had to go bush again. It probably would have been better to head towards Gungahlin Drive and then down to the track next to Belconnen Way.

I eventually made it back to where I started the Calvary Hospital deviation and walked up Urban FT and Middle FT to the top of Gossan Hill (at 669 meters the highest point of the walk. There wasn't much to look at there, and even the kangaroos seemed surprised that I even took the trouble.

From the summit I went back to Gossan Three FT and headed downhill to Urban FT, which took me back to the Bitumen Track near where I had left it. I decided to follow the Bitumen Track to the right (just to see what was there) and was rewarded with this view:

From there I headed back towards my starting point, taking a few deviations (again, just to see what was there).

Kowen Forest: Glenburn Heritage Precinct

General Information

Grading:  easy

Distance:   11.9 kilometers

Total climb:   236 meters

Time taken:   2 hours 30 minutes

Maps:   Bungendore 8727-2N 1:25 000

Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:   24.7 kilometers

Start point map grid reference: 55H GA 11271 87328

Destination map grid reference:  none

End point:  same as start

 

Route

  

Description

This walk started at a small car parking area before the gate on Charcoal Kiln Road, just off the Kings Highway about 200 meters past the ACT border. There is a map just inside the gate showing a number of walking options in the historic precinct, but I chose the Precinct Loop Trail and decided to do it counter-clockwise, although I have since done it in the other direction as well. The walk is pretty well signposted.

I started walking up Charcoal Kiln Road and after a bit over 3 kilometers came to the Glenburn Homestead area. There is a mown path off to the right which loops around the homestead passing by the shearing quarters and shearing shed, the Colverwell grave site and the homestead itself.

After getting back to Charcoal Kiln Road I continued past the Kowen school and the charcoal kiln sites. After the gate I turned south and followed River Road, which follows Glen Burn Creek to its junction with the Molonglo River. I continued along River Road until map reference 55H GA 08684 88952 where I turned to the right to view the Coppins Homestead ruins.

I then backtracked to map reference 55H GA 09133 89181where I turned off River Road and crossed Glen Burn Creek. At the top of the next rise I had a great view of Colliers Homestead ruins in the distance, and soon came to the ruin itself.

I continued to follow the signs to Mt Atkinson, and from there back to Charcoal Kiln Road and the car park.

Meryla State Forest: The Top of Bundanoon Gorge

General Information

Grading: easy

Distance: 8.8 kilometers 

Total climb: 158 meters 

Time taken: 2 hours 20 minutes

Map: Bundanoon 8928-1S 1:25 000 

Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:  163 kilometers

Start point map grid reference:  56H KG 57554 64299

Destination:   First Lookouts 56H KG 56930 63203

                      Second Lookout 56H KG 57586 63136

                      Third Lookout 56H KG 58602 63645

                      Fourth Lookout 56H KG 59358 64040

End Point:  Same as start

 

Route

 

Description 

 

This walk is through a quiet corner of Meryla State Forest near the village of Exeter in the Southern Highlands. The walk used to be around the perimeter of a pine forest, but the pines have now all been harvested, probably after the 2020 bushfire. Unfortunately this means that the left hand side of the track throughout the walk is pretty ugly...

 

 

...so it's all about the lookouts over Bundanoon Gorge.

 

The start of the walk is at the end of Rosedale Road, before the entry to Filbert's Farm. There are “no parking” signs along Rosedale Road, so we had to cross over into the State Forest area; easy to find because there are no fences there. You can pretty much park anywhere, but we decided to find a shady spot off to the left and round a sharp bend.

We followed a counter-clockwise route around the management trail that borders the former pine forest. Along this trail it's just a matter of looking for minor tracks on the right, which invariably led to lookouts. The first lookout was over the Stonequarry Creek Gorge, but the remainder were all over Bundanoon Gorge, which became narrower as we progressed. Plenty of great views from all lookouts, but be aware that there are no protective barriers and it's a long way down...

To return to our starting point we just continued around in a loop around the former pine forest.

Barren Gounds Nature Reserve: Cooks Nose and the Natural Stone Bridge

General Information

Grading: easy

Distance: 10 kilometers 

Total climb: 239 meters 

Time taken: 2 hours 50 minutes

Map: Kangaroo Valley 9028-4S 1:25 000 

Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:  200 kilometers

Start point map grid reference:  56H KG 90433 60727

Destination:  Cooks Nose 56H KG 88801 58583

                      Natural Stone Bridge 56H KG 91044 59371

End Point:  Same as start

 

Route

 

 

Description 

 

Barren Grounds Nature Reserve is to the south of Jamberoo Mountain Road, about 14 kilometers from the Illawarra Highway (at the Robertson Pie Shop).

 

This walk commenced at the Barren Grounds Picnic Area, about 1 kilometer to the right off Jamberoo Mountain Road. There are two trailheads at the Picnic Ground, but both are well signposted.

Naturally we followed the trail to Cooks Nose at the southern end of the Picnic Area. This took us initially through some flat, fairly open terrain with many varieties of wildflower still in bloom.

The trail starts to go up and down a bit after a while and is quite rocky.

Eventually we came to a walking track off to the right which took us to Cooks Nose, and some very good views into the Brogers Creek and Lamonds Creek gorges, and down towards Kangaroo Valley in the distance.

After taking in the views for a while we headed back the way we had come, but turned off at the Stone Bridge sign to have a look at the natural stone bridge about 1 kilometer away. The stone bridge itself is interesting without being spectacular, but the area around it (Lamonds Creek) is quite nice despite many mosquitos coming to feed on me.

After a break down by the Creek we retraced our steps back to our starting point.