The Great North Walk part 4: Berowra to Cowan

 

The intrepid bushwalkers are progressing gradually on their march to Newcastle. Yesterday it was the good old Berowra to Cowan bit. Some great scenery and some very fine views.

The Great North Walk part 3: Hornsby to Berowra

The stages are getting a bit bigger and hillier now, but we're still going (fairly) strong. Nine brave souls at the start.

Here we are having morning tea at the scenic waterfall on the Great North Walk's recently-designated 'upper diversion' around the Hornsby Rifle Range. I'm still a bit peeved at having the easier under-the-rifle-range route stolen off us allegedly for safety.

 

 

 

 

 Down those steps into Galston Gorge

 

 

Probably better to be facing inwards

 

 

 

This bushwalker's done it all before

 

 

An unexpected challenge at the creek crossing under the Galston Gorge bridge. They've put concrete 'stepping cylinders' there, but they're not stuck properly to the boulders beneath, and they wobble horribly!

 

 

 

Now is this a snake I see, around a tree? (Actually it's not!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lunch at the Crosslands Reserve. Some are feeling a bit sore, and checking out the Uber option.

 

 

 

And then there were seven.

Photo courtesy Elaine W

Gundah Ridge

The bushwalkers of northern Sydney are almost spoilt for choice for easily accessible scenic bushwalks. For instance there's a good standard repertoire of round trips, whereby you go down to the Great North Walk on Berowra Creek somewhere, and come up by another track. The local bushwalking clubs do them endlessly.



So I was a bit surprised to find, and survey the other day, yet another variation - a round trip along some tracks I'd personally never explored before. It's quite well-travelled though, so maybe it's only me that didn't know about it.

You start along a fire trail at the end of Beaumont Rd, Mount Kuring-Gai. Before long you're seeing the water below.







You follow a less well defined track down from there, to join the Great North Walk at an iconic lookout rock.











Then it's along and up again, initially on the usual route that takes you out near Berowra station. But then there's a series of scenic fire trails - the Berkeley Trail and the Bambil Trail - which take you back across to Mount Kuring-Gai, and a stroll back through Beaumont Rd industrial area.