Category: Easy

Pigeon Island Summit, Lake Wakatipu NZ

A shortish walk on Pigeon Island, at the northern end of Lake Wakatipu, surrounded by spectacular mountains. You’ll likely meet a weka or two as well.

Pigeon Island is a small island at the Glenorchy end of Lake Wakatipu. You can only get there by boat/kayak, (unless you’re a really good swimmer!) There’s a handful of short tracks on the island, and when we visited we climbed to the island’s high point for good views over the grand peaks at that end of the lake. There are also plentiful weka there, an otherwise rare flightless bird confined to just a few islands in New Zealand. Continue reading “Pigeon Island Summit, Lake Wakatipu NZ”

Jibbon Head Circuit, Royal National Park, Sydney

A short circuit walk in the Royal National Park near Bundeena, taking in beautiful coastline, and you can extend it by continuing along the classic Coast Track to Marley Head or beyond.

The Jibbon Head Circuit is the shorter section of a longer walk we’ve done from Bundeena to Marley Head in the Royal National Park. It’s a mostly flat walk at the northern most end of the park, and offers very attractive coastal scenery for relatively little effort, including secluded looking beaches and rocky sections. When combined with the section of the classic Coast Track between Bundeena and Marley Head it makes for an excellent coastal walk of moderate difficulty, and all within easy reach of Sydney. Continue reading “Jibbon Head Circuit, Royal National Park, Sydney”

Waterfall Walk (Kalang Falls), Kanangra-Boyd NP, NSW

A very short (but steep) walk to the picturesque Kalang Falls. Worth doing if you are visiting the Kanangra Walls area.

A very short walk in Kanangra-Boyd National Park, starting at Kanangra Walls Lookout. The track drops steeply down to the picturesque Kalang Falls (otherwise known as Kanangra Creek Waterfall on Google Maps), and you can have a look down stream a bit if you like. Continue reading “Waterfall Walk (Kalang Falls), Kanangra-Boyd NP, NSW”

Oatley Park Circuit, Oatley, Sydney

Oatley Park is a lovely section of bushland in suburban Sydney, specifically the suburb of Oatley on the Georges River. A roughly hour long circuit takes in wetlands, mangroves, bushland and water views.

Oatley Park is a suburban bushland  haven situated on the Georges River, about 20km south of the Sydney CBD. An hour long circuit takes in wetlands, mangroves, and views of the saltwater Georges River and a couple of its side arms. There are plenty of shorter options however, and you can just wander through the park if you like; it’s not big enough to get seriously lost in. Continue reading “Oatley Park Circuit, Oatley, Sydney”

West Rim Track, Fitzroy Falls, Morton NP, NSW

Spectacular valley and waterfall views on this easy walk at Fitzroy Falls in Morton National Park, a longish day trip from Sydney.

The West Rim Track is a mostly flat 4km return walk passing multiple lookouts with views down a side arm of the Kangaroo Valley, and of a few waterfalls, particularly Fitzroy Falls situated at the start of the walk. Continue reading “West Rim Track, Fitzroy Falls, Morton NP, NSW”

Drawing Room Rocks Track, Barren Grounds Nature Reserve, NSW

This short but steep track provides easy access to extensive views of the NSW South Coast near Berry. Except not on the day we did it.

Drawing Room Rocks are furniture shaped rock formations 600m up on the escarpment west of Berry on the NSW South Coast. The approximately 30 minute walk to the top is worth it for extensive views to the coast, only when we did it an odd sea mist closed in just as we ascended, so at the top we could see nothing. But it made for atmospheric walking nevertheless. A good option for stretching your legs on a drive further down the South Coast. Continue reading “Drawing Room Rocks Track, Barren Grounds Nature Reserve, NSW”

Liffey Falls Track, Liffey Falls Reserve, Tasmania

An easy walk (with a few steep sections) visiting the picturesque Liffey Falls. It passes through lush forest with very healthy looking tree ferns.

This short walk on constructed tracks visits the upper and lower sections of Liffey Falls. The falls are nice, but the rainforest and tree ferns probably steal the show. We did it after climbing nearby Quamby Bluff.  The whole walk is signposted so you won’t have any trouble navigating; brief details are on the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service site.

Continue reading “Liffey Falls Track, Liffey Falls Reserve, Tasmania”

MacKenzie Falls & The Balconies, Grampians NP Victoria

There are short walks to MacKenzie Falls and the Balconies that are easily accessed off a major road through the Grampians (C222). Both areas are popular with tourists so don’t expect serenity. They are justifiably popular, and not just because they are easy to get to.

There are a few short walks you can do accessed on the road that runs through the middle of Grampians National Park (C222). We did a couple at the popular MacKenzie Falls, and also a short walk to the Balconies. It was hazy when we got to the Balconies and so this rather impressive area did not look its best in my photos, so I’ve included just the one. MacKenzie Falls is an impressive waterfall that is somewhat a victim of its own success. Worth the visit nevertheless, (but don’t swim too close to the waterfall because people have drowned there). The tracks are constructed and obvious. Continue reading “MacKenzie Falls & The Balconies, Grampians NP Victoria”

Mt Zero Track, Grampians NP Victoria

This short walk provides good views back to nearby Mt Stapylton, and the pleasingly shaped Flat Rock on it slower slopes. It also sits on the edge of the Wimmera Plains, and feels rather like being on a cliff edge, with an ocean of farmland stretching to the horizon.

This walk starts nearby from the same spot as the Mt Stapylton walk, and you can easily do them both in one day. Only it was about 35 degrees on the day we did them, and I probably shouldn’t have dragged Sophia up at the hottest part of the day, as she’s susceptible to extremes of temperature – there’s very little shade. The views are worth the one hour return walk, as it sits on the very northern edge of the Grampians, with miles of entirely flat farmland to the north, and the very rocky Mt Stapylton to the south. The track is obvious; details on the Parks Victoria website.  Continue reading “Mt Zero Track, Grampians NP Victoria”

Chalwell Galleries Track, Mt Buffalo NP Victoria

The short Chalwell Galleries Track winds around and between massive boulders high up in Mt Buffalo National Park.

This was our third short walk on the Mt Buffalo plateau, this one a short side trip off the main road, and a bit different than the other two (The Horn and The Hump). It wound around and between massive boulders, and required just a bit of scrambling. More info on the Parks Victoria website. Continue reading “Chalwell Galleries Track, Mt Buffalo NP Victoria”