A hiking blog with pretty pictures.
Molonglo Gorge is a very attractive section of the Molonglo River, with an orange tinged rocky riverbed and arid, steep-sided river banks.
There’s very attractive scenery along Molonglo Gorge, with an orange tinged rocky riverbed and steep, often arid banks on the south side. It’s an easy and relatively short walk, although getting down to the Molonglo River in places is steep on informal tracks. An excellent half day option on the outskirts of Canberra that I really enjoyed.
Continue reading “Molonglo Gorge Nature Reserve to Blue Tiles, ACT”
Good views and nice creek scenery on the shortish Yellow Track in Bungonia National Park. To extend your day consider the Green Track also.
The relatively short Yellow Track in Bungonia National Park was unfinished business for me, having done the Green Track and part of the White Track some years ago, and the challenging and spectacular Red Track more recently. It offers pleasant and rocky creek scenery at Bungonia Creek, then keeps high above the creek, ending with good views of the surrounding topography from Jerrara Canyon Lookout.
A classic Blue Mountains walk taking Pierces Pass down to Blue Gum Forest in the Grose Valley, with a side trip to Rigby Hill at the start.
This was my first time down Pierces Pass, and my first time in a long while into the Grose Valley. You can do a quick side trip to Rigby Hill at the start for already excellent views. Return to the start and descend on the Pierces Pass Walking Track through patches of attractive rainforest to the Grose River. Cross the river and walk downstream as far as Blue Gum Forest for perhaps the most attractive vegetation of the day—tall, straight trunked blue gums and various understory plants including tree ferns.
Continue reading “Pierces Pass to Blue Gum Forest (+ Rigby Hill), Blue Mountains NSW”
Having done an excellent circuit along the lower sections of Kangaroo Creek last year in the Royal National Park, I looked forward to visiting Upper Kangaroo Creek above Karloo Pool. The creek is very scenic, especially Kangaroo Pool, but also other pools and quiet stretches of creek lined by ferns and bush. You get a similar experience of relative remoteness despite being in one of Sydney’s busiest national parks. I didn’t meet a single person until Karloo Pool.
Continue reading “Upper Kangaroo Creek Circuit, Royal National Park NSW”
An adventurous walk along the Nattai River in Nattai National Park to the exposed summit of Russells Needle.
The walk to Russells Needle was one of the more challenging walks I’ve done in Australia. The views and sense of achievement from reaching the summit are worth the effort, however I found the Nattai River and Rocky Waterholes Creek to be the highlight of the walk. There are also excellent views at Needle lookout on the route down to the river, which you could visit for a much shorter day out. Definitely recommended for experienced walkers.
Continue reading “Russells Needle Route, Nattai National Park NSW”
Two attractive short walks: to Shepherd’s Lookout for views of the Murrumbidgee River, & to Tong’s Hole, a nice stretch of the Molonglo River.
Two short walks here to the north of Canberra. The first, to Shepherd’s Lookout, offers excellent views of the Murrumbidgee River. The second, ‘Tong’s Hole’, drops down to an attractive stretch of the Molonglo River. Nice scenery for very little effort on these walks, and if you do them at sunset you might be joined by the local kangaroos.
Continue reading “Shepherd’s Lookout & Tong’s Hole / Molonglo River, ACT”
Two walks in one in Guula Ngulla National Park, to Baldy Billy Peak for good views, and down to a secluded stretch of the Wollondilly River.
Two walks in one here, on my first visit to the recently established Guula Ngulla National Park. The name means Koala Country, and there is a population in the park, but also emus, which is the closest to Sydney I’ve seen them. There are good views over the Wollondilly River from the short ascent to Baldy Billy Peak. After returning to the main track, you descend steeply into a valley to emerge at a pleasant stretch of the Wollondilly River.
Continue reading “Baldy Billy Peak & Wollondilly River, Guula Ngulla National Park NSW”
Mount Solitary via Kedumba Valley is a good work out with varied scenery as you descend into the valley then climb to The Col for views.
My first time to climb Mount Solitary from Kings Tableland to the east. Although not quite as good as going via the Golden Stairs and Ruined Castle, variety is welcome, and it was a good workout. You cross Kedumba Creek at a nice spot, and with a good change in elevation there’s lots of variety of forest and vegetation generally.
Continue reading “Mount Solitary via Kedumba Valley, Blue Mountains NSW”
The walk from Long Point to the Shoalhaven River in Morton National Park offers excellent views and atmospheric riverside walking. You can add to your adventure by climbing Kingpin Mountain and Long Point Intermediate.
There are excellent views from near the start of this walk to McCallums Flat and the Shoalhaven River from Long Point, but also very atmospheric walking along the river and over the river flats. You can add to your adventure by walking off-track over Kingpin Mountain (555m) and Long Point Intermediate (562m), and get bonus views while you’re there. All on all a lesser known but high quality walk that I can highly recommend.
Continue reading “Long Point to the Shoalhaven River, Morton National Park NSW”
Visit atmospheric Dimmocks Creek and a series of old lookouts over Bundanoon Creek on unmaintained tracks with optional bush bashing.
The ‘lost lookouts’ at Bundanoon in the NSW Southern Highlands are a series of old lookouts that used to be accessed on maintained tracks. My route took me firstly down to the atmospheric Dimmocks Creek, then later on an indistinct but marked track for a while to the first two lookouts with nice views of cliffs and Bundanoon Creek.
After that the route is no longer marked and the track almost entirely disappeared, so I spent 2-3 hours (return) bush bashing to visit two more official lookouts and one informal vantage point. I also enjoyed the mushrooms in autumn.
Continue reading “Bundanoon Lost Lookouts & Dimmocks Creek, Morton National Park NSW”
