Walks Near Sydney

[Midfielder]

I like bush walking, and we are heading into summer.

So I through I would start a thread on walks close to Sydney or in Sydney....

Heaps of walks on the lower Central Coast, I will add a few more as time goes by, and look forward for those others can recommend i.e walks in the Blue Mountains especially the lower Blue Mountains.

This first vid is three walks around as a reference point Woy Woy all connect to a mountain pools.

As I said I will add more, and look forward to what others share.

 

[GunnerWanderer]

Mermaid 🧜‍♀️ pools at Tahmoor lovely lovely walk! 

[Smoggy]

I dunno like… I prefer bush walking and walks in general from around April to October so for me the season is coming to an end. Unless it is a coastal walk with a nice sea pool and pub close by, that’s the summer walks I like.

[Smoggy]

Would recommend a look at the Great North Walk site https://www.thegreatnorthwalk.com.

The walk goes from Sydney to Newcastle but can be broken down into day walks. I have done most of the day walks as far as Brooklyn at some point and the final leg from Merewether to Newcastle I have done.

For lower mountains there is the zig zag walk at Glenbook which might appeal to you interest in trains. Glenbrook walks remain one of the few places I have seen numerous eastern browns moving around mind lol

Edited September 30, 2024 by Smoggy

[EmMac]

Local to me is Lake Parramatta. I like a walk round the Lake, then enjoy a dip afterwards.

[marron]

I flippin hate videos middy - what/where are the walks?

Like smoggy said, some lovely spots on the Great North in the Sydney sections. Spent a few days on it earlier this year. And yes +1 to the glenbrook stuff for you middy.

Thinking about walks, the thing is it's pretty easy to find info/suggestions these days. Trying to think of things i can reccomend that wouldn't be standard.

There is also massive resentment up here towards influencers and groups like lostmtns publicisicing places that can't take having thousands of clueless people through them, especially as people keep getting into trouble putting the lives of responders in danger. The amount of unprepared people i see out there looking to replicate someone else's insta shot is scary. It's great that people are getting out and with Sydney bursting at the seams it's only natural there's increased traffic - but yeah, people are encouraged to imagine they don't need experience, that places are easy, and they want that instant gratification.

Sorry for the grumpy ramble haha.

I think the best "unknown" kind of walk around the upper mountains is the Centennial Glen/Porters pass loop on west side of Blackheath. Takes in a bit of everything that the upper mountains has - slot canyons with rainforest, waterfalls, dry eucalypt, clifftop heath, undercliff overhangs, lookouts, steep stairs, a boulder scramble, etc etc -  in a few hours. It's not in the NP so people miss it. 

 

[Smoggy]

20 minutes ago, EmMac said:

Local to me is Lake Parramatta. I like a walk round the Lake, then enjoy a dip afterwards.

Not far from me also….just watch out for the eel-tailed catfish lol

[marron]

I've enjoyed my walks along creeks around the hills too but i can't remember the names any of them. Like, castle hill -> northmead/parra basically was one.

There's some really nice reminders of what Sydney was like back in the day.

 

[marron]

Didn't finish the thought. Like, you go into the mountains or up to the hawkesbury and see creeks cutting through sandstone, gums up on the ridges, and it's like another world, but with some variations, most of the sydney basin was like that really, and there's still vestiges. 

[Smoggy]

58 minutes ago, marron said:

I've enjoyed my walks along creeks around the hills too but i can't remember the names any of them. Like, castle hill -> northmead/parra basically was one.

There's some really nice reminders of what Sydney was like back in the day.

 

Yeah there are some lovely pockets of nature left around NW Sydney especially. There is a place I go not more than 5 mins from where I live and when you go in there all traffic and noise floats away and you could be in a Blue Mountains valley. Balaka falls near Carlingford is my local walk but a few others besides such as the ponds walk which takes you down from the high ground at Carlo to the Parra River. These are local strolls really rather than bush walks as such. 

There are a few other pockets around here that are less well trodden that I know about. 

I did a walk a few weeks back to see if the red bellied blacks are out and about in their usual spot and there was one around the usual sunny rock. My wife thinks I am crazy...why go for a walk deliberately looking for a snake...but meh....they do no harm...not aggressive at all...quite beautiful actually I think.

Edited September 30, 2024 by Smoggy

[marron]

Yes they have a cool sheen. And i've never known one not to slither away if i get near. Although still gives me a heart skip when i see one on my own with no reception. Lol.

Most recent snake sighting was a massive diamond python a few weeks ago. Where i was camping on the weekend the people i was with call it death adder creek after a previous visit but we didn't see any!

Edited September 30, 2024 by marron

[SBW]

There's a few nice walks around the Blue Mountains, Govett Leaps/Grand Canyon, Megalong Valley, Glenbrook Gorge, Victoria Falls.

In the south-west around Campbelltown, there's a walking track along the George River (the clean and freshwater version of the Georges River) uptowards the Holsworthy Barracks where you might encounter Koalas and Kangaroos and there's the Pipeline Trail in Heathcote up towards Heathcote Creek and Yabba Pool

[Smoggy]

Every good walk should end at a pub.

Must admit that is one thing I miss about the old country…some stunning walks and even better old pubs to finish at.

I did the Rosedale loop in April and finished here https://lionblakey.co.uk

Edited October 1, 2024 by Smoggy

[marron]

There's some decent places to finish up on a walk around the traps, if not quite so historic or whatever. Maybe all entries in here should have some advice on that front Although it's quite rare in the mountains to have pubs at trackheads, have to head into towns mostly.

It's funny talking to europeans about walking though. I got interested in the walk following Hadrians Wall across from one side of the UK to the other and started just having a look at how people do it and how long it takes and it was mostly advice about which pubs you could eat at and where there were general stores to get lunch and whatnot. A bloke I know who works at scenic world is fond of telling me all the questions he gets, like if they walk to ruined castle or mt solitary where can they buy food and what time do the buses leave there to come back to Katoomba and things. It's a different world.

But nothing beats the rum or whisky round the campfire while still out there in my book.

[Smoggy]

1 hour ago, marron said:

There's some decent places to finish up on a walk around the traps, if not quite so historic or whatever. Maybe all entries in here should have some advice on that front Although it's quite rare in the mountains to have pubs at trackheads, have to head into towns mostly.

It's funny talking to europeans about walking though. I got interested in the walk following Hadrians Wall across from one side of the UK to the other and started just having a look at how people do it and how long it takes and it was mostly advice about which pubs you could eat at and where there were general stores to get lunch and whatnot. A bloke I know who works at scenic world is fond of telling me all the questions he gets, like if they walk to ruined castle or mt solitary where can they buy food and what time do the buses leave there to come back to Katoomba and things. It's a different world.

But nothing beats the rum or whisky round the campfire while still out there in my book.

That’s was probably me like 20 years ago when I first came here 

[marron]

I've walked past this dozens of times at least without even noticing. Suddenly caught my eye yesterday.

 

I'm guessing it's from around 1900. Pretty cool.

[Legionista]

On 1/10/2024 at 10:17 AM, SBW said:

There's a few nice walks around the Blue Mountains, Govett Leaps/Grand Canyon, Megalong Valley, Glenbrook Gorge, Victoria Falls.

In the south-west around Campbelltown, there's a walking track along the George River (the clean and freshwater version of the Georges River) uptowards the Holsworthy Barracks where you might encounter Koalas and Kangaroos and there's the Pipeline Trail in Heathcote up towards Heathcote Creek and Yabba Pool

Best spot to start this walk?

[Smoggy]

At Manly walking north towards,Dee Why...

Southern England accents at Manly poss me off.

[marron]

16 minutes ago, Smoggy said:

At Manly walking north towards,Dee Why...

Southern England accents at Manly poss me off.

Allo me ol' china, which way to the Zoo, innit? 

[Legionista]

So many Poms there.…

[Smoggy]

I've decided if I were a young man in my 20's again I would have joined one of the MANY beach volleyball clubs that are stretched out along Manly beach today in massive numbers...rather nice ladies....

Just saying @Unlimited....

[Smoggy]

Ohh...I left my son at Manly beach today with his mates...went to get a bottle of water before starting my walk...seen him knocking around with a teenage girl ......

The wife wants me to have another father abd son talk  ffs...

[marron]

Smoggy's talk:

- was she from the home counties?

- ..... no?

- well in lad

[Smoggy]

Stunning out here today mind. Water still too cold for me like.

[marron]

Comtemplating a swim later Might hold off till tomorrow though, bit gusty up here. It's the cicadas though, they're going nuts, puts me in the mood.

Edited October 6, 2024 by marron

[Unlimited]

2 hours ago, Smoggy said:

I've decided if I were a young man in my 20's again I would have joined one of the MANY beach volleyball clubs that are stretched out along Manly beach today in massive numbers...rather nice ladies....

Just saying @Unlimited....

I decided that it would be better for society at large for the public to not see me in my budgie smugglers running around with my squishy beer gut 

[WSWJACK]

9 hours ago, Smoggy said:

Stunning out here today mind. Water still too cold for me like.

Did a couple of laps in Newcastle ocean baths this morning, nice and sunny but by Christ the water was freezing 🥶, I came out stiff as a broom🥺

[Smoggy]

12 hours ago, WSWJACK said:

 I came out stiff as a broom

Ooooooooo eeerrrrr (Insert Kenneth Williams Carry on movie voice)....

But yeah...the water was cold yesterday. Give it a month and will be better. 

[marron]

Well i went for an unintentional swim anyway, sank in the creek on my morning walk at one point. 

Followed the creek down, was aiming for an exit i've used before, but noticed a low spur that looked potentially promising. Explored the sandstone wall, found a crevice/chimney thing about 2m high going onto the spur, wedged myself up it, footholds crumbling away, but get up, you beaut, oh look, a way bigger crag. I'm now on a ledge halfway to nowhere with a sketchy way down. A little exploration though and what do you know - an old rope draped down the face.

Well only one way to find out i guess...

Here's the view from above 

And below for good measure, got up to the right on top of the cliff there

 

 

[Smoggy]

51 minutes ago, marron said:

Well i went for an unintentional swim anyway, sank in the creek on my morning walk at one point. 

Followed the creek down, was aiming for an exit i've used before, but noticed a low spur that looked potentially promising. Explored the sandstone wall, found a crevice/chimney thing about 2m high going onto the spur, wedged myself up it, footholds crumbling away, but get up, you beaut, oh look, a way bigger crag. I'm now on a ledge halfway to nowhere with a sketchy way down. A little exploration though and what do you know - an old rope draped down the face.

Well only one way to find out i guess...

Here's the view from above 

And below for good measure, got up to the right on top of the cliff there

 

 

Isn't it a bit dodgy using someone else's old rope...? 🤔