Berowra to
Mt. Ku-Ring-Gai track
in the Ku-ring-gai-Chase
National Park, New South Wales, Australia
last edited 25. February 2012
last edited 25. February 2012
View Walking directions to Mt. Ku-ring-gai in a larger map
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| A few hundred meters from the Berowra station the Berowra Track starts. It leads to Mt.Ku-ring-gai station. |
Summary
This is a
wonderful short walk with a lot of what the wildlife of NSW has to offer. For
bird watchers or botanists, as well as any kind of naturalist or simply
nature lovers: This trail has to offer a surprisingly rich diversity for its small
size. Depending on the amount of time you want to spend (e.g. with swimming in Hawksbury
River and explore the NP’s rich wildlife, bird watching or macro shooting) the
track takes between 3 and 5 hours minimum. It is perfectly
accessible via public City Rail transport (CityRail Sydney).
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| The track along the Waratah Bay. |
Experience
Together
with my girlfriend I did this track in winter 2011 and mid-summer 2012. We did some bird watching and photography and used
the track to exercise for a muli-day walk (the South Coast Walk in Tasmania) and where carrying
17 kg and 11 kg respectively. It is a half-day one-way trip. It starts and ends at Berowra and Mt. Ku-Ring-Gai
train stations.
While most
of the track goes along the shore of the Cowan Creek and is relatively even, the
beginning is a steep descent and the end a hard ascend of about 200 m each,
regardless of where you start. While long parts are in thick bush and therefore
shaded, others may get relatively hot in the summer sun. The track is easy to
find although it is mostly not marked. There are only a few minor side tracks
that almost cannot be mistaken for the main track. There are a few stretches
that have a rocky or bulky surface. One should be in good physical condition and
have a safe step.
Several
creeks have to be crossed which can be done with ease in dry conditions or
small-shower weather. We did not experience strong rain conditions and cannot
say anything about conditions in such situations.
The water
that runs down the three or four gullies that have to be crossed should not
carelessly be drunk without rigorous treatment. Using a Katadyn Vario filter on ‘long
life’ mode with ceramic + glas fiber + active char coal, protected us from any
harmful amount of bacteria or protists. The water even tasted better than the
tab water in most of Sydney’s suburbs.
Beware
- Sunburn may easily occur on an average summer day!
- Poisonous snakes may be encountered all through the year!
- Boulders may present a risk when crossing creeks because they are often overgrown by algae and thus are slippery.
- There are bull ants everywhere in summer. They are interesting to observe, but might attack you. The sting is painful and poisonous!
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| The red-bellied black snake (Pseudechis porphyriacus) is a common species in wet lands and potentially dangerous. This one disappeared soon after our arrival at her spot in the sun. Check out web sites about this species by the AVRU, survival.org.au and the Australian Museum. |
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| Fighting giants: A approx. 4 cm long unidentified species of bull ant (Myrmecia sp.; see also Wikipedia) has stunned a giant prey: a Sydney funnel-web spider (Atrax robustus; see also Wikipedia). While these ants possess a painful venom and multiple stings may have serious health consequences for humans, the Sydney funnel-web spider itself is one of the most toxic spider species in the world. |
Necessary
to bring along
- Sun protection (broad-brimmed hat, sun screen)
- Hiking boots (to stabilize ankles and provide good grip on wet soil and slippery boulders)
- Sufficient drinking water
Also
recommended but optional
- A local topographic map (1:25 000; Department of Lands 9130-4N and 9130-4S)
- Swim wear
- Photo camera
- Binoculars
- Picnic
This walk
is suitable for
- One-day hiking
- Bird watching
- Swimming
- Exercising for longer walks, incl. climbing
- Macro-, tele and landscape photography
Further reading
Check out http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/NationalParks/parkFacilities.aspx?id=N0019 for further information about opening or closing of the track. Keep yourself informed about bush fires, especially in summer.
Own observations
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| The Tartan Tongue Orchid (Cryptostylis erecta F.Muell. ex Benth.; see also Wikipedia) |
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| One of tens of lizard and skink species that you can encounter during the small hike. |
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| The Lace Goanna (or Lace Monitor Lizard; Varanus varius; see also Wikipedia) is the second largest monitor species in Australia and can grow up to 2 m in length. This species is very common the bush lands along all of Australia's east coast. |
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| A Peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) shot with a Nikon D5000 and a Sigma 150-500 mm F5-6.3 APO DG OS HSM lens. |
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| The uncommon and endangered Glossy Black Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus funereus). |
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| A young araneid spider, probably of the genus Argiope. These can be distinguished from other spiders by their 'stabilimentum' although some other spider species have that, too.
Coast track
in the Royal
National Park
last edited 17. February 2012
Summary
Royal National Park is the oldest National Park on the continent and among the oldest in the world. The Coast Track offers a nice suite of coastal habitats (e.g. rain forest, palm forest, heath), gorgeous cliffs, beautiful beaches and plenty of wildlife. It is located close to Sydney and easy to reach by public transport. The ferry ride itself (from Cronulla to Bundeena) is worth every cent. It is likely that you find yourself alone on a pristine beach, run into a wallaby or spot White-bellied Sea Eagles.
Depending on your fitness and intentions the walk can be done in either one or two days. For bird watchers or botanists, as well as any kind of naturalist or simply nature lovers.
Exprience
Together
with my girlfriend I did this track in Summer 2012. We did some bird watching and photography and used
the track to exercise for a muli-day walk (the South Coast Walk in Tasmania) and where carrying packs of 20 kg and 15 kg respectively. We added a d-tour at the start to see aboriginal stone engravings at the Jibbon Walk (which are not easy to find anymore - for whatever reasons the signs have been removed). That extended the first-day's walk to the camp site at North Era to about 23 km. This (walk from Bundeena to North Era incl. breaks and leisure) took us about 8 hours.There actually are a few hills and cliffs that one has to climb up and down with medium slopes. So the pump may beat strong and sweat may flow at times. Especially during the summer month, despite cloud cover it can get quite hot. Long sections are pretty exposed and sunburn is as likely in sunny weather as wet clothes when it rains. Only on the second day, long sections along the track from North Era to Otford are shaded by forest canopy. All along the track, signs are posted where necessary and it is almost impossible to get lost. Only in one instance (on the first section south-west of the Camp Site in North Era) it is not instantly clear that one has to climb the hill instead of continuing along the beach that leads to an impassible cliff. On top of the hill, plenty of wild-track junctions in high grass may cause confusion. I think that a fallen tree has blocked the main track and many walkers have found their many own ways around it. Anyway, just walk into the forest, at the western end of the meadow following one of the tracks in roughly north-western direction and you should soon (after about 15-30 m) hit the track again. A free (though not topographic) map is available from the NSW Parks and Wildlife Service. There are plenty of side tracks
that can be easily identified as such by consulting the map. There are a few stretches
that have a rocky or bulky surface. One should be in good physical condition and
have a safe step. Other than that, it is a medium-grade walk.
Several
creeks have to be crossed which can be done with ease in dry conditions or
small-shower weather. We did not experience strong rain conditions and cannot
say anything about conditions in such situations.
The water
that runs down the creeks that have to be crossed should not
carelessly be drunk without rigorous treatment. There are a few huts along the way with rain-water tanks. They are private property and owners should be consulted prior to use. This water should be treated as well. Using a Katadyn Vario filter on ‘long
life’ mode with ceramic + glas fiber + active char coal, protected us from any
harmful amount of bacteria or protists. The water even tasted better than the
tab water in most of Sydney’s suburbs.
Beware
Necessary
to bring along for a one-day trip
Also
recommended but optional
This walk
is suitable for
Further reading
Check out http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/NationalParks/parkHome.aspx?id=N0030 and http://immortaloutdoors.com/articles/the_coast_track_royal_national_park for further information about opening or closing of the track. Keep yourself informed about bush fires, especially in summer. A permit is to be purchased from Parks and Wildlife Service if your intention is to camp at North Era (which is the only camp site for bush walkers along this track).
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