Walk 11:- Cowan to Mt Kuring-gai At A Glance
Route Summary:- This walk is all on track and follows the route of the Great North Walk via Berowra Waters and Sam’s Creek to the junction of Calna Creek with Berowra Creek wher it continues to Mt Kuring-gai on the ‘Link Track’ for another 4 km. to Mt Kuring-gai streets, then 0.3 km. along the Pacific Highway to Mt Kuring-gai Station
RQI:- 92
Highlights:- Great topographical and botanical diversity from ridges to creek valleys; possibly the best northern walk in this series; note high RQI indicates minimal walking along roads.
Negatives :- Some sections of track between Joe Crofts Creek and Berowra Waters poorly maintained
Length:- 15.5 km
Grade:- Medium to Hard ; several reasonably long and steep ascents, descents and creek crossings
Weather:_All weather except when creeks in flood
Time with a few 3-5 min. stops:- 5 hrs. 15 mins.
Train Time from Central to Start :-. 52 min. via Strathfield
Train Time to Central from Finish :-. 1 hr 2 min. T1 Line
Total Climb :- 600 m.
Total Descent :- 570 m.
Water:- Cowan Station; Berowra Waters
Toilets:- Locked both at unattended stations; Berowra Waters
Café/Kiosk :- Mt Kuring-gai; possibly soon again at Berowra Waters
Published 1:25,000 Map :- Cowan
Walk 11 Track Notes
Cowan to Mt. Kuring-gai
09/01/2014
Km/Hrs.min. Kilometers in bold are shown on map
0.00/0.00 Cowan Station; cross Pacific Highway to a signboard on other side:- ‘Berowra Waters 8km’; walk past locked gate and follow service road
0.50/0.05 At arrowed green post take walking track on right, leaving the service road
1.24/0.16 Walking track crosses another service road at right angles; signage:- ‘Berowra Waters 7 km’ straight on
1.50/0.20 Track junction; veer left on arrowed post and walk about 30 m under power lines, then turn right on arrowed post, away from power lines
2.08/0.27 Viewing area on left; track continues steeply down.
2.68/0.42 At Joe Crofts Creek crossing on sandstone outcrop; track good to this point, but deteriorates from here
3.56/1.06 On plateau; good track resumes along flatter section
3.93/1.11 Track X junction; continue straight on arrowed post
4.15/1.14 Major track junction, camp site and signage :- ‘Berowra Waters 3.5 km’; take this to the right and follow wide service track gently uphill leaving campsite on your left
4.42/1.17 Track junction; leave wide service track and take narrow walking track to the left at arrowed post; good view of Berowra Waters
5.11/1.36 Creek crossing on sandstone outcrop.
5.46/1.45 Top of hill with view, cleared area, campsite and fireplace; track continues straight on with fireplace on right and then goes steeply down on steps.
5.72/1.54 At tidal Berowra Creek; track turns left and goea upstream along Berowra Creek.
6.13/2.00 Walking track merges with wider service road that becomes a sealed public road about 100 m further on, with car park on left.
6.56/2.07 At intersection with Berowra Waters Road at ferry crossing; toilets, picnic tables and watering point on left; public tap next to lower picnic table; then cross Berowra Waters Road at right angles to short stone steps and signage:- ‘ Berowra Station 5.4 km’ ; continue towards Berowra Station; second public tap and bubbler about 15 m after signboard next to track.
8.10/2.41 Track junction; veer right on arrowed post; fainter track on left goes up to Currawong Road, Berowra Heights
8.54/2.50 Track crosses Banggarai Creek on timber bridge, then goes up on steps to service road .
8.59/2.51 Track junction with service road and signage :- ‘ Great North Walk’ to the right; go right and walk along service road.
9.02/2.56 Na Badu Lookout with bench and pinic table on right; continue straight along service road
9.30/3.00 Track junction and signage :- ‘ Berowra Station 2 km’ straight on along service road and ‘Crosslands 3.7 km’ walking track steeply down on right; go right, leaving service road.
9.71/3.12 Track in valley of Sam’s Creek; first crossing on boulders is a tributary of Sam’s Creek; cross this at right angles on arrowed post, then veer slightly right to cross Sam’s Creek proper on rocks.
9.74/3.13 At signage next to Sam’s Creek after crossing:- ‘ Berowra Waters 4.5 km’ back track and ‘Crosslands 2.6 km’; continue along track, now along left bank of Sams’s Creek.
10.06/3.20 Grassy area next to Sam’s Creek
10.17/3.22 Top of special headland between Berowra and Sam’s Creeks; probably historical aboriginal camp site with lots of kitchen shell middens; unusual boulders; time out for lunch
10.17/3.36 Resume walking after 14 minute lunch break
11.18/3.53 Start of boardwalk over fragile grassy swampland
11.28/3.55 Track junction next to Calna Creek and signage :- ‘ Berowra Waters 5.8 km’ back track and ‘Crosslands 1.3 km’ to the right across Calna Creek; do not cross Calna Creek, but go left on ‘Link Track’ signage; track now follows Calna Creek upstream with creek on right.
11.68/4.02 Timber bridge of tributary creek joining Calna Creek from left
12.57/4.18 First Calna Creek crossing on boulders; track resumes along Calna Creek, with Creek now on left
12.92/4.24 Second crossing of Calna Creek on steps cut into sandstone boulders; Creek on right after crossing
13.00/4.26 Track veers away from Calna Creek and goes steeply up, then along valley of Lyrebird Gully.
13.30/4.34 Prominent series of cave overhangs;
13.48/4.37 Crossing Lyrebird Gully above waterfall with hand rails, then immediately re-cross this creek on steps cut into sandstone boulders
14.14/4.49 Final creek crossing on timber bridge and outcrop; track veers away from creek, now on left after crossing.
14.65/4.59 Track on timber bridge over spillway channel for old filled in earth dam; track then widens out to a service road that goes along the top of the dam wall and then veers right.
14.70/5.00 Start of sealed section of service road; follow this as it winds steeply up to a locked gate at the T junction with Glenview Streeet
15.32/5.12 At Glenview Street and signage :- ‘Mt Kuring-gai Station 0.5 km’ ; turn left into Glenview St to a T junction with the Pacific Highway after 10 m; cross the Pacific Highway carefully at right angles, then turn left and follow the concrete footpath to Mt. Kuring-gai Station
15.53/5.14 Mt Kuring-gai railway station
Route Quality Index
On public vehicular road:- 0.64km/4%
On locked service/fire trail:- 1.41km/9%
On walking track:- 13.48 km/87%
RQI= 87+5+0=92
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