Walk 16 A:- Cowan to Taffys Rock and Return At A Glance
Route Summary :- This walk follows the Great North Walk from Cowan Station to Jerusalem Bay, then steeply up to a plateau and track junction with an unsignposted walking track along an undulating ridge line to Taffys Rock. The walk returns to Cowan by the same route
RQI:- 100
Highlights:- Impressive Taffys Rock; sense of utter remoteness, yet relatively close to the city; beautiful Jerusalem Bay; spectacular views
Negatives :- Nil
Length:- 14.5 km
Grade:- Medium to Hard
Weather:_All weather
Continuous walking time with a few 3-4 min. stops:- 5 hrs 20 mins.
Train Time from Central to Start :-. 52 minutes; every hour
Train Time from finish to Central:-. 52 minutes; every hour
Total Climb :- 570 meters
Total Descent :- 570 meters
Water:- Cowan Station bubbler
Toilets:- Cowan Station but always locked
Café/Kiosk :- Nil
Published 1:25,000 Map :- Cowan
Walk 16 A Track Notes Cowan and Return via Taffys Rock
24/01/2016
Km/hrs.min Kilometers in bold are shown on map
0.00/0.00 Leave Cowan Station near the middle of the Sydney Bound platform at cream arrowed post; walk down steps and cross two railway siding tracks; turn left and walk along service road to the end of these tracks where there is a large signboard on the right.
0.11/0.02 At signboard:- ‘ Great North Walk’; ’Jerusalem Bay 2.5 km’; ‘Brooklyn 11km’; turn right and cross motorway on pedestrian bridge; continue on wide walking track
0.45/0.07 Prominent creek crossing on sandstone outcrop; creek now on right
2.31/0.34 At Jerusalem Bay; classic view right up the Bay; signboard:- ‘ Great North Walk’ in both directions; track now follows foreshore of Jerusalem Bay to another creek crossing
2.52/0.39 At creek crossing on outcrop; turn right after crossing and follow creek downstream to a smaller creek entering from left.
2.57/0.41 At smaller creek, turn left and follow track steeply up, initially on steps cut into sandstone in creek bed.
3.13/0.57 On rough part of track up:- unusual ironstone alteration of sandstone along joint; may be due to nearby igneous activity.
3.31/1.03 Track junction on top of ridge plateau and signboard:- ‘ Jerusalem Bay’ backtrack and ‘ Brooklyn’ straight on; turn right onto narrow partly overgrown walking pad
3.83/1.11 Track now wider and obviously man made; descends to col; views over Jerusalem Bay
4.04/1.15 Low point of col
4.17/1.17 Track over solid sandstone outcrop, then more steeply up
4.48/1.22 At abandoned ‘Cole’ Trig. Station; 1.5 m. high sandstone tower cairn with timber post
4.66/1.26 Track now less obvious but marked with small stone cairns; descends down to another col.
5.07/1.36 Low point of col, then gently up.
5.32/1.43 Top of massive tasselated sandstone outcrop; ‘Pound Spur’; dramatic views; track continues on southern (right) side of spur and marked with stone cairns, then descends to another col
5.71/1.59 At abandoned ‘Edward’ Trig station; 1.5 m. high sandstone tower cairn
5.92/2.03 Track quite faint, goes along sharp sandstone ridge; views of Hawkesbury River and Jerusalem Bay
6.00/2.06 Track goes up approx.. 10 m. bare sandstone
6.16/2.09 Steep descent down low cliff line; spectacular rock formations; track overgrown when not on sandstone but marked with small cairns.
6.42/2.15 Low point of col on massive sandstone.
7.24/2.38 At Taffys Rock; massive sandstone hill over 100 m. long; magnificent views; metal commemorative plaque on eastern side; track continues down cliff on southern side marked with cairns, but may need rope to return, so best to avoid.
Retrace all the way back to Cowan Station
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