WONDABYNE STATION TO LITTLE WOBBY VIA MOUNT WONDABYNE
Walk 18A At A Glance
Route Summary:- This walk climbs steeply from Wondabyne Station to a fire trail at 0.34 km and follows this for about 1.7 km to a walking track; walking track for 2.4 km. crossing Myron and Kariong Brooks, then alternating fire trail and walking track for about 3.8 km. to Mount Wondbyne; then about 5 km of fire trail followed by 5 km of walking track to Little Wobby
RQI:- 77
Highlights:- Wondabyne Station; Kariong Brook Falls and Pool; Mount Wondabyne; Hawkesbury River views and Little Wobby
Negatives :- Boring walk for 5 km. along fire trail
Length:- 18 km.
Grade:- Hard
Weather:_All weather
Continuous walking time with a few 3-4 min. stops:- 5 hrs 45 mins.
Train Time from Central to Start :-. 1 hr 9 mins.; Central Coast and Newcastle Line
Train Time from finish to Central:-. Take ferry from Little Wobby to Brooklyn then train to Central; see ferry Timetable below; train time 1 hr 2 mins
Total Climb :- 530 m.
Total Descent :- 530 m.
Water:- Nil
Toilets:- Nil
Café/Kiosk :- Nil
Published 1:25,000 Map :- Broken Bay; Gunderman; Gosford
Comment:- As seen from the ferry timetable below, this walk is best performed on a Sunday, when there is a ferry back to Brooklyn at 2, 3 and 4 p.m. The 3 pm ferry can be reached with brisk walking and short drink stops.
Walk 18A Track Notes
Wondabyne to Little Wobby via Mount Wondabyne
11/03/2018
Km./Hrs.min. Kilometers in bold are shown on maps
0.00/0.00 Wondabyne Station; take steep stepped track up behind Station
0.34/0.10 Track intersects service road at turning circle; turn right and follow this much more gently uphill
0.36/0.11 Ignore service road joining on right; continue straight still uphill
1.40/0.24 At solid sandstone platform like outcrop on left, note overgrown service road; this goes to Pindar Cave; ignore this and continue straight
2.01/0.32 Track junction with signage:- ‘Patonga 15 km’ walking track on right; ‘ Wondabyne 2.5 km’ backtrack and ‘Girakool 8 km’ straight on along service road; turn right onto walking track towards Patonga
3.43/1.04 Crossing Myron Brook on solid sandstone outcrop
3.80/1.12 Crossing Kariong Brook with waterfall and pool on left; dry crossing-water flows between sub-surface boulders; take poorly constructed track steeply up to cliff line
4.40/1.29 Track T junction with service road and signage:- ‘Girakool’ back track; ‘Staples Lookout 2 km’ left but turn right and follow service road.
5.69/1.45 Drink stop after steeper section of service road on outcrop; excellent view of Mt. Wondabyne
5.69/1.50 Resume walk along service road
5.85/1.52 Service road crosses massive flat sandstone outcrop just before a track junction; service road veers left; continue along walking track that veers slightly right
6.67/2.04 Walking track at T junction with service road and new power lines; signage:- ‘Girakool’ backtrack; turn right and follow service road.
6.88/2.07 Track junction and signage on gentle ridge:- ‘Wondabyne Station 7 km’ and ‘Girakool’ both backtrack and ‘ Mount Wondabyne’ signage on left; go left on clear walking track towards Mt. Wondabyne
7.78/2.25 Track junction on gentle ridge after climb on rough partly washed out track; track on left goes up Mt. Wondabyne; take this and return to this point after climb; some scramble over minor cliffs
7.96/2.32 Top of Mt Wondabyne at Trig. Station marked by circular metal disc on sandstone tower; splendid views in all directions; retrace to … 11.43 track junction
8.13/2.38 Back at main walking track; go left
8.20/2.39 Walking track at wide turning circle of service road with signage:- ‘Mooney Mooney rest Area 17 km.’ back track and ‘Patonga 10.5 km.’ left along service road; go left along service road.
8.93/2.49 Service road T junction with signage:- ‘ Girakool’ backtrack and ‘Great North Walk’ to right; go right along service road;
9.38/2.54 A lesser service road joins on right; signage:- ‘Girakool’ backtrack; ‘Patonga’ straight on and ‘Rocky Ponds Trail’ on right; go right along Rocky Ponds Trail
10.74/3.13 Service road crosses massive sandstone outcrop.
12.07/3.34 The walk along Rocky Ponds Trail to this point is quite boring- flat with low scrub on both sides and few larger trees; after gentle descent from here much more interesting with larger trees.
13.05/3.50 Major track junction; the service road turns left more steeply downhill and there is a clear walking straight ahead; this is the Highway Ridge Track; follow this track; it is an old track that has seen better times- severely washed out in places with minor more recent deviations.
13.75/4.06 At Tank Creek with wide and long clearing on sandstone outcrop; minor rapids; track a little obscure but is evident if creek crossed near middle of outcrop length; track somewhat better- no more washouts, but small dead trees over track in many places
14.91/4.32 Track better in flatter section.
15.35/4.42 Track at edge of cliff with excellent views over Hawkesbury River to Dangar Island and Brooklyn with Little Wobby at base of cliff on left.
16.23/4.58 TV aerials; excellent views; now just above Little Wobby
16.51/5.03 Track poorly defined at interesting boulder rock outcrops; start of very welcome pink bunting to indicate track.
17.34/5.19 Under power lines; track marked with bunting continues along ridge, but turn right here and follow power lines down; rough descent over several low cliff lines either under or just left of power lines; there is a very faint track about half way down; some investigation required to flag the best way down.
17.72/5.39 At constructed road with Little Wobby settlement on left and sealed road on right; go right and follow narrow zig zagging footpath through Little Wobby to ferry wharf marked by Telstra phone box.
18.03/5.43 At ferry wharf; take ferry to Brooklyn;
End of Walk
Route Quality Index
On service roads:- 8.18 km; 45 %
On walking tracks:- 9.85 km.;55 %
RQI= 55+22= 77
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