Walk 21:- Waterfall to Heathcote via Bullawaring Track
At A Glance
Route Summary:- From Waterfall Station this walk goes for about 0.75 km along Waterfall roads to the Bullawaring track head; it then follows the Bullawaring Track to its end at Pipeline Road, a service road along a large pipeline; it then goes for over 2 km along Pipeline Road to a junction with The Friendly Trail and follows this up to Heathcote with the last 0,7 km of the walk again along public roads.
RQI:- 75
Highlights:- Pools along Heathcote Creek including Kingfisher Pool; transition of Heathcote Creek from flat valley to deeply entrenched
Negatives :- 2.15 km walk in service road next to large pipeline; about 1.5 km along suburban streets.
Length:- 10.5 km.
Grade:- Easy to Medium
Weather:_All weather excepting when Heathcote Creek is in flood
Continuous walking time with a few 3-4 min. stops:- 2 hrs 40 mins.
Train Time from Central to Start :-. 1 hr 0 mins., every 30 mins.
Train Time from finish to Central:-. 55 mins., every 30 mins.
Total Climb :- 195 meters
Total Descent :- 225 meters
Water:- At Waterfall and Heathcote Stations
Toilets:- Waterfall Station; Heathcote Station toilets may be locked
Café/Kiosk :- Heathcote
Published 1:25,000 Map :- Appin and Campbelltown
Walk No 21 Track Notes
Waterfall to Heathcote on Bullawaring Track
11 June 2013- updated 13 October 2015
Km/ Hrs.min Kilometers in bold are shown on map
0.00/0.00 Waterfall Station; after walking up Station ramp, turn right and follow road over the Princes Highway to a T intersection with Warabin St.
0.17/0.03 Turn right into Warabin St. and follow this to its end at a sign board ‘Warabin St Fire Trail’ ;
0.74/0.09 At end of Warabin St., turn left, walk past locked gate and follow fire trail for about 70 m to another sign board
0.79/0.10 Sign board ‘Bullawaring Track’ ‘Kingfisher Pool 1.6 km’ and ’Heathcote 8.6 km’; turn left and follow steps down, then hard left down the first cliff line; track then goes along the top of a second cliff line, but after only a few meters, look for a vertical rusty steel rail and yellow bunting on left and white painted arrow on rock; turn hard left here to descend down through the second cliff line; then continue on track to intersect fire trail
1.04/0.16 Track makes T intersection with fire trail; turn right and follow fire trail for 25-30m to a green arrowed post and a rock with ‘Heathcote’ painted on it; turn left off the fire trail and follow the Bullawaring Track along the flat valley floor of Heathcote Creek, with sporadic glimpses of the Creek on your left; ignore any minor tracks on right or left.
Note:- If you miss the turnoff to the left at the top of the second cliff line, you will continue for about 25 m along the track at the top of the second cliff line to a second way down; this will intersect the fire trail north, uphill, of the track turnoff and the rock with ‘Heathcote’ painted on it; if you find yourself there, turn left and follow the fire trail for about 40m to the painted rock, then turn right onto the Bullawaring Track as above
1.44/0.22 Bullawaring Track makes another T intersection with fire trail; turn left, follow fire trail for about 20 m across ford of Heathcote Creek to a sign board on right ‘Bullawaring Track’; walk behind the signboard, turn right, leaving the fire trail and follow track along left bank of Heathcote Creek, creek on right.
2.27/0.32 Track junction; Kingfisher Pool turnoff on right; continue straight
2.44/0.35 Cross tributary Kingfisher Creek at right angles on large boulders; clear track resumes on other side
3.16/0.47 Track junction with Mooray Track on right and sign board :- ‘Causeway 4 km’ and ‘Waterfall 3km’ back track; continue straight; a few meters after sign board, track veers left uphill on boulders and is less clear, then resumes clearly on contour and gently down to tributary creek crossing
3.24/0.50 Track crosses substantial tributary creek at right angles; track then goes steadily uphill for more than 100 meters.
4.11/1.05 Minor creek crossing with small (250 mm) constructed weir; after crossing, track veers left to a track Y junction; take either track steeply uphill on outcrop and boulders; tracks re-join after about 100 m.
5.55/1.28 Track junction and two timber sign boards:- ‘ Goanna Track’ ‘Lake Ekersley 1.7 km’ and ‘Pipeline Road 800 m’ for track uphill on left, but continue straight along track marked ‘Bullawaring Track’ ‘Pipeline Road 1 km’.
6.78/1.47 Bullawaring Track ends at Pipeline Road and causeway over Heathcote Creek; turn right and cross Heathcote Creek on causeway or on rocks beside causeway if causeway is under water; follow Pipeline Road for just over 2 km
8.93/2.13 On Pipeline Road, at a point where there is a small brick building over the pipeline and a sign board on right marked ‘The Friendly Trail’ and ‘Heathcote 1.6 km’, look for metal stairs over the pipeline; take these and follow walking track .
9.60/2.25 Track junction; both tracks lead to Heathcote, but take right track, ignore faint track on right after 30 m
9.66/2.26 Track emerges at small amphitheatre and large fire pit; cross to track with metal hand rail and follow this to scout camp, ignoring tracks on left and right
9.76/2.28 Track emerges a weatherboard building of scout camp, veer right, then left to pass this building on your left, then walk along the front verandah of the hut to a private roadway; cross this, then step over chain to emerge at a public sealed road (Freemans Road); turn right, follow Freemans Road to a T intersection with Boundary Road, turn left into Boundary Rd. and after about 120 m., turn right into Oliver St; follow this for several hundred meters to a T intersection with the Princes Highway
10.48/2.39 At T intersection with Highway and Oliver Street. Heathcote Railway Station directly opposite; cross Highway on pedestrian bridge
10.52/2.40 Heathcote Railway Station; end of walk.
Route Quality Index
On public vehicular roads:- 15%
On locked fire/service trail:- 20%
On walking track:- 65%
RQI= 65+10+0= 75
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