Walk 32:- Waterfall to Bundeena At A Glance
Route Summary:- This walk is all on track. It goes along the Uloola Track from Waterfall Station, then along the Couranga Track down to and across the Hacking River to join the Forest Path to the Bola Picnic Area, then along the Wallumarra Track that crosses Bola Creek twice and then climbs fairly steeply to a plateau where the Wallumarra Track becomes a service road that continues to intersect with Sir Bertram Stevens Drive that is followed for 0.5 km. to the Curra Moors Track/ Service Road that goes for several kilometers downhill to intersect The Coast Track that is followed through Wattamolla, along Marley Beach, past the Wedding Cake Rocks to Bundeena.
RQI:- 81
Highlights:- This is one of the great longer Sydney Bushwalks with wonderful diversity of scenery and ecology
Negatives :- About 0.5 km. along public motorway and 6.5 km. along fire trail
Length:- 28.9 km.
Grade:- Hard
Weather:_All weather except when Hacking River crossing is in flood; several wet creek crossings after heavy rain
Continuous walking time with a few 3-4 min. stops and 20 min. lunch stop:- 6hrs. 47 mins.
Train Time from Central to Start :-. 1 hr.; trains every 30 mins.
Train Time from finish to Central:-. Ferry Bundeena to Cronulla leaves every hour on the hour, then 48 mins. Train to Central every 15 mins.
Total Climb :- 505 meters
Total Descent :- 735 meters
Water:- Waterfal Station and Bundeena
Toilets:- Waterfall, Wattamolla, Bundeena
Café/Kiosk :- Bundeena
Published 1:25,000 Map :- Appin, Otford, Port Hacking
Walk No 32 Track Notes
Waterfall to Bundeena
24/05/2014
Track Update 9th April 2015
For the past 12 months there has been some maintenance on the Coast Track
- Duckboard is being placed over the grassy slope south of Burning Palms
- Numerous green arrowed posts and some metal signage and maps have been placed along track. A significant improvement, but signage does not mention the end points of the track.
Much of the rest of the track, especially north of Wattamolla still in very bad state
Km./Hrs.min. Kilometers in bold are shown on map
0.00/0.00 Leave Waterfall Station by ramp and turn left; walk across car park towards the bush to a set of stairs down and signage.
0.08/0.01 Start of Uloola Trail and signage:-‘ UloolaFalls 5.8 km’; follow this.
0.44/0.07 Track emerges at a grassy clearing; cross this, past some bush sand heaps on left to a service road and gate.
0.55/0.08 At service road and gate; follow service road for about 0.5 km to a track junction
1.05/0.13 Track T junction with Couranga Track on right and signage:-‘Bola Creek Picnic Area 6.3 km’; turn right onto Couranga Track, leaving the service road.
3.40/0.51 Track crosses beautiful open valley with large trees and bracken undergrowth and hacking River down on left.
3.88/0.57 Track junction and signage:-‘Car Park’ track on left; turn left, leaving the Couranga Track and after about 20 meters, cross the Hacking River on rocks.
3.91/1.02 At Hacking River; after crossing, follow track diagonally uphill.
4.07/1.08 Track T junction with ‘Forest Path’ and signage:-‘Bola Creek Picnic Area 2.8 km’ to the left, ‘ Lady Carrington drive 750 m’ to the right and ‘Waterfall 3.5 km’ back track; turn left and follow Forest Path
6.45/1.40 Bola Creek Picnic Area and signage; walk through picnic area clearing for about 150 meters to Lady Carrington Drive- a car-free service road.
6.59/1.42 At Lady Carrington Drive and degraded signage:- ‘ Audley’ to the left and ‘Car Park’ to the right; turn right and follow Lady Carrington Drive service road for about 100 m. to another track junction.
6.74/1.44 At track junction on left and signage:- ‘ Wallumarra Track’ ; turn left and follow this, leaving the service road
6.81/1.45 At Bola Creek crossing on stepping stones; turn right after crossing onto good track and follow this upstream the beautiful Bola Creek valley, with Creek on right.
7.50/1.54 Cross Bola Gully at arrowed post on rocks; this crossing brings you about 15 m upstream of the track continuation; turn right after crossing and walk downstream about 15 m to find the continuation of Wallumarra Track.
7.64/1.57 Track veers left uphill on steps away from Bola Creek; follow this good track up, past cliff overhang to a plateau.
8.27/2.13 At top of climb and plateau.
8.32/2.14 Walking track intersects service road; follow this for 2.43 km to Sir Bertram Stevens Drive.
10.52/2.38 Track junction; ignore track on left.
10.61/2.39 Garie Trig. Station and monument; this is the highest point on this walk.
10.75/2.41 Wallumarra Track intersects Sir Bertram Stevens Drive at locked gate and signage:- ‘ Wallumarra Track- Lady Carrington Drive 4.2km’ backtrack; turn left and walk along Sir Bertram Stevens Drive for about 0.5 km. to a track junction on right.
11.26/2.46 Track junction and signage:- ‘ Curra Moors Track’ on right; turn right, go past locked gate and follow this service road downhill.
13.67/3.14 Curra Moors Track crosses Curra Brook on sandstone outcrop with concrete ramps on both sides.
13.85/3.17 Track junction and signage:-‘ Curracoorang 1.6 km’ straight on and ‘Curra Moors Car Park’ acutely back on right; continue straight.
14.35/3.22 Curra Brook crossing on concrete ramp and outcrop.
15.30/3.32 Track T junction and signage:- ‘Coast Track’ to the left and right; Curra Moors Track ends here; turn left and now follow Coast Track.
15.55/3.35 Eagle Rock view point just before Curracoorang Creek crossing.
15.63/3.37 Crossing Curracoorang Creek
17.05/3.54 Track a little unclear here; follows rock outcrop ledge, then heads down to arrowed post.
17.29/3.57 Track crosses creek upstream of pristine rocky bay.
18.06/4.07 Track a little indistinct on rock outcrop but then resumes clearly on left.
18.30/4.11 Track splits- take either-they re-join
18.43/4.12 Track junction and signage:- ‘Curracoorang’ backtrack; veer left downhill on washed out service road.
18.52/4.13 Large water tank on right; veer left downhill.
18.77/4.16 Service road emerges at locked gate and Wattamolla car park; turn right and follow car park to its end, then turn left to a set of stairs and arrowed post to Wattamolla picnic area.
18.87/4.17 Time out for lunch at Wattamolla
18.87/4.36 Resumed walking; walk downhill past toilet block, then to the end of the lower car park next to Coote Creek and signage; cross creek and continue on clear track.
19.67/4.46 Cross Wattamolla Creek just upstream of small weir
20.39/4.57 Track junction and signage:-‘ Little Marley Fire Trail’ on left and ‘Bundeena’;’Little Marley’ on right; go right.
22.36/5.20 Coast Track emerges at Little Marley beach; walk diagonally veering left across beach in front of dammed creek/lagoon towards a metal sign near scrub about 200 m away.
22.52/5.23 At metal signage and arrowed post; ignore arrowed post- it misleads over rocks ; take good walking track through scrub parallel to beach.
22.87/5.27 Unsignaged track junction; take track on right towards Marley Beach;
23.12/5.30 At Marley Beach; walk along the full length of Marley Beach close to the Ocean to a small creek at its northern end; cross this creek near the ocean on rocks, then turn left and walk upstream for about 50 m to find a very poorly maintained track up the headland.
23.91/5.39 Walking track emerges at rubbly turning circle and service road with arrowed post; turn left and follow service road uphill for about 50 m to another arrowed post and resumption of Coast Track on right.
24.92/5.52 Spectacular cliff of blocky white sandstone.
25.81/6.06 Creek crossing, then very washed out steps up.
26.65/6.17 Track a little unclear along rock outcrop near cliff; ignore apparent minor tracks on left; wider walking track then resumes on left.
27.47/6.27 Track junction with sealed service road and signage:-‘Coast Track’ backtrack; turn right and follow sealed service road to locked gate and end of Coast Track.
27.63/6.29 At locked gate with signage:-‘ Wattamolla 8 km.’ back track; start of Bundeena urban area; continue straight along Beachcomber Ave. for 0.73 km., ignoring any side streets on left and right, to its T junction with Scarborough Street; turn left and follow Scarborough Street downhill past a school to a T junction with Brighton Street; turn right into Brighton Street and follow this still downhill to the Bundeena shopping area.
28.91/6.47 Bundeena Shops; about 200 m further downhill to ferry wharf; ferries depart on the hour.
Route Quality Index
On public vehicular roads:- 1.87 km/ 6%
On locked service/fire trails 7.62 km/ 26%
On walking tracks:- 19.42 km/ 68%
RQI= 68+13=0=81
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