Walk 35 A:- Bundeena to Loftus via Audley At A Glance
Route Summary:- This walk starts along Bundeena streets, then goes through the Bonnie Vale recreation area, over the Cabbage Tree Basin to Mainbar, then for about 5.5 km. on walking tracks to Winifred Falls via Anice Falls, then steeply uphill on fire trail to Warumbul Road and down on another walking track to Audley. Then over the Audley Weir and up along the Honeymoon Track to Audley Station, then along service road next to rail line for about 400 m to a walking track at the headwaters of Temptation Creek that goes along temptation Creek almost to its junction with Saville Creek, then along Saville Creek and up to Loftus Rail Station
RQI:- 86
Highlights:- Great diversity of geomorphology and eco systems; one of the classic walks
Negatives :- Nil
Length:- 19.6 km.
Grade:- Hard
Weather:_All weather excepting when creeks and Hacking River are in flood
Continuous walking time with a few 3-4 min. stops and 15 min. lunch stop:- 5 hrs 20 mins
Train Time from Central to Start :-. Train to Cronulla, every 15 mins. Then ferry to Bundeena, hourly on the half hour
Train Time from finish to Central:-. 47 mins. Every 30 mins.
Total Climb :- 420 m.
Total Descent :- 310 m.
Water:- Bundeena, Audley, Loftus
Toilets:- Bundeena, Audley , Loftus (probably locked)
Café/Kiosk :- Bundeena, Audley, Loftus
Published 1:25,000 Map :- Port Hacking
Walk 35 A Track Notes
Bundeena to Loftus via Audley
08/06/2016
Km/Hrs.min Kilometers in bold are shown on maps
0.00/0.00 From the Bundeena ferry wharf, walk uphill to Bundeena Shopping Centre and take the first road on right (Bundeena Drive); follow Bundeena Drive on footpath for about 600 m. past a Shell Service Station and just past Simpson Road on right to Seabreeze Lane,also on right.
1.00/0.11 At Seabreeze Lane, signage ‘Bonnie Vale Camping Ground’; turn right and follow this controlled public road through the camping area to its end.
1.65/0.18 Still in camping are; just after a creek crossing the road splits into a one-way loop; go left.
1.79/0.20 Near the middle of the loop just left of a toilet block take the wide walking track on left past the boom gate; signage on arrowed post ‘ Mainbar 1 km’;
2.12/0.24 Middle of substantial pedestrian bridge over lagoon; continue uphill on wide walking track after crossing.
2.42/0.31 Walking track emerges at turning circle of sealed public road (Pacific Crescent); signage on arrowed post ‘Bundeena 2 km’ back track; turn hard left and follow a narrow poorly defined walking track steeply uphill away from the Pacific Crescent
2.48/0.33 Track intersects end of public vehicular gravel road with signage:- ‘Private Road’ on right; continue straight gently uphill for about 50 m. along gravel road to a walking track on left
2.52/0.34 At walking track on left with Mainbar Road visible about 50 m. ahead,turn left and follow walking track that goes more or less parallel to Mainbar Road.
2.71/0.37 Track crossed by another walking track; continue straight.
2.85/0.39 Track crossed by wider service? Road; Mainbar Drive visible about 50 m. on right; continue straight; after about 30 m., track Y junction; go right on less worn track.
3.27/0.46 Track crossed at right angles by walking track down from Mainbar Drive; continue straight.
3.34/0.47 Walking track Y junction with another walking track joining acutely from left; continue straight, then after another 50 m., again ignore track on left.
3.53/0.52 Walking track joins Mainbar Drive behind bus shelter after passing between two boulders; go left and follow Mainbar Drive uphill for about 300 m.
Note:- These Track Notes aim to minimize walking along public roads; if all these track junctions are confusing, there is the option at 2.52 km. to continue for about 50 m along gravel road to Mainbar Drive, then turn left and follow Mainbar Drive to the bus shelter at 3.53 km above
3.82/0.57 Locked gate and service road on right; signage:-‘ Red Jacks Management Trail 0.9 km’ ; turn right and follow service road downhill.
4.04/1.00 Track junction with walking track on left; go left along walking track.
4.63/1.07 Track Y junction with walking track joining from right; continue straight.
4.98/1.11 Track T junction with service road; Mainbar Drive and gate visible about 50 m. on left; go left along service road for about 7 m., then follow continuation of walking track on right.
5.20/1.14 Good views over Hacking River and Sydney CBD beyond.
6.64/1.32 Track T junction; go right, still on walking track.
6.93/1.35 Track crosses small creek on wide sandstone outcrop.
8.00/1.48 Timber signboard:- ‘ Anice Falls; Winifred Falls’ straight on; there is no track junction here and no special reason for the signboard.
8.17/1.51 Track descends more steeply on rubble and outcrop but still easy to follow.
8.39/1.56 Track emerges at Anice Falls– a small creek drops 25-30 m. in stages; go left, follow creek upstream for about 15 m. to the walking track continuation uphill on right; track now much better in open she oak forest.
8.66/2.00 Major track junction with signage:- ‘Mainbar Drive via Anice Falls’ backtrack; ‘Winifred falls’ straight on and on another signboard on left’ Bundeena Drive via Mt Bass Trail’ uphill on left; continue straight on towards Winifred Falls.
8.90/2.06 Track crosses minor gully at right angles
9.20/2.13 Track at South West Arm Creek; go left upstream along creek for about 5 m., then turn right and cross creek on broad sandstone outcrop; turn right after crossing and walk downstream along creek for about 25-30 m., then continue on track as it turns left uphill away from creek.
9.28/2.16 Walking track emerges at bend in service road with a fading NPWS post on right; continue straight, now along service road for about 40 m. to a turning circle and signage:- ‘Winifred Falls’; after viewing, back track to fading NPWS post at bend in service road.
9.35/2.18 Back at NPWS post; follow the service road on right steeply uphill.
9.95/2.28 Service road now more gently up.
10.67/2.37 Service road at gate and junction with sealed public road (Warumbul Road); cross this at right angles, go past another locked gate and follow what is now a walking track; signage:- ‘Audley’ straight on and ‘Winifred Falls’ back track
10.74/2.38 Valve stand with pressure gauges on right.
12.00/3.00 Track T junction; ignore track on left; continue straight on
12.19/3.03 Track commences steep descent on outcrop and rubble.
12.56/3.11 Track flattens, then more gently down.
12.77/3.15 Track at retaining wall constructed with large sandstone blocks (old road?); walk along wall for about 20 m. then follow track down on right, through the wall; retaining wall continues for about another 20 m.
12.91/3.20 Track at Bertram Stevens Drive behind Audley café; signage and map:- ‘Winifred falls 3.6 km’ back track; cross Bertram Stevens Drive, turn right and follow it over Audley Weir and Hacking River.
13.16/3.23 Middle of Audley Weir; after crossing weir, cross Bertram Stevens Drive and take the public road on right for about 40 m. to a toilet block.
13.25/3.24 Just before toilet block signage on left ‘Honeymoon Track 1 km’; go left up on sandstone steps.
14.26/3.43 Top of Honeymoon Track with NPWS Admin. Building ahead; continue straight to the left of the building.
14.30/3.44 Time out for lunch.
14.30/4.01 Resume walking; continue straight on over grassy area parallel to Bertram Stevens Drive on left and car park on right, cross service and car park access road at right angles and continue straight to Audley Rail Station.
14.50/4.03 At Audley Rail Station, walk to the middle of the platform, then veer right to a service road, then go left along service road parallel to the rail line.
14.90/4.08 Track junction on right about 15 m. past a small timber rail maintenance hut; go right away from service road and follow this walking/bike track gently downhill; take care with bike riders on track.
15.31/4.13 Track T junction just before Temptation Creek; go right and walk downstream along Temptation Creek with creek on left; cross small silted up weir wall.
15.73/4.20 Track crosses tributary creek joining from right; continue along Temptation Creek, with creek about 10 m. on right..
16.14/4.25 Track crosses T. Creek on boulders; continue downstream along T. Creek, now on right.
16.45/4.30 Cross tributary creek joining from left.
16.67/4.33 Track intersects service road; T. Creek about 10 m. on right; turn left and follow service road for about 20 m. to a galvanized metal pole on right; take walking track next to metal pole and continue downstream along T. Creek; just before T. creek rapids, track veers left and crosses minor creek on wide sandstone ledge, then crosses tree trunk bike jump to a track Y junction.
17.01/4.38 At track Y junction, veer left away from Temptation Creek, then up over two low cliff lines to the saddle between Temptation and Saville Creeks.
17.14/4.42 Track T junction with better walking/bike track; go right and follow this past another galvanized metal pole, the past a large boulder and minor track uphill on left; continue straight.
17.83/4.52 Track junction with newer, lesser track on left; take lesser track on left to avoid swampy section on main track near Saville Creek.
17.88/4.53 Deviation track re-joins main track
18.14/4.57 Track crosses minor creek joining from left; about 20 m. after crossing, track T junction with more obscure track on left; go left uphill on this rubbly track that initially looks like a watercourse; go past a low cliff on right; track then wider and very clear.
18.28/5.00 Ignore lesser track joining from left; continue straight and up on main track.
18.40/5.02 Ignore lesser track on left.
18.67/5.05 Ignore more established track on right
18.71/5.06 Ignore lesser track on left
18.79/5.07 Major walking/bike track X junction; continue straight, then after about 30 m. cross creek and continue on track to a T junction with a service road.
18.86/5.08 At service road, turn right and follow this to a gate and major divided motorway (Princes Highway)
19.08/5.13 At Princes Highway and gate; cross highway with care, turn right after crossing and follow the highway uphill on wide bike track to a point just before the end of the concrete kerb on right; go right over gutter onto a paved recreation road; go left on this gently uphill for about 100 m. to a bend to the right, then veer left over grassy area to the divided Rawson Ave.; cross this at right angles, then turn left for about 30 m. to Pitt St.; turn right into Pitt St.and follow it to Loftus Railway Station
19.63/5.20 Loftus Railway Station
Route Quality Index
On public vehicular road:- 2.18 km/ 11%
On locked service/fire trail 1.41 km./ 7%
On walking track 16.04 km./ 82 %
RQI= 82+4+0= 86
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