Walk 40 A At A Glance
Stanwell Park Circuit via Wodi Wodi Track and Stanwell Lookouts
Route Summary:-This walk is all on tracks or roads. It starts on the Wodi Wodi Track behind Stanwell Park Station to intersect the Forest Walk track after 2 km.
This walk then has the option to go uphill for 0.75 km. to two lookouts and then return to the Wodi Wodi Track and follow this wider track downhill for about 1 km to a rail underpass, then for 0.4 km on narrow track parallel to the rail line to Stanwell Park streets down to Stanwell Park Beach, past the club house and along the Beach Reserve with the final 1.5 km along Stanwell Park streets to the station
RQI:- 80
Highlights:- Stanwell Creek; historic railway viaduct; pristine bush; spectacular views from lookout; Stanwell Park beach
Negatives :- Almost 2 km. along Stanwell Park streets
Length:- 7 km
Grade:- Easy to Medium
Weather:_All weathe except when Stanwell Creek in flood
Continuous walking time with a few 3-4 min. stops:- 2 hrs. 45 mins.
Train Time from Central to Start :-. 1 hr 5 mins South Coast Line every 2 hrs.
Train Time from finish to Central:-. 1 hr 5 mins. South Coast Line every 2 hrs.
Total Climb :- 335 m.
Total Descent :- 335 m.
Water:- Stanwell Park station and reserve
Toilets:- Stanwell Park station and reserve
Café/Kiosk :- Stanwell Park
Published 1:25,000 Map :- Appin
Walk No 40 A Track Notes
Stanwell Park Circuit via Stanwell Lookouts
Sunday 12 October 2014
Km./Hrs.min Kilometers in bold are shown on map
0.00/0/00 Start of Wodi Wodi Track is behind the waiting room on the Sydney bound platform of Stanwell Park railway station at signboard:- ‘Wodi Wodi Track’; ‘Stanwell Tops 1 km’; ’Forest Walk 2 km’
0.28/0.12 Track split and signage:- ‘Stanwell Tops 800m’ right hand track and ‘Forest Walk 2 km’ left; go left; after about 15 m another signboard:- ‘ Rough Terrain- Map recommended- Stay on Track’; footpad partly overgrown but mostly on contour with gentle rise and fall
0.65/0.22 Track obscured by two bouldery washouts about 25 meters apart, each about 12 meters wide; cross at right angles
0.90/0.29 Third, wider washout- go approx. 10 meters upstream to yellow metal arrow on tree, then cross gully at right angles to find track on other side.
1.01/0.34 Track drops steeply by approx. 30 meters, slippery and ill defined; cache of partly overgrown building material indicates that Council intends to improve track here one day
1.04/0.35 Yellow arrows and red and yellow bunting mark track, which is also a little better but track from signage at 0.28 km to this point is in appallingly bad condition
1.09/0.39 Stanwell Creek visible- track descends at right angles to creek and is marked with yellow bunting;
1.11/0.41 In bed of Stanwell Creek; turn left and follow Stanwell Creek downstream for about 15 meters to a yellow metal arrow on tree indicating the track continuation up the right bank.
Option to view historic railway viaduct over Stanwell Creek
Continue downstream along Stanwell Creek on very faint track for about 150 meters to reach the viaduct. After viewing backtrack to the tree with the yellow metal arrow at 1.13 km. Allow about 15 minutes additional walking time plus time to view. These track notes do not include this option
1.13/0.42 In Stanwell Creek bed at tree with yellow arrow indicating track up. Track improves from here and there are strategically placed yellow metal arrows nailed to trees
1.54/0.51 No more yellow metal arrows beyond this point
1.64/0.55 Descent into bed of unnamed but prominent tributary creek; rail line visible approx. 100 meters downstream but follow creek bed about 50 meters upstream to a yellow arrow on tree; turn left and follow the track uphill
1.74/0.59 Washed our fire trail- possibly railway service road- cross this almost at right angles and follow walking track uphill
1.83/1.02 General location of beautiful open forest with tall trees and low undergrowth and gentle slopes
2.02/1.05 Major signposted track junction :- ‘Forest Walk-Maddens Plains 6 km’ uphill on right; ‘ Coal Cliff Station 1.8 km’ on left downhill and ‘ Stanwell Park Rail 2km’ backtrack.
Option to take the Forest Walk uphill to Stanwell Lookouts and backtrack to this track junction.
These track notes take this option
2.16/1.13 Track T junction after fairly steep climb on good timber steps; the track joining from left is a shortcut to the Coal Cliff track; it avoids the signposted track junction above; turn right and continue up
2.43/1.20 Un-signposted T junction; right track presumably to Maddens Plains; take arrowed post track left in direction of Sublime Point
2.63/1.28 First lookout; take care on unfenced rocks; extensive Gymea Lilies, Banksia and stunted eucalypts
2.77/1.34 Second lookout; barren rocks on highest point, with magnificent views of Stanwell Park and beach to Otford headland; take care on rocks; follow the track back downhill after viewing
3.10/1.40 Back at T junction with arrowed post
3.25/1.44 Back at shortcut track junction noted above; option to go straight and re-join main track lower; present walk returns to the signposted track junction in order to define to Lookout Option
3.44/1.47 Back at sign posted track junction previously at 2.02 km.; follow this wide, well formed track downhill in direction Coal Cliff Station
3.62/1.50 Acute track junction; shortcut track noted above joins main track here
4.23 /1.57 At open grassy spur with signpost :- ‘Illawarra Conservation Area’ and track junction; follow the track downhill on the right hand (Wollongong) side of the spur past a large covered signboard with map on left, cross a short section of duckboard and pass on the left hand side of a disused stile next to the railway line
4.43 /2.00 Underpass tunnel under railway tracks
4.46 /2.01 Three-way track split on other side of rail tracks; Sign indicates ‘Coal Cliff Railway Station 800 m.’ on right; track down to Lawrence Hargrave Drive straight ahead and fenced railway enclosure on left; take a faint track on left beside and around the railway fence to join a railway service road within about 20 m.; take this heading north for about 250 meters to a narrow walking track ; follow the walking track as it rises, then gradually drops to Lawrence Hargrave Drive
4.83 /2.08 At Lawrence Hargrave Drive; cross this at right angles, turn right and walk to the end of the safety barrier, then take walking track down behind barrier; follow this to a bitumen road junction
4.86/2.11 Track emerges where two bitumen public vehicular roads join at acute angle- cross the first road to the second (Kallaroo Avenue) and turn right follow this for about 50 meters to a sharp bend to the left and continue to follow it steeply downhill with houses now on both sides with Stanwell Park Beach directly in front.
5.14 /2.16 At end of Kallaroo Avenue take the steps down to the beach and walk along the beach in front of the lagoon that marks the mouth of Stanwell Creek (may have to take shoes off) and head diagonally up the beach towards a car parking area just to the left of Stanwell Park Surf Club House, said to be the oldest in Australia; there are toilets at the parking area.
5.49/2.20 At Clubhouse- walk past this and take the sandy walking track parallel to the beach for a few meters to a track T junction with track fenced on both sides; follow this to the Stanwell Park Beach Reserve where a kiosk and more toilets are available
5.76 /2.25 At Stanwell Park Beach Reserve; walk up brad grassy valley past café, then play structures on left and Hargraves Creek on right to some tennis courts also on left and public road (The Drive) straight ahead
6.30 /2.32 At The Drive, turn left and follow this uphill to a road T junction and Stop sign with footpath bounded by timber posts on the other side; cross to the footpath and turn left and follow footpath to a junction with Station Street and shop on corner.
6.58 /2.38 At junction with Station Street; turn right and take a few steps up to cross Lawrence Hargrave Drive via an overhead footbridge and about 50 metres beyond to a T intersection with Railway Crescent; turn left and follow Railway Crescent uphill on a wide right curve, ignoring a split to the left marked Private Road
7.04/2.45 Railway Crescent ends at Stanwell Park Railway Station
RouteQuality Index
On public vehicular road:- 1.38 km/ 20%
On walking track:- 5.66 km/ 80
RQI= 80+0=80
Sydneydaywalksbytrain 