Wondabyne Station to Somersby Store (Darkinjung & Guringai Country)

8 h to 11 h 4

25.3 km ↑ 911 m Hard track One way ↓ 634 m

This walk, following a section of the Great North Walk, starts from the Wondabyne Train Station and winds north, into the Brisbane Waters National Park. The walk climbs all the way up to the top of Scopas Peak, and down to the Phill Haughton bridge, then follows the Mooney Mooney Creek north, winding through the bush to the Somersby general store. In Somersby you can use a public phone, enjoy a hot meal and pick up some basic supplies. Let us begin by acknowledging the Darkinjung & Guringai people, Traditional Custodians of the land on which we travel today, and pay our respects to their Elders past and present.

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0 0 m 19 km 1.3 km 2.5 km 3.8 km 5.1 km 7.6 km 6x 6.3 km 8.9 km 10.1 km 15.2 km 16.5 km 11.4 km 12.7 km 13.9 km 17.7 km 20.3 km 21.5 km 22.8 km 24.1 km 25.3 km

Class 4 of 6 Rough track, where fallen trees and other obstacles are likely

Quality of track Rough track, where fallen trees and other obstacles are likely (4/6)

Gradient Very steep (4/6)

Signage Minimal directional signs (4/6)

Infrastructure Limited facilities (such as cliffs not fenced, significant creeks not bridged) (4/6)

Experience Required Moderate level of bushwalking experience recommended (4/6)

Weather Storms may impact on navigation and safety (3/6)

Getting to the start: From Pacific Motorway, M1

Turn on to Central Coast Highway, A49 then drive for 2.5 km Turn right and drive for another 55 m Turn slight left onto Woy Woy Road and drive for another 420 m At roundabout, take exit 2 onto Woy Woy Road and drive for another 5.8 km Turn sharp right onto Tunnel Trail and drive for another 1.8 km Turn right onto Mullet Creek Firetrail and drive for another 920 m Turn slight left onto Mullet Creek Firetrail and drive for another 610 m

Before you start any journey ensure you; • Tell someone you trust where you are going and what to do if you are late returning • Have adequate equipment, supplies, skills & knowledge to undertake this journey safely • Consider weather forecasts, park/track closures & fire dangers • Can respond to emergencies & call for help at any point • Are healthy and fit enough for this journey Share If not, change plans and stay safe. It is okay to delay and ask people for help. Bushwalk.com /j/UYDG0C

Bushwalking is fun but also can be dangerous. All information here is general and your personal and specific situation needs to be considered. You need to be prepared to cope with all kinds of errors and/or omissions. Neither the authors nor publishers accept responsibility or liability for any inconvenience, loss or injury sustained. © bushwalk.com. The maps and some text in this document are generated using Open Database Licenced data © OpenStreetMap contributors and other sources. 0 2 5 10 km 0 0.5 1 2 km 0 0.5 1 2 km 0 1 3 5 km

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FORD hole hole Ford Ford Gate Gate Bridge Bridge Bridge Bridge Campsite Campsite Campsite Campsite Entity|water Entity|water

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S W W W S W ←8.8 km→ ←95 m→ ←2.3 km→ ←155 m→ ←105 m→ ←265 m→ ←370 m→ ←390 m→ ←225←1.1←690 m→ km→ m→←305SW m→ S ←40 m→ S

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0 19 km 22 km 19 km 5.8x 22 km 22.8 km 19.9 km 16.9 km 18.2 km 17.4 km 18.6 km 19.5 km 20.3 km 20.7 km 21.1 km 21.6 km 22.4 km 23.2 km 23.7 km 24.1 km 24.5 km 24.9 km 25.3 km 17.8 km 16.9 km 18.2 km 18.6 km 19.5 km 19.9 km 20.7 km 21.6 km 22.4 km 22.8 km 25.3 km 17.4 km 17.8 km 20.3 km 21.1 km 23.2 km 23.7 km 24.1 km 24.5 km 24.9 km Getting started: From the north-bound N Then head up the metal steps (about 3 m long) platform of Wondabyne Station, this walk W After another 315 m continue straight. follows the 'The Great North Walk' sign off After another 35 m come to the "Phil Houghton the southern the end of the platform, E Bridge". keeping the train lines (and water) to your S left.left. TheThe tracktrack soonsoon leadsleads pastpast aa stranglerstrangler After another 960 m continue straight. fig and a large boulder then bends right and heads up a timber staircase with a metal landing at the top. The track winds N steeply uphill, up a series of timber and After another 630 m continue W rock steps for just over 200m to pass a straight. The Phil Houghton Bridge is a metal suspension filtered view of the cranes (right), down at E bridge that crosses Piles Creek. It is part of the the old Gosford Quarry. Here the walk Great North Walk and replaces an older bridge, S with part still visible upstream. The bridge can continues a bit more steeply uphill for After another 50 m pass the sign (on your right). another 150m, up a series of rock steps, hold up to 8 people and feels very stable. There i are great views both up and downstream half and then, soon after passing up the carved are great views both up and downstream half After another 205 m come to the viewpoint. way across this bridge. There is a clearing on steps in a cleft in a rock, the track flattens the northern side that people have used for out and comes to a clearing at the end of a camping. management trail, marked with a 'Brisbane

EE Water National Park' sign. N

N After another 870 m veer left. W From the clearing, this walk follows the Turn left. wide management trail uphill past the

'Brisbane'Brisbane WaterWater NationalNational Park'Park' sign.sign. TheThe SS

WW trail leads up quite steeply for about 250m, S After another 1.2 km pass the "Scopas Peak" (25 where the trail bends right then leads After another 55 m come to the camp site (5 m m on your right). gently uphill for about 600m. Here the trail on your left). leadsleads upup aa shortshort butbut quitequite steepsteep hill,hill, toto After another 1.4 km come to the viewpoint. then bend left and, about 150m later, come to an intersection with the Pindar N After another 315 m come to the viewpoint. Cave track (that leads over a rock After another 2 km turn left. platform, on your left), marked with a GNW W E arrow post (on your right).

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W After another 1.2 km veer left. W W After another 1.2 km veer left. After another 25 m cross the bridge (about 50 m Start. After another 25 m cross the bridge (about 50 m long)long)

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N N After another 120 m head up the metal steps After another 10 m continue straight. (about 4 m long) Then cross the bridge (about 20 m long) After another 130 m head up the steps (about 30 m long) After another 25 m find the "Old Pacific Highway After another 510 m find the "Mooney Mooney After another 1.3 km find the "Lower Mooney Mooney Mooney Creek Bridge" (on your right). Creek Campsite (south)" (20 m on your right). Dam" (35 m on your left).

The Sydney-Hawkesbury stretch of the Pacific This is clearing is beside the wide Mooney Lower Mooney Dam is located on the Mooney Highway was built in the 1920s, replacing a Mooney Creek and provides a large flat area to Mooney Creek, about 21 km upstream from the route that had existed since the 1830s. The pitch a few tents. There are some high tension Hawkesbury River. In March 1938 the Gosford original Peats Ferry Road was cut by a settler power lines nearby and you can hear the hum of Mayor turned the tap to add the water from this named George Peat, making a track to his the F3 from here, so it is not the most remote dam into the small town water supply of the property on the banks of the Hawkesbury River. campsite. There are no facilities or water (the time. It is a concrete arch dam, with a capacity This road became the 'Old Pacific Highway' upon creek is salty). All that said it is still a pleasant of 1,000 megalitres, and was superseded by the the opening of the F3, or Sydney-Newcastle spot beside the wide creek to rest for a while or more than 4 times larger 'Upper Mooney Dam' Freeway, in the 1980s. This bridge is the smaller for the night. inin 1982.1982. ThereThere isis aa setset ofof timbertimber stepssteps andand aa of two crossing Mooney Mooney Creek - the After another 1.3 km find the "Mooney Mooney faint track that leads down to the waters edge other, Mooney Mooney Bridge, is part of the F3 Creek Campsite (north)" (on your right). on the uphill side of the dam wall, the dam wall freeway and is the highest road bridge in isis fencedfenced andand isis clearlyclearly outout ofof bounds.bounds. AA signsign Australia. reminds visitors that swimming is not allowed. Turn right. After another 2.3 km find the "Quarry Camping Area" (5 m on your left).

N After another 830 m continue This signposted campsite is sits among the tall E After another 830 m continue This signposted campsite is sits among the tall straight. eucalypt and bracken fern forest beside the

W Mooney Mooney Creek. This is a very pleasant flat clearing to spend a night, there is a small S metal fireplace hotplate and room for a small This is a small signposted campsite set among After another 520 m head through/around the number of tents. There is No drinking water or heath, grass tress, scribbly gums and aother gate. other facilities at this campsite (Mooney Mooney eucalpyts. The clearing is flat and sandy and Creek is salty at this point, treatable water may provides room to set up a few tents with and a be found about 2km north). small metal fireplace with hotplate. There is no FORD After another 2 km cross the ford. water or other facilites here.

N W After another 890 m continue straight.

E S E N E About 45 m past the end is "Somersby Store".

W After another 95 m continue After another 35 m continue S

straight. S straight.

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After another 2 km cross the ford.

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After another 225 m continue Somersby Store offers a good place to have S S straight. lunchlunch oror pickpick upup thethe basicbasic foodfood supplies.supplies. TheThe

N N N EE store serves hot food including burgers, chips, After another 330 m continue

pies etc and cold drinks. Opening hours are 6am W straight. W - 6pm Monday to Friday and 6.30am to 4pm on Saturdays (closed Sundays). There is a pay

W Saturdays (closed Sundays). There is a pay E E SS phone and a bus stop however services are

After another 1.1 km continue limitedlimited toto twotwo busesbuses aa day.day. ContactContact detailsdetails areare

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N straight. (02)4372 1269, at 841 Wisemans Ferry Road N N Somersby, NSW 2250. The store owners are W After another 155 m turn right. W After another 155 m turn right.

happy for you to phone ahead. If you are a large W W group you can order ahead to save the stress. I E After another 145 m turn left. always encourage people to use local stores like S this on track, but since it is a small store it is worth phoning ahead to see what they have N EE what you want in stock.

N After another 105 m veer left. After another 550 m continue W N straight. E

SS The end.

WW W S After another 60 m continue straight.

EE S N After another 265 m veer left. About 30 m past the end is a car park. N P

SS After another 245 m continue

WW W straight. E straight.

S After another 370 m turn right. E

S After another 360 m continue straight.