Dharug NP - The Missing Link.

[kanangra]

For some time I had been planning a day trip in Dharug NP linking the Western and Eastern commission tracks. On previous trips I had checked out the route at either end which left just the untracked section of ridge travel in the middle to complete the route. As the ridge was low and scrub covered with limited views I was expecting navigation to be difficult and this was how it turned out.

Last Tuesday I parked the car at the gate on Pemberton Hill Rd and set off at 7:00AM. I crossed Mangrove Ck below the weir.

The weir on Mangrove Ck.

From there I walked around to Simpsons track where there is a plaque on a rock and a new visitors book.

Convict Trail plaque

Then it was up Simpson's Track into the park.

Flat beside the creek.

Park boundary.

After a pleasant climb through a mixture of forest types I emerged at Ten Mile Hollow Camp site.

Ten Mile Hollow

TBC.

[kanangra]

At the Hollow the Great North Road comes in and there is some helpful new signage.

GNR signage

Here I turn left and follow the old road past the Buddhist Monastery. They very kindly have set up a water tank for thirsty passers by.

[kanangra]

It is a steady uphill pull out of the Hollow up onto the main ridge. Here the Western Co. track veers off to the left and the GNR continues on the right.

GNR deteriorates from here.

I take the Western Co. track and am very careful to look for the exit point. I locate it without any difficulty even though there is no track and set off across country. The ridge is undulating with some thick scrub but generally not too bad. Without many view points navigation is tricky but by heading generally south I manage to stay mostly on the correct ridge. There was no sign of former visitation until I came upon this cairn in the scrub?

Not sure who left this?

After a couple of hours of steady going I come upon a smaller cairn which I had visited previously when I took a detour from the 11km. Mill Ck circuit.

Cairn marking junction of foot pad to Mill Ck. circuit.

From here it was only a little over 1km. to the Eastern Co. track and I had broken the back of it. Then to my complete surprise I came upon this new sign in the middle of nowhere!

New sign to nowhere?

Perhaps NPWS intends to push a track in through here? I did find a feint pad from the sign out to the road but there was no sign at the road itself?

Where I hit the Eastern Co. track.

A real mystery this. It would have to be the strangest sign placement I have ever seen. I would doubt if it had been seen by anyone other than whoever erected it and me?

TBC.

[kanangra]

Once on the Eastern Co. track I followed it out to the end on Oyster shell Rd.

Gate at the northern end of the Eastern Co. track.

From there I turned left and followed the road to the end where there is a locked gate to Primrose Hill Farm.

NP sign at the gate on the road.

I climbed the stile and continued on through some pleasant country.

Track beside Mangrove Ck.

There were two more locked gates and then I was back where I had begun at the weir which I recrossed and climbed back up to the car. The total trip distance was 37.5km and had taken me 7.5 hours.

Highly recommended offering a mix of good trails and off country bush bashing.

K.

[robertoman]

wow ! my wife and friends worry about my little adventures. you are a genius !! definitely one to do

[davidmorr]

Mangrove Creek is a wonderful place to walk. One of my favourites. Been there many times, and up to the Great North Road as well.

Did you notice the historic road that you were walking on between the weir and Ten Mile Hollow Creek? And probably did not see the remains of the "ghost house", a building that used to be a coaching inn when the road was the main road.

Tell me, last time I talked to the ranger for that area (2-3 years ago), she told me there was an outbreak of dieback along Simpson's Track, mainly downhill from the road. They were thinking of closing off the track to stop it spreading any further. Were there any signs warning of the dieback anywhere?

[kanangra]

Yes there were signs and a station for cleaning your boots at either end of the affected area. I didn't notice the ruins nor Simpsons Cave which I am told is there abouts. Hard to imagine that the first cars into Gosford came that way.

K.