Great North Walk - Resupply Options

[rcaffin]

Could I suggest you add an extra day and finish at either Patonga or Brooklyn. From Patonga you can catch a ferry to Palm Beach or maybe to Brooklyn then get the train back. Just that you are going miss out on some great scenery in that section of the walk.

The 'Patonga ferry' is often not running. The alternative from there is a water taxi for >$100.
If you ignore the Patonga forced variation and do the original route, via The Tanks and down to Little Wobby wharf, you can catch the regular ferry to Brooklyn for about $6. It runs several times each day. The change in route was to accomodate squeaks from the Dept of Sport and Recreation that you might be going through their camp. Ignore and come down the power line at the E end of the houses and walk back to the public wharf.

cheers

[juju]

$100, gawd! thanks heaps for the info.

[wildwalks]

$100, gawd! thanks heaps for the info.

Yeah
There are other options, The Patonga - Palm beach ferry operates regularly, there is a bus service between Patonga and Woy Woy, and there is also the road taxi option. OR keep walking to Umina Beach via Pearl Beach.
Getting permission to go via the Tanks stream is easy enough, usually just an e-mail, this is a very nice and scenic walk, but section have only a very faint track, so you need to be comfortable navigating.

Matt

[juju]

Three of us did part of the GNW a couple of weeks ago. We went from Sydney to Patonga. It was lovely. Beaut walking, good tracks, gorgeous wildflowers. We'd planned to do the whole thing over two weeks but myself and another girl became sick. No not bad water.
The stretch we did was really nice, not as much pavement as I expected (and that part was fun anyhow) and very little fire trail walking also. We had support with someone meeting us with food at Cowan shop where we had lunch but that night I started woofing my cookies where we made camp 6k from Brooklyn. The next day was the hardest day of walking I've ever done. I couldn't eat and had no energy. We got to the Brooklyn Hotel and crashed. The following morning we took the water taxi to Patonga and bus to Woy Woy and on to Newcastle by train. I /was/am so looking forward to walking under the Mooney Mooney Bridge...Can't wait to go back and finish the walk, in spring again.
I grew up with the beautiful Sydney sandstone and thoroughly enjoyed walking in that country again.

[Bluegum Mic]

Juju the walk under the bridge is lovely. I also love the section just before meandering up on the ridge on big slabs of sandstone. There are some amazing sections of the walk (and some fairly decent hills ) Shame to hear you got crook. We've all just had it here. Hopefully you get to return soon.

[colinm]

Would you really drink out of Fishponds? I don't think I would ... even with filtering, unless I was directly en route to Hornsby Base Hospital or had a really severe phosphorous deficiency. If I'm not mistaken its catchment is all suburban.

Here's a rough overview of the catchment quality in http://www.hornsby.nsw.gov.au/__data/as ... d-2012.pdf

[Harry de Walker]

Just a thought once south of the Hawkesbury River...

DON'T DRINK THE CREEK WATER.

Why? Have a look at this...

https://maps.google.com.au/maps?q=-33.700868,151.082025

Sewerage treatment plant that feeds into Berowra Creek.

NO SWIMMING OR DRINKING THE CREEK WATER !

[Bluegum Mic]

Theres also another plant in hornsby heights just off Sommerville Rd. Mind you there's that many tap water options in the area ie crosslands berowra waters marina etc most people would fill up there. You also can pop up into civilization very easily at many points through there. Id be hesitant to drink filtered creek water from anywhere in the Sydney sections of the GNW but thats just me. Ive done all those sections many many times over and have seen some very 'interesting' things in all the various creeks

[skibug]

Brooklyn Dam is probably OK to drink if treated properly - its drainage is all pristine bush - although it does sometimes have a slightly methane smell - probably from the leafy sediment gradually decomposing. There is a small creek just north of Jerusalem Bay (the second one you cross, not the first, heading north, just prior to the steep climb) - the GNW track actually crosses it - which also has a clean drainage. As a general rule, however, don't trust the creeks along the GNW - even with treatment for bugs, you don't know what inorganic contaminants there could be, eg. pesticides, fertilizers, waste oils etc.

Skibug

[colinm]

Brooklyn Dam's fine - but you definitely need to treat it. Its inflow might be potable without, but haven't tried. I've also drunk from the second creek along after Mooney Mooney bridge (upstream of the GNW campsite,) and from one on the hills after Scopas Peak (heading north.) The one at Jerusalem Bay, haven't needed it, but yeah if it's flowing. Except where noted I wouldn't drink from anything south of the Hawksbury, and not a lot north of it (treated or not.)

Aside: camping just north of Mooney Mooney bridge, sent some of the scouts with a water filter to get some for breakfast from a tributary of MM Ck. Made a cup of coffee, tasted really strong. Turns out I hadn't specified they get it from the tributary above the tide mark, and they hadn't thought to avoid the brackish water ... for *&^%$# sake. Never made that mistake again.

[wildwalks]

yum salty coffee

[robertoman]

I have been updating our notes for the whole of the Great North Walk. As part of this process I have put together a little (some what dodgy) table of things along the way (just to help my planning). I hope in the next few weeks to clean this up and get it up propperly and put it up as part of our GNW update on WIldwalks.com, but thought it might be of use to some people here.

This is info is following the main route from south to north.

City: food accom
Woolwich: Ferry, buses, plenty of little cafes and pubs
Hunters Hill: cafes
int of Figtree & Ryde Rd: Coles Express
Boronia Park: BBQ, toilets, tap water, picnic tables, play ground
Buffalo Creek Reserve: Toielts, tap water, play ground, BBQ, picnic tables
Magdala Park: toilets, tap water, parking
Int. opposite end of Mowbray Rd : Access to service station, Mcdonalds
Int west of Fairlands: Access to cafe, North Ryde train
Lane Cove NP: (Access to Carvan Park accomodation, North Ryde Train), Tap water, toilets, BBQ areas
Deburgs Bridge: Access to Mcquarie Train; Cafe at plant shop
Browns water hole: Access to Cafes and Macquarie Uni station
Conscript Pass: Access to Badenpowel Scout campsite
Thornleigh: Cafe; supermarket; hotel, Train, camping store
Jungo: Basic Campsite (access to Cherrybrook; shops)
Elouera Lookout: Views, access to road
Fishponds Lookout: (Access to Hornsby Station and Accomodation), creek water
Steele Bridge: Access to Hornsby Heights
Tunks Ridge: Campsite, toilet
Galston Gorge: Road acess Creek Water
Blackash: Campsite
Crosslands: Road access, tap water, toilets, BBQ facilities, campsite (Fee), Accomodation
Calna Creek: Access to small campsites and Ku-ring-gai Train
Naa Badu Lookout: View, access to Berowra
Berowra Waters: Cafe, tap water, Toilets, road access
Berowra Waters View: Improptue campsite, views
Deep Bay Creek: Small creek
Ridge top campsite: (access to Berowra Heights)
Cowan: Corner store with basic supplies, meals, train station, road access, tap water, toilets
Jerusalem Bay: views, swimming
Brooklyn Dam: campsite, water in dam (treat)
Brooklyn: Train, cafes, accomodation, ferry, road acess, tap water, toilets
Patoonga: cafes, accomodation, ferry, road acess, tap water, toilets
Warrah Lookout: Views
Van Dahls bush campsite: Basic campsite (there are a few - need to work out which is which)
Tunnel Track: (access to Woy Woy tip and Woy Woy)
Wondadbyne campsite: campsite
Kariong Brook: Creek water - treat
Myron Brook: Creek water - treat
Wondadbyne Trail intersection: (Access to Wondabyen Station)
Scopas Peak: views
Patonga and Girrakool tracks: (Access to Camp Kariong and Girrakool) - water after some rain
Phil Houghton Bridge campsite: clearing used as a campsite
Old Pacific Highway: parking
Southern Mooney Mooney Creek Campsite: Campsite
Northern Mooney Mooney Creek Campsite: Campsite
Mooney Mooney Creek Crossing: Creek water - treat
Old Mooney Mooney Creek Dam: Creek water - treat
Quarry rest area: campsite
Somersby resevoiur: no water
Somersby Store: Small store, basic supplies, meal, toilet, tap water
Palm Grove Campsite: Campsite
Ourimbah Valley Trackhead: Road access
Hidden Valley: Accomodation???
Stringy Bark: Campsite, creek water near by
Archery Range: Camping, tank water, toilets
Forest & Tooheys: Access to Forest Park Country Retreat
Yarramalong: Small store, basic supplies, meal, toilet, tap water, pub, accomodation
Cedar Brush Rest Area: Campsite
Basin campsite: Campsite, toilet, tables, bench seats, water tank
Wollombi Brook : Creek water - treat
Mt Worramalong Campsite: Small unsignposted campiste south of the Mt W
Watagan Creek Campsite: Campsite (access to creek water - treat)
Watagan Creek Rd: road access
Flat Rock rest area: Campsite
Flat Rock: lookout
Congewai Valley west trackhead: Road Access - (can walk north to Paxton)
Congewai Valley East trackhead : Access to Water tank on Brown Muirs Farm
Barraba Campsite: Campsite (After rain might find water in dam near hut)
Saddle Rest Area: campsite
Great North Walk Rest Area * 2: campsite
Narrow Place Lookout: views
Watagan Headquarters: Road Access, campsite
Hunter Lookout: view, picnic tables, toilets
Mcleans Lookout: view, picnic tables
Wallis Creek: Creek water - treat
Heaton Lookout: Views, picnic tables, road acess, water tank{reliability??} toilet
Watagen Hotel: Road access, Accomodation, small shop, basic supplies, meals, picnic area, toilet, tap water
Eddie Peterson Memorial Park: Road access, toilet, water and shelter
Teralba: Train, road access, pub, accomodation options
Speers Point Park: park area, toielts, water, pool
Warners Bay: Toilets, tap water, cafes, meals, Dip & Dots Ice cream, bus
Charlestown Park: (Access to Charlestown shops, and service station), picnic table, shelter, BBQ
Yuelarbah car park: information signs, parking
Leichhardts Lookout: views
Glenrock Beach : Access to Glenrock Lagoon and scout camp
Glenrock Scout Camp(can stay in accom): short Side trip, road access, public phone
Merewether Ocean Baths: Toilets, tap water, shelter, pools, road access
Swell Cafe: Toilets, tap water, shelter, cafe, road access
Dixon Park: Toilets, tap water, shelter, road access
Strzelecki Lookout: Views, parking
Hunter Street Mall: Shops, cafes, meals, toilets, tap water
Queens Wharf: cafes, meals, toilets, tap water, ferry, walk to train, and Beer (thanks Greenie)

Hope that helps.

Matt

Having pottered around up here walking and training for GNW100's I can add

-water tank at Walkers Rest Area between about 3km from Cedar Brush Trackhead heading into Basin campsite
-water tank at Crawfords Hut heading up from Congewai East Trackhead
-water tank at Barraba Campsite
-water tank at Hunter Lookout operating (apparently was vandalised but working last week)

Just had a great week end up around here - a great part of the world when you have water