Decent day walk around Gosford

[Onestepmore]

I'm driving up to Nelson's Bay on Monday to try out a kayak lifer, and coming back on Tuesday. I'd do a bit of fishing while I'm there too. I don't have to be back at work until Thursday however, and thought I'd camp somewhere In the Gosford or The Entrance area overnight on Tues night, and get in a coastal day walk on Wed. Three to five hours would be good, as I'd need to get to the southern side of Sydney that night. It'd need to be a circuit or return walk as I've got my car. I've got the book 'Best Bush and Coastal Walks of the Central Coast', but thought I'd ask here for any local knowledge suggestions.
Where to camp?
Walk ideas? Wed day walk and possibly a shorty on Tues arvo

[forest]

Have a look on the wildwalks website.
I often do the Piles Creek Loop (4.2km's) from the Girrakool Picnic area on my way home from Sydney. It's pretty much under the F3 at the Gosford turnoff. It's not stellar but it has some nice sandstone overhangs and the track is good, takes about an hour if you walk briskly. Clockwise is seemingly the steeper climbing direction to do the loop if your into that.
You could look at doing some other sections of the GNW around Patonga etc but the logistics are a bit of a pain. It's do-able though via trains and buses etc.
Or you could do from Somersby Store back to Girrakool on the GNW, again logistics are a pain, or it's a boring rd walk back to Somersby Store through the industrial estate.
Surely there are other Gosford walks but I'm no local and that's just what I have found in my travels.
I'm interested in what others might say as I'm often down there with work and always enjoy a good walk after work if I can slip it in.

[johnw]

Have only done bits and pieces around the Central Coast, but Maitland Bay circuit in Bouddi NP is a short one that I thought was nice. Could be extended a bit further from memory but don't have maps handy right now.
Somersby Falls is nice too but very short.

[Bluegum Mic]

I do like the walk up from patonga on the GNW. Pretty coastal scenery and theres a great camp by a creek for an o'nighter (not sure if your wanting to hike n camp or just camp then day walk). Patonga, pearl beach and Umina all have camp grounds. My pref would be patonga. The climb up mt wondabyne is also well worth it for the views. Theres also a gorgeous waterfall near by.
Otherwise boudi nat park is great for coastal walking. We start up in back streets just south of mcmasters and walk south to maitland bay. There's also several campsites in the area. Just check out the parks website.

Also further north there's some lovely walking south of Catherine Hill Bay and in the munmorah NP.

I agree with forest re the walks around sommersby.

[Onestepmore]

Thannks for the replies. I'l check them out
Mic, i plan on camping out of my car then do a day walk, preferbaly from the campsite but I can drive elsewhere if needed.
I found looking at books and wild walks that a lot of the walks are very short, that's why i was hoping someone knew of one that was a bit longer

[neilmny]

Hmmm maybe take that Tenkara rod for ride/walk

[Onestepmore]

Spinning rod is coming with me for a whirl
And a little portable fire pit and grill in case i get lucky

Unfortunately i don't think there are many trout near Gosford

[Bron]

I second the maitland bay circuit - its about an 8km circuit from the visitors centre. Sensational ocean views from a clifftop boardwalk. You can camp at Putty Beach in Bouddi NP which is nearby.
A longer walk also in Bouddi NP is a walk around the peninsula using firetrails and rockhopping. From Killcare to Hardys Bay is about 4-5hrs. From Hardys Bay you can walk back up the hill to Killcare which is only 1km if you have only 1 car.
There is also a circuit walk around Katandra reserve at Gosford which takes about 2 hours.

hope this helps
regards Bron

[davidmorr]

If you are keen, you can drive to Brooklyn, get a ferry to Patonga (check times), then walk the GNW to Wondabyne station and catch a train back to Brooklyn (aka Hawkesbury River). Or vice versa. Not all trains stop at Wondabyne, so you would need to check this.

This shows Girrakool to Patonga.

http://www.wildwalks.com/bushwalking-and-hiking-in-nsw/brisbane-water-national-park/girrakool-to-patonga.html

About half way down, there is a right angle bend in the track. The red line going south from there goes to Wondabyne station on Mullet Creek. It looks about 18km.

(F**k! Haven't been to the NPWS site for months. How do you find anything now? Is this part of the plan to make parks safe for hunters by keeping everyone else out?)

[michael_p]

(F**k! Haven't been to the NPWS site for months. How do you find anything now? Is this part of the plan to make parks safe for hunters by keeping everyone else out?)

Yeah, the new site is just awful.

OSM,

Can't comment to much on walks as we have only done some of the shorter coastal ones (but they are nice walks). I would second Patonga as the better camp ground. Lovely spot, good facilities and the pub has cold beer and nice meals if you can't be bothered cooking.

I've camped at Putty Beach twice. The first time was great. The second time the place was invaded by the local bogan tribe, we had to endure DOOF...DOOF...DOOF, burnouts and drunken behaviour till about 2am.

Michael.

[Bron]

It is not easy to catch a ferry to Patonga - this has been mentioned on other posts. Unless you are coming from Palm Beach. Better to start at Little Wobby. Better still start at Wondabyne station and walk in reverse. I think the ferry does pickups from Little Wobby but may not let you off unless you are a local? The track comes down near the powerline then passes through some backyards at Little Wobby.
Tallow Beach is a much nicer spot than Putty Beach for camping but its a 1km walk from your car. Tallow Beach is a cute little clearing sheltered from the beach which will fit about 10 tents. People do carry tables and chairs to this site.

I agree about the new National Parks site. Its completely crap! The old site still exists if you know where to look. However they have recently taken off the Discovery activities from the old site and it now refers you to the new site. !^%#@*#! annoying. Better to contact the individual offices directly if you want any information.

regards
Bron

[kjbeath]

An easy solution is to go to Bouddi, start at either Putty or Little Beach and walk towards Maitland Bay. Continue on as far as you like and turn around. If it is anice day, you wont care about retracing your steps.

The latest NPWS site seems to follow the current web fad that everything should be map based. This isn't a good implementation, but even if it was, then it would still be wrong.

[wildwalks]

(F**k! Haven't been to the NPWS site for months. How do you find anything now? Is this part of the plan to make parks safe for hunters by keeping everyone else out?)

Yeah, the new site is just awful.

$1.5m of awfulness and counting. Also dangerous. They had a bunch of walks listed with dangerous lengths -- eg 6FT 23km (when it is actually 45km). I spoke to a bunch of people and they refused to fix it until I wrote to the boss -- it was then fixed within a few weeks then -- But no reply. One similar error on their old website (main range circuit) took several letters, 2 meetings, many emails and 4.5 years to fix. They also offer dangerous advice such as you can use your portable gas stove on a total fire ban on facebook posts and then refuse to fix it even though their advice contradicts the RFS (lead agency on the issue). I don't mind mistakes but gee it makes me grumpy when pride/laziness puts the parks and peoples lives at risks.

OK off my soap box now

Matt

[Rob Gosford]

and possibly a shorty on Tues arvo

hi mate,
it may be too late to suggest. being a local i know the area(s).

1. recommend the Box Head track >>>>>>>> drive the dirt Hawke Head Drive to the locked gates, park and head straight ahead south, ignoring the Tallow Beach (to the left) and Lobster Beach (to the right) tracks. Itsa short hike to the southern most tip of the Central Coast..........Box Head. The end affords great views across Broken Bay to Barrenjoey, Palm Beach, West Head and Lion Island. On the way there are nice filtered views left 'n right. On returning, take a hike down to Tallow Beach (off your right just before the car park). BEWARE: the rock ledges at the end of Box Head are unfenced

photo i took in 2006. Along the way towards the end........




2. Bullimah Spur track >>>>>>> Drive to Maitland Bay carpark on the Scenic Road opposite Maitland Bay Drive (about 400 metres north of Marie Byles lookout on Scenic Road). Take the STEEP track down from the car park heading towards Maitland Bay, and after a few hundred metres, take the marked track off to your right. Bullimah Spur track goes for about 1 klm. At the end there is the most magnificent uninterrupted elevated views looking south over Putty Beach, the 2 Tallow Beachs and Box Head.

photo i took in 2006. View south from Bullimah Spur.......



camping at Putty Beach is handy.

Happy Trails

[Onestepmore]

Thank you all. Looks like I'll have nice weather

[Onestepmore]

Great advice people! I had a really nice few days away.

I picked up a friend and we drove to Port Stevens and tested out the Strongarm Kayak Lifter which will make things so much easier for me to load my (small) kayak on top of my rather tall Kluger much more easily, without having to enlist the help of random nearby males of the species. Great seafood tasting plate dinner at the Sandpiper Restaurant, which I can definitely recommend. After dropping off my friend back at Gosford, I parked at the Little Beach carpark in Bouddi NP, and walked the short but pleasant km or so-ish track to the beach with a day pack and my beach rod. A southerly was blowing and rock fishing was looking a bit hairy for a solo fisher(wo)man so off with the socks and shoes and into the sand I went. After some time and some epic kelp fish battles I called it quits.The campsite at Little Beach is delightful - only 6 sites (prebook) all tucked away in reasonable privacy. Pit loos that didn't smell too horrible (may be a different story in summer), some bins, a covered gas BBQ, short grassed area with a little creek running through and a nice little beach with good surf. There is no water so you'd need to carry it in. It's only a km walk down from the car so you could easily carry in a couple of chairs. I returned to my car, dumped my rods, and did part of the Maitland Bay walk. In retrospect I should have given up on the fishing earlier, and had more time for walking. Next visit when I have more time I'll plan on walking to Putty Beach and get a lift back to my car.

As suggested, Patonga camping ground was a good choice, so I pitched my little Hubba and set up SB etc inside on a non powered site . Patonga Creek on one side with a small ramp for a paddle, and then the wider bay beach on the other side. Good dinner, conversation and some wine at the pub. No luck fishing off the wharf. Locals said squid are good, I didn't have jigs tho, but didn't see any anyway.
I woke to visions of flathead from the sandy creek for breakfast on the BBQ , but it was not to be......
No luck off the wharf again......only undersized tailor
Lunch at the pub was good though
Nothing with a beach rod at the start of the Patonga-Pearl beach track.........
The walk to Pearl Beach was a very pleasant little track that took just over an hour, with some great views over the water from the sandstone lookouts and rock platforms. Pearl Beach and it's houses is a lovely little spot. A huge storm was brewing on the way back, but I made it back to the car just as it started to rain. I was tempted to have just one last try for a fish, but decided to be sensible and head back home, which was the right decision as it was a dark, wet and windy trip back to Picton on the southern side of Sydney.

Not having done any Central Coast walks at all I was surprised at how many great spots there are, and we'll definitely be back. Not rugged wild camping by any stretch of the imagination (lol), but a good combo of some easy walks, great views, good food choices and local amenities. Thanks all for the advice!