Recommended walks in and around the Hunter Valley?

[pmcdonald]

Hi everyone,

Some friends and I meet for solid day walks every few months. To date we've walked the Corker, Heaton Lookout to Hunter Lookout, Girakool track to Somersby Store, and the Mount Royal summit. We've all enjoyed the walks so far with the gold standard being the exceptional Mount Royal walk.

I'm searching for ideas for similar walks within about a 2 hour radius of Newcastle. We (I) gravitate towards peaks rather than coast, and temperate or moist forest rather than dry eucalyptus. A member of our group is quite partial to rock scrambles so anything with those would be a plus. I'm also always on the look out for walks with dramatic vegetation change, such as Mount Royal or the Corker.

We plan on doing Patterson Gorge when the weather warms up. We're also investigating how realistic Mount Cabre Bald or Mount Carrow is as a day walk without serious 4WDing. Anything else come to mind that falls in this sort of category? It doesn't necessarily need to be tracked - we have some good navigators in the group and take our bush survival seriously. It just needs to be achievable in a day from Newcastle.

Thanks!

[Ms_Mudd]

Rocky Crossing (one end of it is right near the start of the Corker) is a great day walk, particularly in Summer as it is shaded and cooler than elsewhere and plenty of picturesque spots to stop off and swim. I have done it from both ends, but recommend starting in from the Williams River carpark as the last 800metres to the other carpark (Williams Tops) is very reminiscent of the first 2 km of the Corker and not my favourite way to end a walk. Walk in from the lower carpark and you never even have to see that hill as Rocky Crossing is just before it.Doing the first part of Blue Gum Loop trail until it branches off and then out to Rocky Crossing, taking the back end of the Blue Gum trail back to the carpark is a pretty nice way to do the track.

A very brief (4.7km?) day walk is Problem Creek Falls if short on time or wanting another walk on your way out of the area, it is in Chichester State Forest at the Northern End of Frying Pan Campground. It is not signposted, but you pick up the trail easy enough and when you get to the fork just a little way in, head up the higher trail, not the river trail. It is all singletrack from there.

You can also do a reasonable 2 nighter (involves car shuffle or a pick up though) up the Corker, Across the Link Trail (can then do some Pic n Mix walks up at Gloucester Tops) and then down Mountaineer/Glowang.