Great North Walk

[mih]

Hi all,

I started my GNW journey in December, last year and so far I traveled close to 130 km as follow:

Sydney CBD to Macquarie Uni - 37km - https://www.strava.com/activities/2902995534

MQ Uni to Berowra - 39km - https://www.strava.com/activities/3023744389

Berowra to Brooklyn - 31km https://www.strava.com/activities/3043735636

Patonga to Wondabyne 20km - https://www.strava.com/activities/3063713497

Amongst all walks, the most beautiful was Berowra to Brooklyn via Cowan and the easiest by far was Patonga to Wondabyne.

With the next walks, things are getting a bit complicated from a logistics perspective as the public transport is limited or inexistent.

The following Sunday I'm planning to tackle Wondabyne to Somersby at a minimum and if everything goes well I will try to push it to Yarramalong ( which will make it a 50km walk )

If anyone has any suggestions or prehaps want to join to this walk please drop me a message

[mandragara]

Keep in mind that further north the walk is rerouted slightly

[mih]

Thanks for the heads up.

[mih]

Hi all,

I started my GNW journey in December, last year and so far I traveled close to 130 km as follow:

Sydney CBD to Macquarie Uni - 37km - https://www.strava.com/activities/2902995534

MQ Uni to Berowra - 39km - https://www.strava.com/activities/3023744389

Berowra to Brooklyn - 31km https://www.strava.com/activities/3043735636

Patonga to Wondabyne 20km - https://www.strava.com/activities/3063713497

adding 2 more:)


Wondabyne to Somersby 27k - https://www.strava.com/activities/3103587892

Somersby to Cedar Brush via Yarramalong - 40k - https://www.strava.com/activities/3121001618


This Sunday I will tackle Brush Creek Rd, Cedar Brush Creek NSW 2259 to Watagan Creek Rd via Basin.

[mandragara]

Good stuff!

Which part has been your favourite so far?

[crollsurf]

Nice. I've walked as far as Yarramalong in sections when the kids were young. Logistically, from Sydney, it gets harder so hopefully I'll get around to completing it. I was thinking of getting dropped off at Yarramalong, walking through to Newcastle, booking a room in the best hotel and catching the train home the next day.

Hope we both get there one day but as a far as I've walked so far, it's been good.

Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk

[aaronhann85]

Are you running? I noticed CBD to MQ uni you averaged faster than 7km/hr, quite the pace to maintain!

How long do you think it would take to hike the whole track in one go?

[DavidB]

I did it 2 years ago in 14 days. Friends and aquaintances have done it in 12-13 days. The road runners have done it under 10. There is a record for it which someone else will know.

[rcaffin]

We got as far as Teralba, suburb of Newcastle, looked at 'suburbia', and got on the train back home. The bush was OK.
Cheers
Roger

[mih]

Good stuff!

Which part has been your favourite so far?

Thank you. Wondabyne to Somersby is one of the best so far.

[mih]

Nice. I've walked as far as Yarramalong in sections when the kids were young. Logistically, from Sydney, it gets harder so hopefully I'll get around to completing it. I was thinking of getting dropped off at Yarramalong, walking through to Newcastle, booking a room in the best hotel and catching the train home the next day.

Hope we both get there one day but as a far as I've walked so far, it's been good.

Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk

I live in Sydney and yep, I agree with your statement. A bit of a background on my logistics.. I drive to the end of the walk, jump on my bike and pedal to the start of walk. Once I get to the start of the walk I secure my bike and do the walk. On the way back, I drive my car to recover bike and then back home.
This is a lenghty process and it takes alot of time.

Last Sunday I had an attempt to complte Cedar Brush - Basin campsite - Watagan Valley - Watagan Creek Rd to Flat Rock. I woked up at 4am and drove towards Flat Rock. Approx 5 km away from the destination I got bogged ... yes in the middle of nowhere. What was next? I call it adventure

[mih]

Are you running? I noticed CBD to MQ uni you averaged faster than 7km/hr, quite the pace to maintain!

How long do you think it would take to hike the whole track in one go?

CBD to MQ uni was walk & jog . I believe Strava stats are messed up by the ferry portion.


If you do a proper planning I would say close to 10 days.

ps: there are lots of fallen trees from the last month storm.

[mih]

I did it 2 years ago in 14 days. Friends and aquaintances have done it in 12-13 days. The road runners have done it under 10. There is a record for it which someone else will know.

Hi David, - Do you think Cedar Brush - Basin Camp - Watagan Creek - Flat Rock - Congewai - Watagan HQ - Heaton lookout/gap - Teralba is doable in 2 days?

[DavidB]

Thats around 85 km in hilly terain. You would have to be super fit to do that in 2 days. 4 days would be more realistic. No problem finding water at the moment I expect.

[Strick]

I walked the GNW back in 2005 and I was thinking it must be time for an historic retread..   Of course, I am assuming after all restrictions are lifted and life returns (hopefully) to normal.. 

My question really rates to the devastating fires of 2019.  Which sections of the track were badly affected?  Are there any sections still closed?  Are there any  re-routes that make the whole idea of a thruhike in 2020 unappealing?  

I think that the GNW was origuinaly conceived as a Bicentennial project and some parts were looking a bit neglected and even overgrown by 2005.  Has it deteriorated further, or has it received some much needed TLC in recent years?

Thanks for your consideration.  This is my first post on this forum for many years and it's nice to be back!