Leader: Warwick Blake

Lane Cove NP: Greenwich Point to Fullers Bridge, Chatswood

12 August 2019

An 80 leaders walk

Photos top: Warwick Blake

Photos below: Bron Stepowski

Arriving by ferry

Natural rock bridge

From Fig Tree Bridge

From Fig Tree Bridge

Participants:

Warwick Blake, Chris Edwards, Kumiko Suzuki, Margaret Rozea, Soo Lee Chen, Christine Loh, Kevin Yeats, Anne Armstrong, Mark Armstrong, Jolan Cikos, Angelika Freund, Paul Shea, Tom Halbert, Wendy Dodd, Carolyn Blake, John Hungerford, Peter Walton, Bron Stepowski, Jacqui Hickson and prospective Annabelle Chen

Walk description:

Commencing from Greenwich Point Wharf follow the harbour side bays to Hunters Hill, then the Lane Cove River to finish at Fullers Bridge where there are buses to Chatswood Station. There is a 3km extension for anyone with additional energy walking from Fullers Bridge to Chatswood Station via the pleasant Rail to River link track.

Report:

Most of the group met on the wharf at Circular Quay and enjoyed the early morning light on the harbour as we motored to Greenwich. Three additional members met the group at Greenwich Point. The weather was perfect, mild and hardly a cloud in the sky.

After the briefing the group set off following the western side of Greenwich Point on well made tracks alongside Woodford Bay. The first and only climb of any note took the group into Northwood. Although we made a relatively large group, all stayed together well.

Morning tea was had at Central Park in Longueville whilst watching the morning tennis group. Bush Club members were volunteered by tennis players to retrieve the odd ball lobbed over the fence. We followed Tambourine Creek to the natural rock bridge (called the Magic Bridge on some maps) and continued around Tambourine Bay before walking around the edge of the impressive Saint Ignatius' College and dropping down to Burns Bay Reserve.

The group climbed Linley Point then dropped down crossing over Fig Tree Bridge into Hunters Hill. The beautiful period house on the south eastern side of the bridge must have been somewhat displeased (understatement) when the bridge was constructed in 1985.

A democratic decision was reached to have lunch at Boronia Park. John Hungerford and Annabelle Chen made good use of the break to play on the swings, whilst the rest of us took a deserved rest. After lunch we joined the Great North Walk heading north. We enjoying the afternoon light on the Angophora trees, wattles and Boronia bushes.

We made good time; nobody took up the leader's suggestion of a rest at the site of Fairyland, so on reaching Fullers Bridge by 2:30pm 13 walkers took buses to Chatswood or North Ryde stations, leaving a small group of 7 to enjoy the Rail to River track finishing at about 3:30pm at the station.