I'd like to get out of the city and do some camping or hiking over the weekend. No car, but I'm not opposed to a few hours on public transit and some walking to get there. I know Sydney is surrounded by national parks. Are there any good spots you can get to with the public transit system?
Posted Oct 31, 2012, 7:26 AM UTC
Excellent day walks (typically between 9 and 15km) that start and end at train stations:
Heathcote to Waterfall: http://wildwalks.com.au/bushwalking-and-hiking-in-nsw/heathcote-national-park/heathcote-to-waterfall.html
Heathcote to Engadine: http://wildwalks.com.au/bushwalking-and-hiking-in-nsw/royal-national-park/heathcote-to-engadine-via-audley.html
Cowan to Brooklyn: http://wildwalks.com.au/bushwalking-and-hiking-in-nsw/ku-ring-gai-chase-national-park/cowan-to-brooklyn-station.html
Berowra to Mt Kuring-gai: http://wildwalks.com.au/bushwalking-and-hiking-in-nsw/ku-ring-gai-chase-national-park/berowra-to-mt-ku-ring-gai.html
Mt Kuring-gai to Berowra: http://wildwalks.com.au/bushwalking-and-hiking-in-nsw/berowra-valley-regional-park/mt-ku-ring-gai-to-berowra-via-berowra-creek.html
There are heaps more on the WildWalks website (www.wildwalks.com). Those were my favourites.
Most of those walks have official campsites - but typically not with any facilities.
I've done the Berowra to Mt Kuring-gai walk. It's a beautiful path, following along the water for the most part once you've finished the descent. I did it (quickly) in about 2.5 hours, but the guides I found suggested ~4 hours.
Came to mention the great north walk, and I suspect the Cowan/Berowra/Mt Kuringai walks you mention are on it. It has a number of sections that intersect with transport and you can camp in many places. I've done Hornsby to Cowan many yeas ago and it was a good walk.
Royal National Park has some great walks. Couple of weeks ago I went from Heathcote to Bundeena, which felt like a long day walk to me, but I'm out of practice.
There's camp sites as well, that you apparently have to book and obtain a permit for.
Main way to get to the Royal National Park by public transport would be to take the South Coast train line, stop at Cronulla, then get on the Bundeena ferry (which costs about five bucks?). Walk a little bit more to reach the start of the Coast Walk.
Another way is to stay on the South Coast line and take it to Otford, the other starting point of the Coast Walk. Heathcote is another station.
The entire Coast Walk would be better done in two days rather than one though. You could trek to Little Marley Beach (or Wattamolla if you start early, well worth the trip) and back to Bundeena within the day.
I second this, though it's Illawarra Line for Cronulla, not South Coast.
I did Bundeena to Otford once, in two days. That was a pretty stiff walk for a novice but I think we stopped too early on the first day. Great walk anyway, and there was a pub near the station at Otford IIRC.
Wondabyne. Plenty of walks from here.
I went to Springwood and walked the Martin's Lookout loop, a few months ago. It was really great. The lookout has a great view, and there are numerous bodies of water throughout the walk.
Wear proper boots. It was rainy when I went, where as it's been quite dry recently. But man...I don't want to talk about it. But there were leeches.
Train to Katoomba. Walk to the Mt Solitary via the Ruined Castle, in Jameson Valley. Camp under large overhang for two nights, about 1/3 of the way along the top of Mt Solitary. Return.
Train to Glenbrook. Walk north up Glenbrook creek. West along Kanuka Brook. Camp at any suitable bend. The next day follow Kanuka Brook south west until Grey Hat Falls. Swim. Up and East to Red Hands Cave. Then out along Camp Fire Creek. Train back from Glenbrook.
Edit: "Eat" to "East"
yep, this