The Canberra Trip: 16–18 October
Christine and Michael Henderson
This article first appeared in Central Coast Branch Summer 2023 newsletter. Reprinted with permission.
Canberra was looking its very best after a wetter than usual winter and spring.
Our group of twenty walkers were staying at various locations throughout Canberra but all managed to find their way to Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve by 9am to begin our first walk to Gibraltar Peak.
The peak was visible from the carpark at Dalsetta as we set off on a chilly and overcast morning across the grasslands to Eliza Saddle, then the uphill climb to the lookout, where views back to Canberra were hazy due to low cloud. From here we climbed through imposing granite boulders to the peak. Just as we settled down for morning tea a wild squall whipped through and sent us all scurrying for shelter. The temperature dropped dramatically, and the rain turned to sleet, so we headed back down the track and before too long the sun broke through. On the return trip we called in to the Canberra Deep Space Station for a quick look then on to Cotter Picnic area for lunch.
Day two was much warmer and sunny and we met at Cotter Picnic area. We took the Cotter Dam Discovery trail to view the recently heightened dam wall. We then followed the path beside the Cotter River though the campground, where a few hardy souls had spent a very cold night in their campers; under the bridge which crosses the confluence of the Cotter and Murrumbidgee Rivers and on to the Stoney Creek Skyline track to Grasstree Lookout. From here we could see the Cotter Pump Station and the pipeline for Canberra’s water supply. We then accessed the Cotter Catchment Lookout track where we had great views over the catchment and to the Brindabellas for our lunch stop.
On our last day we all met at Kambah Pool carpark to car-pool for the drive down through the Tuggeranong Valley to Point Hut and the start of a section of the Murrumbidgee River Discovery track. From Point Hut we walked through open grasslands with great views of the river winding its way to Pine Island, a popular picnic and swimming spot for Canberrans. We stopped here for morning tea and a close up look at the river which was flowing well. On our next stage of the walk we passed by an historic dry stone wall, built in the 1860s to separate two of the earliest farms in Tuggeranong Valley. From here we deviated from the river, crossing open grazing country before sighting Red Rock Gorge, one of the most spectacular gorges along the river, then through native forest to Kambah Pool.
Thank you to all our lovely companions on this taste of the great walking on offer around Canberra.