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Walk No 3


The Mooney Nature Walk

Girrakool Picnic Area, Brisbane Waters National Park

Getting There: A car is necessary for this oneFrom Kariong, follow the Pacific Highway towards Sydney. Just past the turn off to the Reptile Park, on the left, is the sign to Girrakool.

Description: The Mooney Nature Trail begins near the southern end of the car park. This walk has the advantage of taking walkers from a woodland, to a rainforest gully, to a heath within about 300m.

Distance The full circuit of 6.5km, follows the deep gorge of Piles Creek.

Duration About 4 hours is recommended unless you walk the shorter section.

Degree of Difficulty  Medium
The walk
involves some medium-grade climbing. However, it can be a very much easier, shorter (about 2½-3km) walk which still provides a wonderful display of local flora, if you turn back when the track across the heath begins to drop sharply from a rock-shelf, down to Piles Creek. (See Map) This way you follow the same track back to the car park (though there is an alternative, interesting loop to the right, just after you re-cross the creek with the stepping posts).

Best Time: June – October
Although this is a beautiful place to visit at any time of year e.g banksias begin flowering in autumn and the beauty of this area has a lot to do with trees, rock formations and stunning views.

Expect to see:

  • Woodland: Graceful Bush Pea (Pultenaea flexilis), Boronia pinnata,
                   Broad-leaf Wedge Pea (Gompholobium latifolium),
                   Broadleaf Grass Tree (Xanthorrhoea arborea).

  • Rainforest Gully: Black Wattle (Callicoma serratifolia),
                           Water Gum (Tristaniopsis laurina)

  • Heath: Sydney Boronia (Boronia ledifolia), Grey Grevillea (Grevillea buxifolia),
              Red Grevillea (Grevillea speciosa),Coral Heath (Epacris microphylla),
              Pink Wax Flower (Eriostemon australasius),
                 Styphelia tubiflora, Zieria laevigata
              Mountain Devils (Lambertia formosa)

  • Rock Faces: Dracophyllum secundum,
                     Native Fuchsia (Epacris longiflora),
                     Pouched Coral Fern (Gleichenia dicarpa),
                     Skeleton Forked Fern (Psilotum nudum)

   Boronia ledifolia

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Information by Isabel