Turramurra to Berowra

With Tania recovering from glandular fever, Rachel from an ACL reconstruction and Liz from a torn hamstring, we chose a slightly easier walk for the day. Starting at the Sphinx at Turramurra, we were heading for either Mt Kuring-gai or Berowra stations, depending on how we felt.

The day got off to a bit of a slow start when I found I had forgotten to send the SMS to Tania to tell her when to meet. Chris, Liz, Rachel and I had a bit of a wait around for her to arrive. Some other people were congregating at Turramurra station, and a few people asked what we were doing. Turned out that an organised NPWS group led by a ranger was doing the same walk, and they were all trying to meet up. Once Tania arrived, we left my car at Turramurra station and piled in Tania's car out to the end of Bobbin Head Rd.

There was a long queue of cars waiting to get into the park, so we parked outside and headed down to the Sphinx. A reasonably easy downhill brought us out to the upper reaches of Cowan Creek, and we followed this along for some way. Even at a reasonably early hour, there were still plenty of people coming the other direction, which was surprising. I resisted the urge to comment to someone walking their dog in the national park, hoping that the ranger's group was not too far behind. The walking was easy along the flat track, weaving in and out of mangrove-filled bays, and then passing under a large cave with an old midden.

Some more easy walking along the pleasant foreshore brought us to Bobbin Head where we stopped for a snack and a bit of hacky sack. Tania and Rachel headed for the coffee at the Kiosk, while the rest of us appropriated a table in the sun.

It was a short walk to the top of the hill, and though we headed down a track to what appeared to be a lookout, we couldn't see much through the trees. Continuing on, there were better lookouts from the other side of the road out over Apple Tree Bay, before we descended the short steep track to the bay. It hadn't been long since morning tea, but it seemed like a reasonable spot for lunch so we stopped.

After lunch we continued towards Berowra Station, bypassing the shorter option to Mt Kuring-gai. There were a few bays to wind in and out of before we got to Waratah Bay. There a steady track climbed up the creek, and then on to the ridge to Berowra. On the way up we were passed in the other direction by a girl carrying very little in the way of walking gear. Given it was less than an hour til dark, and about two hours to Appletree Bay, Chris and I wondered where she was going. Another of life's little mysteries!

Conveniently, as we got to Berowra Station a train pulled in for us, meaning a quick trip back to Turramurra. A nice day's walk, although we had one more drive to retrieve the car out at the Sphinx.