Kuringai Chase National Park

[sevenseas]

Hi, does anyone know this park well? We live near Manly and I would love to take the kids there for a day out but am not sure where would be the best place to go - have looked at the official website and am non the wiser. Would like a shortish, easy walk if possible that a 10 and 8 year old would enjoy.

[NickyNook]

Years ago we did a few walks in the Park with our kids.

 

I can remember doing the Resolute Track with them. You get a good mix of things to see - fantastic views, aboriginal carvings and middens to check out, some rainforest and a nice beach at the bottom. 8 and 10 year olds should have no problem at all with it.

 

I like the Wildwalks site for details of walks (covers walks all over the state, not just Kuring-gai).

 

http://www.wildwalks.com/bushwalking-and-hiking-in-nsw/ku-ring-gai-chase-national-park/

[northshorepom]

I live just up the road

 

It's ace - a huge sprawling area of bushland and sunken valleys which are now parts of Broken Bay (the estuary of the Hawkesbury River). Best seen from a boat if possible although there are loads of walking tracks too

 

A few choices

 

Bobbin Head for starters (Take Bobbin Head Road from North Turramurra and keep going) - it's at the junction of Cockle Creek and Cowan Creek. There's a large flat grassy area with kids playground, BBQs, extensive picnic area, the NP Information centre, a marina from where you can hire tinnies (you'll need to book) and I think there's kayak hire, and a bunch of walking tracks. Go to the south end of the picnic area and there's a lovely boardwalk through the mangroves and then up into the bush, with signs and info boards, plenty of interest for little ones. It's only about 1.5km each way I think, or you can keep going up the Gibberagong Track and come back down when the kids have had enough. Advantage of these walks is that it's uphill on the way out and downhill back, so easier to judge when they've had enough! At the marina there's also the excellent Galley Foods resto and kiosk, not to be confused with the much less excellent Bobbin Inn cafe

 

Even closer to you there are loads of walks all coming off from the road towards West Head (which goes from Terrey Hills), and West Head lookout itself is spectacular. There's a picnic site up here too, at Resolute Bay (? can't remember) picnic site 1km shy of West Head or so. Possibly not so much for kids here - there's a good walk down to Flint & Steel Bay on the north side, or the Basin on the East side is pretty good (big picnic/BBQ area again and campsite) but that one's a pretty lengthy walk off the road and it's uphill on the way back

 

Also (bit of a cheat this one) Barrenjoey Head up at Palm Beach is technically part of the NP and that's a great walk for kids - it's pretty steep up there but again downhill on the way back, and the views from the lighthouse at the top are superb. My 5 yr old managed it fine, he does a fair bit of bushwalking but your older kids should eat it. And at the foot of it you've got the superb beach and park at Palm Beach, which is brilliant for picnics, great kiosk/restaurant here too. You can hire a tinny from Palmy as well (on the Pittwater side) and putter over Pittwater (sorry) to a couple of deserted beaches, the basin (see above), etc etc

 

Further afield there's loads of good walks from Cowan and Brooklyn as well but no need to go that far on your first foray

 

Vehicle entry to the park is $11. Or an annual pass good for all NSW NPs is $65, which is a bit of a steal if you ask me, but then we live close by so are there at least once a month

 

Have fun!

[northshorepom]

Years ago we did a few walks in the Park with our kids.

 

I can remember doing the Resolute Track with them. You get a good mix of things to see - fantastic views, aboriginal carvings and middens to check out, some rainforest and a nice beach at the bottom. 8 and 10 year olds should have no problem at all with it.

 

I like the Wildwalks site for details of walks (covers walks all over the state, not just Kuring-gai).

 

http://www.wildwalks.com/bushwalking-and-hiking-in-nsw/ku-ring-gai-chase-national-park/

 

Excellent walking link, thanks NN. Had forgotten the address

 

The mangrove boardwalk I mentioned in my post from Bobbin Head is the "Bobbin Head Rainforest Walk" in that link

[sevenseas]

Thank you, a couple of really good ideas there. I think we will probably start with Bobbin Head. Love the idea of hiring a tinny.

 

Good website too with all the walks listed - it will be interesting to do the Resolute Track too, especially with the aboriginal carvings etc. Both girls were born in Sydney but we have lived overseas for five years, so their knowledge of indigenous culture is shocking. Must do something about that.

[northshorepom]

If you go on the Rainforest Walk at Bobbin Head there are some aboriginal carvings up on top of the hill on that one, too. Not as extensive as the ones on the Resolute Track or Basin Track over towards West Head

[northshorepom]

Boat hire at bobbin head:

http://www.empiremarinas.com.au/boat_hire_fishing.htm

 

Paddle boats available there also for less adventurous mucking about on the creek:

http://www.bobbininncafe.com.au/paddleboats.php

[SydneyAnne]

Another great way to see Kuring-gai Chase National Park is from the water – catching the ferry from Palm Beach into Bobbin Head. There is time to eat at the cafe before the ferry returns to Palm Beach. Along the way you'll see the sea planes flying people into Pittwater from Rose Bay for lunch at the Cottage Point Inn. Journey is incredibly picturesque!