Rumbalara Explorer
Download & Print Map and Notes2 hrs 45 mins
326 m
Hard track
Rumbalara Reserve
(0km) Rumbalara Environmental Education Centre car park → Rumbalara Environmental Education Centre trackhead
40 m
1 mins
3m
0m
Easy track
Rumbalara Environmental Education Centre
(0.04km) Rumbalara Environmental Education Centre trackhead → Int of Casuarina track and JWD link trail
140 m
4 mins
18m
-1m
Moderate track
Turn right: From the intersection, this walk follows the management trail gently up the hill, leaving the bush track steps behind to the right. The trail goes gently up the hill for a short distance to an intersection at the bottom of a metal staircase, signposted ‘Casuarina Track’.
(0.17km) Int of Casuarina track and JWD link trail → Int of Casuarina track and Casuarina link trail
60 m
2 mins
8m
0m
Moderate track
(0.23km) Int of Casuarina track and Casuarina link trail → Car park at int of White St firetrail and John Whiteway Dr
60 m
1 mins
0m
-4m
Easy track
(0.29km) Car park at int of White St firetrail and John Whiteway Dr → Southern int of White St firetrail and Rainforest walk
440 m
10 mins
15m
-34m
Moderate track
Rumbalara Reserve Flora and Fauna
(0.72km) Southern int of White St firetrail and Rainforest walk → Top of staircase on Rainforest walk
400 m
9 mins
15m
-37m
Moderate track
(1.12km) Top of staircase on Rainforest walk → Henry Parry Dr trackhead
380 m
8 mins
5m
-20m
Moderate track
Continue straight: From the bottom of the metal staircase, this walk follows the management trail away from the stairs. The trail soon bends to the right and continues for a short distance before passing a plaque marking the handing over of Cappers Gully Reserve, set in a stone, to the left. The trail continues a little further to an intersection just before the gate at the back of the 2GO radio station car park. The intersection is marked with a pair of track arrows on a wooden post.
Turn left: From the intersection, this walk follows the bush track, immediately crossing the small gully, leaving the nearby gate and car park behind on the right. The track soon bends to the right, at a track marker post, and continues, keeping the houses to the left, until reaching the trackhead at the intersection of Frederick St and Henry Parry Dr, Gosford, marked with a track information board and a ‘Rainforest Track’ signpost pointing back to ‘Cappers Gully’.
(1.51km) Henry Parry Dr trackhead → Northern int of White St firetrail and Rainforest walk
850 m
19 mins
52m
-19m
Moderate track
Continue straight: From the end of White St, this walk passes the ‘Rumbalara Reserve’ signpost, goes around the gate, and follows the ‘Cappers Gully’ arrow along the management trail. The trail meanders along the hillside for some time. At one point, there are some long thin stone slabs forming a retaining wall, on the right. The trail eventually reaches an intersection, signposted ‘Cappers Gully’.
Cappers Gully quarry
(2.36km) Northern int of White St firetrail and Rainforest walk → Southern Int of Rainforest walk and Bayview firetrail
250 m
9 mins
53m
-3m
Hard track
(2.61km) Southern Int of Rainforest walk and Bayview firetrail → Int of Rainforest walk and Casuarina walk
440 m
11 mins
41m
-13m
Hard track
Turn left: From the intersection, this walk follows the ‘Ouraka Point’ arrow down the steps and along the bush track. After descending for a short distance, the track bends to the right and levels out. The track meanders for some time through beautiful forest scenery, crossing two short metal footbridges, before climbing a long set of sandstone steps, then a metal staircase, arriving at an intersection with a management trail, with a ‘Rainforest Track’ signpost pointing back to ‘Cappers Gully’.
Casuarina
(3.05km) Int of Rainforest walk and Casuarina walk → Sculpture of Charles Sturt
30 m
1 mins
2m
0m
Moderate track
(3.08km) Sculpture of Charles Sturt → Int of Casuarina walk and Flannel Flower walk
140 m
2 mins
3m
0m
Moderate track
(3.22km) Int of Casuarina walk and Flannel Flower walk → Yaruga Picnic Area BBQs
750 m
18 mins
61m
-30m
Moderate track
Veer right: From the intersection, this walk follows the ‘Yaruga Picnic Area’ arrow along the bush track, going gently down the hill. The walk meanders along the side of the hill for some time, passing occasional sandstone steps before continuing past an intersection with a bush track (on the left, uphill), and another soon after (on the right, downhill). The walk continues for some distance, climbing gently with numerous steps, before arriving beside the toilet block at Yaruga Picnic Area. The walk turns right and follows the paved path past the information board, then goes across the picnic area, following the ‘Lookout’ arrow to the electric BBQs.
Yaruga Picnic Area
(3.97km) Yaruga Picnic Area BBQs → Int of Flannel Flower walk and Red Gum walk
120 m
2 mins
4m
-8m
Moderate track
Continue straight: From the intersection, this walk follows the bush track around the low boulder, to the right, keeping the nearby water reservoir to the right. The walk goes gently downhill for a short distance to an intersection with a management trail.
(4.09km) Int of Flannel Flower walk and Red Gum walk → Int of Flannel Flower walk and Jarret St fire trail
340 m
8 mins
8m
-22m
Moderate track
Flannel Flower
(4.44km) Int of Flannel Flower walk and Jarret St fire trail → Junction of Ironbark, Casuarina and Flannel flower walks
220 m
4 mins
13m
-7m
Moderate track
Continue straight: From the intersection, this walk follows the ‘Yaruga Picnic Area’ arrow across the road. The walk crosses the small car park, passing between some metal posts to a track junction with signposts for the ‘Ironbark Loop’, the ‘Casuarina Track’ and the ‘Flannel Flower Track’.
(4.66km) Junction of Ironbark, Casuarina and Flannel flower walks → Sir Charles Kingsford Smith sculpture
250 m
5 mins
10m
-11m
Moderate track
Continue straight: From the ‘Ironbark Loop’ sign, this walk follows the ‘Nurrunga Picnic Area’ arrow along the management trail, away from the road. After a short distance, the walk passes a toilet block, to the left, and continues a little further to an ‘Ironbark Loop’ sign pointing back ‘To Casuarina Track’, on the northern edge of the picnic area.
Continue straight: From this ‘Ironbark Loop’ sign, the walk goes along the edge of the picnic area, keeping the picnic area to the left, and soon arrives at the sculpture of Sir Charles Kingsford Smith.
Sculptures in Rumbalara
(4.91km) Sir Charles Kingsford Smith sculpture → Matthew Flinders sculpture
40 m
1 mins
0m
-1m
Moderate track
(4.95km) Matthew Flinders sculpture → Junction of Ironbark, Casuarina and Flannel flower walks
180 m
4 mins
10m
-7m
Moderate track
Continue straight: From the intersection, this walk follows the ‘To Flannel Flower Track’ arrow (Ironbark Loop sign), along the bush track, keeping the views of Gosford to the right. After a short distance, the walk arrives at a track junction with signposts for the ‘Ironbark Loop’, the ‘Casuarina Track’ and the ‘Flannel Flower Track’.
(5.13km) Junction of Ironbark, Casuarina and Flannel flower walks → Ouraka Point
570 m
12 mins
4m
-39m
Moderate track
Veer right: From the intersection, this walk follows the management trail gently down the hill, keeping the views of Gosford to the right. After a while, the walk reaches a sculpture of Charles Sturt, to the left.
Continue straight: From the sculpture, this walk follows the management trail, keeping the views of Gosford to the right and leaving Charles Sturt behind on the left. After a short distance, the walk reaches an intersection, with a ‘Casuarina Track’ signpost pointing back to the ‘Picnic Areas’.
Continue straight: From the intersection, this walk follows the ‘Ouraka Point’ arrow along the management trail, going gently up the hill. After a short distance, the walk passes an informal, unfenced lookout area with obscured but nice views over Gosford, to the right. The walk continues a little further, passing a boulder in the middle of the trail, and arriving at the signposted ‘Ouraka Point’, with beautiful views over Gosford and the surrounding areas and waterways.
Ouraka Point
(5.7km) Ouraka Point → Rumbalara Environmental Education Centre car park
420 m
12 mins
1m
-68m
Moderate track
Continue straight: From the intersection, this walk follows the management trail gently down the hill, leaving the steps behind on the right. After a short distance, the walk arrives at an intersection marked by an information board, and a ‘Casuarina Track’ signpost pointing back to the ‘Picnic Areas’.
Turn right: From the intersection, the walk follows the ‘Field Studies Centre’ arrow down the steps. After a short distance, the walk goes down a metal staircase, arriving at an intersection with a management trail, and a ‘Casuarina Track’ signpost pointing back to the ‘Picnic Areas’.
Turn right: From the intersection, this walk follows the management trail gently down the hill, leaving the metal staircase behind on the right. The trail goes gently down the hill for a short distance to an unmarked intersection with a bush track (going down some wooden steps to the left).
Turn left: From the intersection, this walk follows the track down the steps and immediately bends to the right. After descending a little, the track bends to the left and crosses a small bridge, then goes down some more steps to the trackhead at the back of the Rumbalara EEC buildings, with a ‘Walking Trail’ arrow pointing back the way you came.
Turn right: From the trackhead, this walk goes across the timber deck and down the paved footpath to the nearby car park.
Maps for the Rumbalara Explorer walk
You can download the PDF for this walk to print a map.These maps below cover the walk and the wider area around the walk, they are worth carrying for safety reasons.
Gosford | 1:25 000 Map Series | 91312S GOSFORD | NSW-91312S |
Gosford | 1:100 000 Map Series | 9131 GOSFORD | 9131 |
Cross sectional view of the Rumbalara Explorer bushwalking track
Analysis and summary of the altitude variation on the Rumbalara Explorer
Overview of this walks grade – based on the AS 2156.1 – 2001
Under this standard, a walk is graded based on the most difficult section of the walk.
Length | 6.1 km | ||
Time | 2 hrs 45 mins | ||
. | |||
Grade 4/6 Hard track |
AS 2156.1 | Gradient | Very steep (4/6) |
Quality of track | Formed track, with some branches and other obstacles (3/6) | ||
Signs | Directional signs along the way (3/6) | ||
Experience Required | Some bushwalking experience recommended (3/6) | ||
Weather | Storms may impact on navigation and safety (3/6) | ||
Infrastructure | Limited facilities, not all cliffs are fenced (3/6) |
Some more details of this walks Grading
Here is a bit more details explaining grading looking at sections of the walk
Gradient
2.9km of this walk has short steep hills and another 2.5km has gentle hills with occasional steps. Whilst another 640m is very steep and the remaining 120m is flat with no steps.
Quality of track
3.6km of this walk follows a clear and well formed track or trail and another 2.5km follows a formed track, with some branches and other obstacles. The remaining (80m) follows a smooth and hardened path.
Signs
Around 4.4km of this walk has directional signs at most intersection, whilst the remaining 1.7km is clearly signposted.
Experience Required
Around 4km of this walk requires no previous bushwalking experience, whilst the remaining 2.1km requires some bushwalking experience.
weather
Around 6km of this walk is not usually affected by severe weather events (that would unexpectedly impact safety and navigation), whilst the remaining 160m is affected by storms that may impact your navigation and safety.
Infrastructure
Around 3.1km of this walk is close to useful facilities (such as fenced cliffs and seats), whilst the remaining 3km has limited facilities (such as not all cliffs fenced).
Similar walks
Other Nearby walks
Plan your trip to and from the walk here
The Rumbalara Explorer walk starts and ends at the Rumbalara Environmental Education Centre car park (gps: -33.427727, 151.34768)Your transport options to Rumbalara Environmental Education Centre car park are by;
Bus. (get details)
Car. There is free parking available.
(get details)
Fire Danger
Each park may have its own fire ban, this rating is only valid for today and is based on information from the RFS Please check the RFS Website for more information.Weather Forest
This walk starts in the Hunter weather district always check the formal BOM forecast or pdf before starting your walk.Forecast snapshot
Park Information & Alerts
Short URL = http://wild.tl/re
Gallery images
There are other downloads I am still working on.
You will probably need to login to access these — still all free.
* KML (google earth file)
* GPX (GPS file)
Special Maps/ brochures
* A3 topo maps
* PDF with Lands Topo map base
* PDF with arial image (and map overlay)
I wanted to get the main site live first, this extra stuff will come in time.
Happy walking
Matt 🙂
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