Mt Kuring-Gai to Cowan via Berowa Waters
Day Trip: 6 - 7hours + time spent commuting
Difficulty: 3x challenging parts with steep ascent, track well maintained and easy to follow. Elevation gain 770m. Distance 17.5km. Part of Oxfam track and Great North Walk
Starting point: Mt. Kuring-Gai
Finishing point: Cowan
Track notes: Taking morning train from city to Mt. Kurun-gai and meeting another 15 members of our bushwalking group there. Starting our walk at 8:45am. Walking track starts just off Pacific Hwy on Lyrebird Gully Firetrail which descend down to the creek and continue as Benowie Walking Track and follow the river.
After about an hour we got to Calna Creek campsite and another 100m or so to Calna Creek Bridge intersection (if you cross the creek here you could continue towards Hornsby), we stayed on the same side and continue on timber broadwalk towards Berowa Waters for another 5.8km (sign says).
Pass continue flat following the river towards Sams Creek, than stars climbing up - that's the first out of three ascends on this walk. At the top it joins Berkeley Firetrail, here we turned left toward Berowa Waters and walked on the firetrail for a bit, passing Naa Badu Lookout before another left turn to Benowie Walking Track which took us all the way to Berowa Waters. We stopped for lunch, sit by the water on jetty platform and enjoyed the winter sunshine and beautiful views. There is a coffee shop on the same side, but they refused to do takeaway coffees over lunch time or practically anything takeaway, unless you wanna dine in. Another option for lunch would be taking ferry across the water and have a fish & chips on the other side.
After the lunch we follow the Berowa Creek for another couple of hundred meters before the track starts climbing up. This second uphill section is the longest one, over 200m elevation, definitely good workout after the lunch. Reaching Hawkesbury Track - part of GNW, flat pass for a while until we turn off to the right, descent to Joe Crafts Creek and get ready for last uphill section. Last couple of km leading to Cowan is pretty fat walk to finish off.
Well deserved coffee after the walk at The Great North Cafe in Cowan before taking train back to city. The place takes cards, but charges you extra $ 0.50 if you spend less then $10. When we told the owner that this is actually illegal to charge this amount, he got shits and was really nasty to our group.
Strava link: https://strava.app.link/PzbNnCZpGY
more info about this track : http://www.wildwalks.com/bushwalking-and-hiking-in-nsw/berowra-valley-regional-park/mt-kuring-gai-to-cowan-via-berowra-waters.html
