Karin's Projects

6.1

Walking across Gladsville Bridge one gets good views of Parramatta River, across the harbour to the Harbour Bridge and City, and also of the peninsula where I’m going to walk along today.

At the end of the bride a path goes down to Huntley Point.

I like standing under bridges. It is interesting to see from below how quiet, calm these busy, big constructions can be.

All along Huntley Point Road, this is the only bit of green with access to the water. The only other bit of open space at the end of the street is fenced off.

6.2

Crossing Tarban Creek Bridge leads to the peninsular.

Next to the bridge a small, bit neglected reserve going right down to the water.

The walk then goes mostly along well maintained streets with beautiful homes, but rarely any access to the water.

Many of the avenues and crescents are dead ends, often without a ‘No through Road’ sign!

However there are some nice views along the way.

Hunters Hill is famous for many beautiful sandstone buildings from mid 1800s, like the Lyncote House. The Council has put information plaques into the footpath at noteworthy spots.

6.3

Further along Woolwich Road is Weil Park with a playground and sports field.

And further down is Kellys Bush, a lager reserve leading to the waters edge,

with a good view of Cockatoo Island.

I went back up to Woolwich Road. At Franki Ave is a great little lookout

overlooking Woolwich Dock.

A bit further on is another park, Goats Paddock.

The Harbour Trust has created walk from here to the dock.

6.4

But I could not walk any longer today, it was getting late and I had to rush to catch a ferry.

Waiting at Woolwhich Valentia Street Ferry Wharf and looking at the dock, I knew I had to come back soon to this interesting spot.

AND I did.
From Valentia Street Wharf it takes about 15 minutes via The Point Road and Gale Street to get to Goat Paddock Park.
A pathway leads down to the dock.

Woolwich Dock was the largest dock when it opened in 1901 and it continued to operate till 1958.

Right next to it is Clarkes Point, a large reserve, an ideal spot for fishing, sailing and picnics.

There are great views of the Bridge, City and Cockatoo Island

At the Marina one has to go up a little along Margaret and Alfred Street to get to Kelly's Bush.

Kelly's Bush is the site of the world's first Green Ban. In 1970 local women, and later with union support fought to protect this last bit of bushland along the Parramatta River from urban development.
It is only a short walk from Kelly' Bush to Woolwhich Rd. From there a bus goes back to the ferry wharf and in the other direction to Hunters Hill, connecting with busses to the city.
This additional walk was very interesting and pleasant, and it took less than 1 hour. I learned a lot about the industrial past of this beautiful area with so many old sandstone buildings. I'm glad I did it.

Harbour Walk 5/6

PARRAMATTA RIVER

Ferry Ride

June 2012

2 1/4 hours

Standing under the Gladesville Bridge after finishing my Drummoyne walk I thought how sad to leave out that part of Sydney Harbour which lays beyond this bridge. Walking all along the western part of the harbour with the many bays would take years. But there is a good way to explore that too and fast and easy: just going on the Parramatta River Ferry.

The Parramatta River service goes from Circular Quay to Rydalmere. However I hopped on the ferry in Drummoyne, at Woseley Street. The ferry stops from then on at 8 wharves, in Hunters Hill, Chiswick, Abbotsford, Cabarita, Putney, Meadow Bank, Olympic Park Homebush and terminates at Rydalmere.

The ride took 40 minutes and one gets great views of the many foreshore parks, of new residential developments where once factories were and where grand mansions on big land grants stood. The first wheat for the colony was grown on the banks of Parramatta River. We went under many bridges, even crossed a car ferry. There are still a few factories along the river.

At Rydalmere one can continue on to Parramatta by going on the express service from Circular Quay to Parramatta.

The last stretch along Parramatta River takes 20 minutes. The ferry has to go real slow to protect the mangrove on both sides of the now narrow river. It is so nice to observe the many waterbirds there. Some time ago I saw some pelicans here, but now there were none, maybe they have all migrated to flooded Eyre Lake! At very low tides the ferry service is suspended to protect the environment.

The ferry stops only a few minutes at Parramatta. Would be good to take a later ferry back and go for a walk. Parramatta is a nice place, and has still some very old buildings. By the way Parramatta was founded in the same year as Sydney in 1788 and was the first white settlement away from the coast. Parramatta means in Aboriginal "the place where the eels lie down”.

I decided to go straight back. After all this is a harbour walk, well, this time a harbour ferry trip. Going back from Parramatta to Circular Quay with only one stop at Rydalmere took 1 1/4 hour.