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GANDY’S GULLY : RIDGE WALK
Circuit : 3 hours, 9.5 km |
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RIDGE WALK
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GREENHILL | |||
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Follow the Valley Track up from the Rifle Range turn-off. The track follows left around the base of a grassy hill, and after about 10 minutes, this Ridge Track branches off to the right. . The track is quite steep, but the walker is rewarded with pleasant views of the Gully – first the lower stretch on the right-hand side...
... and a little later the upper Gully on the left.
Towards the top the track gets ridiculously steep,
finally emerging at a small rock cairn.
I had expected to come out on a fire track here, but instead there is a small trail to the right, and a similar track to the left. We shall want to take the left track but it is worth investigating the track on the right. Five minutes walk brings us to a rocky outcrop with a spectacular view.
Gandy’s Gully lies below, the Plains stretch out on the left, and in the distance at right we can see the Horsnell Gully Quarry. A further 10 minutes downwards scramble gives a close up view of the Stonyfell Quarry.
It was also of interest to me to look down from here over Gandy’s Gully Rd and the Wattle Park reservoir.
Return to the rock cairn, and continue along the left track. This follows the ridge adjoining Gandy’s Gully until it reaches a high access road to the Quarry just beyond a gate with warning signs, and next to Pylon #23. A view out over the White Rock (Horsnell Gully) Quarry is interesting in that the Coach Rd fire track is visible on the intervening ridge.
We now follow along the Quarry access road for some 15 minutes. This will bring us out on the Coach Rd fire track. A small track branching off to the left is a short cut, in a few minutes bringing us to the rock cairn at the top of the Valley Walk, and then the Coach Rd fire track.
Follow back to the Coach Rd gate at Skye. Looking back from here we can actually see Pylon 23 on the horizon at centre.
You may be lucky, as I was, to receive some cheerful encouragement from a local kookaburra.
Now return to the Wattle Park shopping centre. This is an excellent walk. Foregoing the Stonyfell Quarry view will cut the time by 20 minutes.
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RIDGE WALK
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GREENHILL | ||
