The Bullawarring Track - Heathcote National Park

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Route: Waterfall Station, Bundarra Street, Camp Coutts Track, Camp Road, Lake Toolooma Fire Trail, Lake Toolooma, Waterfall Gully, Bullawarring Track, Heathcote Creek, Kingfisher Pool, Karong Gully, Python Gully, Marks Lookout, Battery Causeway, Pipeline Trail, Mirang Pool, Friendly Trail, Freeman Road, Oliver Street, Heathcote Station

Date: 04/01/2021
From: Waterfall

Parking: N/A
Start Point: Waterfall Station
Finish Point: Heathcote Station
Region: Heathcote National Park

Route length: 7.7 miles (12.4km)
Time taken: 03:47
Average speed: 2.0mph
Ascent: 315m
Descent: 346m

Points of Interest: Lake Toolooma, Kingfisher Pool, Mirang Pool

Heathcote National Park stands next to Royal National Park, separated from the more famed Royal National by the M1 Princes Highway. The problem with Royal National Park is it can get very busy as Sydneysiders flock there on any given day. The way to avoid the crowds? Head to Heathcote, next door. While it lacks the coastal splendour of Royal National Park, Heathcote is home to an abundance of interesting scenery, centred around Heathcote Creek.

The Bullawarring Track is one of the highlights of the national park and, best of all, you need the train to complete it as it follows Heathcote Creek, linking the stations at Waterfall and Heathcote. For no specific reason, I decided to do this hike from south to north.

I departed the train at Waterall Station, crossing Princes Highway by way of Koorban Street before following a path down to Bundarra Street. Technically, the Bullawarring Track begins north of the station but, heading south, adds an extra kilometre or two by beginning on the Camp Coutts Track via Lake Toolooma. The Camp Coutts Track doe not have an obvious starting point as you have to hop over a crash barrier to find it.

Follow the signs for Camp Coutts

Once on the track, it descends into the bush and it appears that it isn't hiked very much. I've come to learn that the less used the track is, the more spider webs you'll end up walking through. That said, there is an obvious track on the ground which makes its way to Camp Road.

Camp Coutts Track, close to Waterfall station

Camp Coutts Track, close to Waterfall station

Sydney Red Gum bark

Descending the Camp Coutts Track

Camp Road

I was only on the cracked tarmac road for a short while before the Lake Toolooma Trail branches off to the north. There was, however, enough time to spot a few of the large Goanna lizards that live around these parts. 

Camp Road

A Goanna lizard

A Goanna lizard hangs on to a Scribbly Gum tree

Lake Toolooma Fire Trail

The track past Lake Toolooma is actually a wide fire trail that hugs the eastern side of the lake. As I made my way along, views of the lake opened which include a curious rusty boiler - likely an apparatus for when the lake was dammed and used to supply water to Waterfall station in the 1900s. Water from the lake was pumped to a holding reservoir and fed to the water tank in the Waterfall yard.

The trail sits below an escarpment

Lake Toolooma

Lake Toolooma, the dam and the old boiler

After passing the lake, the fire trail eventually meets the Bullawarring Track, make by an eponymous NSW national parks sign. Immediately, the trail becomes far narrower, winding through the beautiful Heathcote bush. Almost immediately, the shrill chirping of the Cicadas began to drown out nearly everything else.

Lake Toolooma Fire Trail at Waterfall Gully

Australian Water Dragon

The Bullawarring Track

The track crosses Heathcote Creek and then Westmacott Rill before it reaches the beautiful Kingfisher Pool. It is fed by Heathcote Creek as it tumbles through some oddly eroded rocks, creating a natural stone bridge above the pool. You can camp nearby at the Kingfisher Pool camping area.

Heathcote Creek above Kingfisher Pool

Heathcote Creek leading to Kingfisher Pool

The natural bridge created by Heathcote Creek

Kingfisher Pool

A short distance beyond Kingfisher Pool is another, smaller waterfall that can be reached via the briefest diversions from the path. After this, the Bullawarring Track follows the course of Heathcote Creek for a few hundred metres before climbing the flank of Mount Mannell, crossing the dried-up creek at Python Gully. Now, some 100m above Heathcote Creek, there are the occasional openings with views of the valley.

Waterfalls beyond Kingfisher Pool

Heathcote Creek valley deep within the bush

Climbing the slopes of Mount Mannell

Escarpment on Mount Mannell

The Bullawarring Track negotiates some interesting rocky features

Python Gully

The Bullawarring Track

Views of Mount Mooray from Mount Mannell

The track continues, passing what I believe to be a shield tree. Shield trees have had bark removed by Aboriginal Australians for the creation of bark canoes, shelters, weapons such as shields, tools, or other artefacts. Also known as scarred trees, they are found among mature native trees, especially box gum and red gum trees, along rivers and lakes and at sacred sites. They are protected by legislation.

A shield tree, perhaps

The Bullawarring Track continues to the junction with the Goanna Track and descends back to Heathcote Creek at Battery Causeway. The decrepit road forms part of the access to the Woronora dam, located a short distance away on the Woronora River. The dam, built in the early 1940s, supplements water supply to southern Sydney.

Battery Causeway

Heathcote Creek

Heathcote Creek 

Battery Causeway

Crossing the causeway can be tricky if the creek is in full flow as it tends to wash over the top of the road. Once across, you will join the Pipeline Trail which is little more than a service road for the dam, following and immense pipe which is mildly interesting. The pipeline passes Mirang Pool, a deep bend on Heathcote Creek which is home to a rudimentary campground. There are no facilities here so you will have to arrive self-sufficient (but you are not far from Heathcote).

Pipeline Trail

Pipeline Trail

Crossing the water pipeline

Mirang Pool on Heathcote Creek

Another Australian Water Dragon

Shortly after Mirang Pool, the pipeline road meets a junction with the Friendly Track, accessed by climbing up and over the large concrete pipeline via the metal platform and stairs. The track then continues up a long hill beside Scout Gully eventually finding its way out of the bush and into Heathcote at Freeman Road. From here, it's a short stroll to the train station and a ride back to Sydney.

The Friendly Trail

Scout Gully

The Friendly Trail