The Two Valley Trail - Wolli Creek & Cooks River

This map was created using GPS Visualizer's do-it-yourself geographic utilities.

Please wait while the map data loads...

Route: Steel Park, Cooks River Cycleway, Richardsons Lookout, Warren Park, Mackey park, Tempe Bridge, Waterworth Park, Unwin Street, Jackson Track, Wolli Creek Walking Track, Johnston Street, Malley Avenue, Hughes Park, Cup and Saucer Creek Path, Haynes Reserve, Cooks River, Beaman Park, Homer Street, Steel Park

Date: 25/07/2021
From: Steel Park

Parking: Illawarra Road
Start Point: Steel Park
Finish Point: Steel Park
Region: Sydney - Inner West

Route length: 13.6km
Time taken: 03:00
Average speed: 4.5km/h
Ascent: 191m
Descent: 201m

Points of Interest: Cooks River, Richardsons Lookout, Wolli Creek flying fox camp

Sydney is back in lockdown, thanks to a rising number of Covid cases. While Australia has done well in suppressing the disease, it has been slow to vaccinate the population meaning it lags well behind other developed nations such as the UK and the USA. This lockdown places limits on how far we can travel from home, so we're making the best of it to explore Sydney's Inner West.

Cooks River and Wolli Creek are two of the main waterways in the Inner West and both benefit from a network of modest walking and cycling tracks, enough to create some interesting loops with the Two Valley Trail arguably being the highlight.

I drove the short distance from home to Steel Park where there is ample roadside parking and a car park for good measure. The large recreational area is home to plenty of amenities including outdoor gyms and barbecues which are synonymous with Sydney. The park is next to the Cooks River Cycleway, a lengthy path that follows Cooks River. I set off along the cycleway (which is shared-use) in the direction of Tempe.

Cooks River

A sculpture of a traditional aboriginal canoe stands alongside Cooks River

The Cooks River Cycleway

The heritage-listed SWOOS crossing Cooks River

The cycleway passes beneath the SWOOS, the South-West Ocean Overflow Sewer, which was constructed in the 1890s and is now a heritage-listed viaduct. Short after heading beneath the bridge, the path reached warren Park where you can opt for a short detour to Richardson's Lookout, a small historic park. 

In 1859, the park became part of wealthy businessman Thomas Holt’s parcel of land, which he called The Warren. The Warren was a Victorian Gothic mansion that was demolished in 1919 when the area became a military camp though the gate pillars from The Warren were saved and now stand in the park.

Climbing away from the river to the lookout

Richardson's Lookout

Trees at Richardson's Lookout

The old pillars at Richardson's Lookout

The Warren - the pillars can be seen to the lower right of the image

After returning back to the cycleway I continued on towards Tempe Bridge which provides means of crossing Cooks River and getting to the banks of Wolli Creek.

Cooks River

Tempe Bridge

Wolli Creek

The path enters Waterworth Park, another large open recreational area, where it skirts the edge of the grassed sports area along the Waterworth Track. This leads to Unwin Street which makes a short, steep climb to an access point for the Wolli Creek Regional Park.

Waterworth Park

Jackson Track

The National Parks Service looks after the Regional Park in much the same way as more illustrious areas like the Blue Mountains. The park was announced in 1998 after sustained community campaigning for the area to be preserved and for the M5 East Freeway to go underground. It's a rare example of bush in the heart of Sydney that is home to mangroves, freshwater wetlands, sandstone Eucalypt woodland and, a colony of flying foxes.

The first section of the park is accessed by the Jackson Track that passes over Wolli Bluff, a prominent sandstone outcrop. The Jackson Track follows Wolli Creek to Jackson Place and then onto the Highcliff Track through Turella Reserve. The western side of the reserve opens up to a large grass open area before reaching the Girrahween Track at the far side.

Wolli Creek

Girrahween Track

An old pond

Rock climbers out and about

The Girahween Track passes through the best section of the Regional Park, including a flying fox camp. The camps are areas where flying foxes like to roost during the daytime and there are hundreds, if not thousands at Wolli Creek. I've borrowed a photo from the internet as I was not carrying my usual camera - visit the excellent blog of David Noble for more bush walking routes and photos.

The Wolli Creek flying foxes (David Noble)

One of the best sections of the Wolli Creek track is between Girrahween Park and Bexley North train station. It's reminiscent of many bush tracks you may find in more remote areas such as the Blue Mountains or Ku-ring-gai Chase.

Wolli Creek Track

Wolli Creek

Wolli Creek Track

Wolli Creek Track

After reaching Bexley Road, I was at the far end of the circuit I had in mind. The Two Valley Trail continues by following the suburban streets northwards to Hughes Park, home to Cup and Saucer Creek. I had thought the creek would be interesting but it is little more and a concrete stormwater channel now, though the open reserve is pleasant enough. Its unusual name came from the sandstone formations of the river bed - now long destroyed.

Illoura Reserve

Illoura Reserve

Cup and Saucer Creek

Cup and Saucer Creek eventually reaches Cooks River, marking the beginning of the return trip back towards Steel Park. The entire length of Cooks River (a modest 23km) is heavily urbanised but is a rare area of open space among one of the most developed areas of Sydney.

Cup and Saucer Creek wetland

Cooks River

The boat harbour

Cup and Saucer Creek joins Cooks River opposite an old sugar works, which went on to form the nucleus of a small village until it closed in 1854. You can cross the river here and visit the 'boat harbour', an old mooring that was built to train sea cadets however, it silted up not long after it was built.

The sugar works - now apartments

The boat harbour

Cooks River

Cooks River

Beaman Park

Cooks River

The final section of the hike took me along the Cooks River Cycleway as it follows the curves of the river through Beaman Park and around the Marrickville Golf Club, ending up back at Steel Park. The Wolli Creek track is surprisingly good and it's unlikely I would have explored it under normal circumstances. While lockdowns are a drag, it's not all bad.