Gibberagong Track & Cowan Creek 07-10-2024
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Route: North Turramurra, Bobbin Head Road, Murrua Trail, Gibberagong Track, Bobbin Head, Empire Marina, Warimoo Track, Sphinx Track, Sphinx Memorial, Memorial Road
Date: 07/10/2024
From: North Turramurra
Parking: North Turramurra
Start Point: Murra Trail
Finish Point: Sphinx Memorial
Region: Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park
Route length: 13.3 km
Time taken: 04:03
Average speed: 4.0 km/h
Ascent: 359 m
Descent: 362 m
Points of Interest: Cockle Creek, Bobbin Head, Cowan Water, Sphinx Memorial
Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park lies just 25 km north of Sydney's CBD. The park gets its name from the Guringai Aboriginal people who were long thought to be the traditional owners of the area, with the word Chase meaning the area is open, unfenced bush. The national park is the third oldest in Australia (The Royal National Park to the south of Sydney being the oldest, having been initially declared in 1894).
There are many hiking trails through the national park. This one involves a series of tracks along two of the river valleys which flow together at Bobbin Head, a large waterside area with a car park that is popular with boaters, paddlers, and hikers, like me. However, while I intended to start at Bobbin Head, the queue of traffic at the entry gate suggested I'd have to make an alternative plan; starting from North Turramurra instead.
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| The entry to the Murrua Trail |
The small, wealthy suburb of North Turramurra takes its name from an Aboriginal word meaning 'big hill' or 'high place,' which describes the area's location above Cockle Creek and Cowan Water. After a bit of messing around in the retirement village (trying to find a way through), I eventually found my way to the Murrua Side Trail and the subsequent Murrua Trail, that leads downhill towards Cockle Creek.
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| Murrua Side Trail |
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| Murrua Trail |
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| Murrua Trail |
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| Australian water dragon |
The Murrua Track emerges at Gibberagong waterhole, a shady spot on a bend of Cockle Creek where the river is wide and shallow. It joins the Gibberagong Track, a well-maintained track that leads to Bobbin Head, following the course of the beautiful Cockle Creek. Occasionally, the path hugs the very edge of the water but mostly sits slightly elevated above the creek, ducking, and weaving around trees, bush, and sandstone outcrops for a number of kilometres.
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| The Murrua Trail leads directly to the Gibberagong Track |
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| Gibberagong waterhole |
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| Gibberagong waterhole |
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| Cockle Creek |
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| Gibberagong Track |
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| Cockle Creek |
Gibberagong translates as 'place of rocks' due to the abundance of rocks, you'll see these all the way along Cockle Creek. Eventually, the path climbs away from the creek to a site of Aboriginal interest a short distance later. On one side of the path is a curious carving of a person, which appears to be wearing a skirt — perhaps representing a European woman. On the opposite side of the track are a series of axe-grinding grooves and a shallow bowl, used to collect rainwater.
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| Cockle Creek |
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| Cockle Creek |
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| Cockle Creek |
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| Cockle Creek |
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| Cockle Creek |
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| Cockle Creek |
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| Gibberagong Track |
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| Aboriginal carving rock |
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| Aboriginal carvings |
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| Cockle Creek |
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| Cockle Creek |
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| Bobbin Head |
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| Empire Marina |
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| Bobbin Inn |
From Bobbin Head you can pick up the Warimoo Track, behind Empire Marina. The track undulates along the side of the hill close to Cowan Water, crossing several small gullies before passing along a long natural sandstone wall and below a notable sandstone overhang. You are never far from the beautiful waters of the creek.
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| A Goanna on the Warimoo Track — best left in peace |
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| Warimoo Track |
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| Cowan Creek |
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| Warimoo Track |
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| Cowan Creek |
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| Warimoo Track |
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| Cowan Creek |
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| Warimoo Track |
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| Warimoo Track |
In total, the Warimoo Track is around 3.7 km long as it follows Cockle Creek. There are numerous vantage points where you'll get some superb views of the creek before you reach the bottom of the Sphinx Track.
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| Cowan Creek |
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| Cowan Creek |
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| Cowan Creek |
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| Warimoo Track |
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| Warimoo Track |
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| Cowan Creek |
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| Cowan Creek |
The Sphinx Track provides the link between Cowan Water and the Sphinx Memorial, making a short climb out of the valley. The climb isn't too steep and doesn't take long to tackle, emerging at the Sphinx Memorial close to the national park entry gate.
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| On the Sphinx Track |
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| The trunk of a Sydney red gum |
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| Sphinx Track |
The Sphinx Memorial, as its name suggests, is a 1.5 m high replica of the Great Sphinx of Egypt. It was carved out of sandstone in the 1920s by William Shirley, a returned soldier, in memory of fallen comrades. The Sphinx took one and a half years to complete. Shirley died in 1929, leaving an unusual legacy in stone for all who pass through the area.
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| Sphinx Memorial |
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| Sphinx Memorial |
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| Sphinx Memorial |
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| Entry to the Sphinx Memorial |
From the memorial, it was just a short walk along the road back to where I had left the car earlier in the day.
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