This walk was organised and led by me as a CBC/Parkway walk:
Sunday 27 September - Ramble on Gungahlin Hill, Gungaderra Grasslands and Mulangarri Grasslands Nature Reserves - S/E,X. An afternoon ramble from the Barton Highway up Gungahlin Hill and across the Gungaderra Grasslands Nature Reserve. Cross Gungahlin Drive and wander about the Mulangarri Grasslands Nature Reserve. Bring arvo tea to share. Around 8.3km and 100m climb. No need to book. Map: Hall. Leader: John Evans – jevans@pcug.org.au, (h) 6288 7235. Transport: Please drive yourself, meeting by 1.30pm at the Barton Highway entrance to the Gungahlin Hill Nature Reserve. Further details at http://jevans.pcug.org.au.
6 intrepid walkers met at the designated point and braved the blasting, icy wind and showers.
A combined CBC/Parkway ramble. No need to book.
Gungahlin Hill is Site of Significance in the ACT GH19. The map of the Canberra Nature Park, Gungaderra Nature Reserve is here. The map of the Canberra Nature Park, Mulangarri Grasslands Nature Reserve is here.
I did a little road recce 17 Sep. There is ample off-road parking up off the east side of the Barton Highway. You need to be heading south along the Barton Highway from the roundabout with Gundaroo Drive. A gravel road heads up towards the hill just after the two large orange Crace subdivision signs. We then drove up the GDE between the Gungaderra Grasslands and Mulangarri Grasslands NRs. A bit featureless and surrounded by roads and suburbs, but one has to go there once!
I mis-advertised the transport. Please drive yourself and meet at the above car park at 1.30pm.
Walk
They say 'he who dares, wins'. About all we won today was a warming arvo tea after the walk in Jen's van, with plenty to eat and drink, including Jen's home made muffins. Ruth was the only brave soul from Parkway.
A cool, overcast and showery day with a blasting wind. All the warm gear, including gloves, was necessary. The Gungahlin Hill Nature Reserve was pretty with its Scribbly Gum and Brittle Gum (see pic 1) and Indigofera in flower. But the area is small and the water reservoir and surrounds at the back large, so one wonders if the area is viable. The high fenced reservoir trapped us and the exit from this area into the Gungaderra Grasslands Nature Reserve was via a crawl on our backs under this barrier. Several other fences tested various crossing styles as we made our way over a knoll and down to the NE corner, One party member commented that the grassland nature reserve was not of a high standard (see pic 2). We crossed Gungahlin Drive and entered the Mulangarri Grasslands Nature Reserve (see pic 3). The showers and wind had not abated, so we turned about and headed for home along a path on the Palmerston urban fringe.
Alison spotted a couple of donkey orchids on our return through Gungahlin Hill and a local walking through the car park mentioned that there were lots of other orchids about.
The arvo tea was great. I don't think we ever need to return here, but no doubt they are pleasant enough areas on a fine day.
Thanks for your persistence in the cold and company Alison, Jenny, Paul, Ping and Ruth. The paper the next day said it was the coldest September day since 1969, topping 7.5°C, with showers and wind gusts to 63km/hr.
Distance: 8.3km Climb: 100m. Time: 1.30 - 3.50pm (2hrs 20mins).
Grading: S/E,X; E(6)
KMZ file for Google Earth/Maps: Ramble on Gungahlin Hill, Gungaderra Grasslands and Mulangarri Grasslands Nature Reserves
