Johnny Boy's Walkabout Blog

Monday 27 October 2025: Banggu Loop in the Mindjagari Track Network at TNR ! – L/E. Signage at the Mountain Creek car park shows the Banggu Loop as the “least difficult loop … it is still a challenging walk!”

Summary

From Garmin Connect (recorded on Epix Gen 2 watch) – Distance: 12.47km | Climb: 770vm | Time: 3:12 moving + 1:19 of stops = 4.31 | Grading: L/E; M(10).

Photographs

View photographs here.

gpx file

Download the gpx file here.

Track Map

Here’s where I went:

Trip Report

Warning: This is an Australian Walking Track Grading System Grade 5 hike.

I was last on this route on 16 Mar 25.

The Banggu Loop can be divided into 9 legs.

Leg 1: Mountain Creek car park to Link Track/Camelback FT junction – 280m

Start at the Mountain Creek track signage.

Sign to Bushwalking Register, clean your footwear and get counted as you start up the link track.

Leg 2: Link Track/Camelback FT junction to Spur 1 junction – 1.6km

Turn north onto the Camelback FT.

The lower parts of the Camelback FT are fringed with Snowy Daisybush.

Keep an eye out for the Tidbinbilla Warning Siren up in the bush on the left, after a few tens of metres.

Around 160m short of the Spur 1 junction you’ll pass the signage and steps where the Banggu Track joins the Camelback FT.

Leg 3: Spur 1 junction to Spur 2 junction – 1.6km

Leg 4: Spur 2 junction to Turn off Camelback FT – 2.3km

You may have company as you continue up the FT.

Leg 5: Turn off Camelback FT to Johns Peak – 1.5km

Do a U-turn onto a broad and benched old service road. The track doesn’t stay like that for long!

You pass some track signage.

And a burnt-out comms tower at the end of the old service road.

Very soon after is the first of a number of track markers.

I saw 17 of them. They’re marked on the track map and in the gpx file. If you check out the photo album, you’ll get a bit of a view of the track at various places.

There are some excellent views down to the west from this leg.

There’s a bit of a scramble up to Johns Peak.

Again, excellent views as the drainage lines plunge down to the Cotter River.

Leg 6: Johns Peak to Tidbinbilla Peak – 1.1km

Johns Peak provides more amazing views.

The next couple of hundred metres of the Banggu Loop/Mindjagari Track are a little rocky.

At some stage, you’ll pass an interesting sign.

After a dog-leg at SH1491, you’ll pass through an open area.

The final approach to Tidbinbilla Peak is through masses of Long-leaf wax flowers.

Leg 7: Tidbinbilla Peak to Decision Time – 260m

Tidbinbilla Peak has a burnt-out wooden trig and spectacular views to The Pimple.

There are also views further south-west to Tidbinbilla Mountain. At 1615m ASL, it is the highest point on the Mindjagari Track.

Leg 8: Decision Time to Join Camelback FT from Banggu Loop – 1.9km

Decision Time is at a T-intersection, with the main Mindjagari Track heading south.

There used to be a couple of cairns here, and a plethora of wretched rock-stacks. Thankfully now all gone.

There are occasional cairns on the Banggu Loop. This leg has quite a number lower down.

Leg 9: Join Camelback FT from Banggu Loop to Mountain Creek carpark – 1.7km.

I did this trip solo (with Garmin inReach comms). I don’t stop much walking by myself. I enjoy the solitude, but the company is lousy. My trip 12.5km and 770vm, which aligns with the signed distance of 12.5km and climb of 790vm.

The AllTrails map is here, where you can pan and zoom.

Party

1 walker – just moi.