I did this walk solo.  Drove to the top of Wollemi Place in Banks.

Walk

Some nice houses at the top of Banks.  A vacant block gave access away from suburbia and up to the open flanks of the hills above.  I was away by 8am, treading the well maintained service road through private property (an electricity company?).

By 8.30am I'd reached the turnoff to the Big Monks feature, having spied a wedge-tailed eagle effortlessly soaring on the way.  This was an excellent diversion, perhaps the highlight of this little urban edge wander, because of the great views.  In fact, a walk to Big Monks would make an ideal evening stroll or walk for NCC friends.  8.40am and 2.25km and 240m up from the start saw me at the single tree and rock pile just SW of Big Monks, which I've named 'Little Monks'.  Uninterrupted views W to NW to Mt Tennent, Booroomba Rocks, Blue Gum Hill and the Tidbinbilla skyline.  Castle Hill was close across the Tharwa Road and Murrumbidgee River.  The houses of the Tuggeranong valley suburbs stretched out to the N.

A few tens of metres across a fine thistle patch was the cameo of Big Monks - rock pile, trig point marker and a couple of fine specimen trees.  Gaiters were required to wade through the thistles to views similar from its little sibling.  In addition, the track ahead, S along the treed W flank of the Rob Roy Range, could be seen.

Away along the track, with large 'roos bounding about the open spaces just below the tree line.  By 9.15am and a further 2.6km from Big Monks, I crossed a gate in a fence line and was into the trees.  Pleasant, though unexciting, walking.  At 9.22am I reached the southern extent of this little wander, the track turning E.  5 minutes later I was looking down to the Cooma Road.

The track swung N and signage announced a walker was back into the Canberra Nature Park, Rob Roy Range.  2 more eagles circling a little closer.

At 9.50am I left the track and headed up to Mt Rob Roy.  Most disappointing, a single metal pole with robust metal supports, marking the rocky 'summit'.  Treed, so no views.  I left at 9.55am.

At 10.15am I reached a junction in the track, the N path going a few kilometres further on to Callaghan Hill.  But having seen sufficient of the area, I stuck left and came off the range, out through another Canberra Nature Park gate onto private property and so back to the Big Monks intersection.

Retraced my steps to the car, arriving back at 10.50am.  A nice little half day wander.  A gentle stroll to Big Monks for the views is definitely worth considering again.

Distance: 11.3km  Climb: 550m.  Time:  8.00am - 10.50am (call it 3 hours), with 10 minutes of stops.