View to the W from S of Mt Stranger

Map: Tuggeranong 1:25000

Walk Description

This walk was organised and led by me as a CBC short-notice walk:

Sunday arvo 5 May: Blatant Urban Trig Bagging - TG84 (Tuggeranong Hill) and Stranger - M/E-M,ptX. It was recently said that no one would top 40 ACT trigs in our 'Stretch Your Legs' events, so blatant urban trig bagging is required! Track to Tuggeranong Hill, then descend off-track through open going to a Tharwa Drive underpass. Down a track along a drainage line through Gordon, under Woodcock Drive, then along the West side of Mt Stranger and up to the top. Return via a slightly different route, mainly on tracks. Around 11km and 350m climb. Map: Tuggeranong. Leader: John Evans - john@johnevans.id.au, 0417 436 877 for any enquiries, but no need to book. Transport: Please drive yourself to meet at the Callister Crescent Theodore entrance to the Tuggeranong Hill Nature Reserve (GR 55HFA 92187408 (MGA94) on the Tuggeranong 8727-3S 1:25000 map) by 1.30pm.

12 of us met at the Callister Cres Theodore entrance to the Tuggeranong Hill Nature Reserve.

Photographs

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Track Map

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Track overview

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Track Notes

I cannot tell a lie - I think I broke the speed limit as I drove down the valley after a long (but great) church service at Eternity this morning. Had no idea how many would turn up. 12 starters, so trig bagging is gathering momentum as part of the Canberra Bushwalking Club's 'Stretch Your Legs' centenary events. This walk was a bit of a stroll in the urban green spaces, wandering down nicely concreted urban drainage lines and under busy roads, but I'd never been off Tuggers Hill this way, nor been to Stranger. Any walk is a good walk, especially if it's new territory.

Up the vehicle track to Tuggeranong Hill and TG 84 trig. Then NW on footpad down the crest of the spur. Nice views down to my future home in Amala Retirement Village opposite Lanyon Shops. The pads trended N, so we turned left and came down through the 700m contour to the back of the houses in the N finger of Conder. A snake on the path - the laughing, trampolining heads bobbing up over a fence quickly made us realise it was a rubber one put there for their benefit at our expense. Through the Tharwa Drive underpass.

A quite delightful urban, concreted drainage line took us through the top section of Gordon. A nice strip of open space and some lovely little, well maintained homes. Down to the pond on the E of the bulge in Woodcock Drive, then through the underpass.

As one of the party commented, a bit Alice in Wonderland like - at one end of the underpass manicured suburbia and at the other open paddocks to the Murrumbidgee River and nice views to the hills beyond.

N-ish up the Bicentennial Trail for a while, then through a handy gate and up onto the flanks of Mt Stranger. A couple of fences (one we had to wombat under) and we were at Stranger trig. Peter certainly and literally bagged it. A brief arvo tea (well, it was my lunch).

We came off around the reservoir and down the SE spur of Mt Stranger to another Woodcock Drive underpass. Across the back of the houses.

This time we turned right and followed the sometimes tarred, sometimes concreted, sometimes gravel path round the NE edge of Conder. Too much talking and too much dawdling from me and we ended up in the bush. We retreated back to the main track.

Eventually came around and through the saddle at the electricity substation and so to the cars.

A reasonable little ditty.

Summary

Distance: 11.7km Climb: 370m. Time: 1.30 - 4.40pm (3hrs 10 mins), with 10mins of breaks.

Grading: M/E-M,ptX; M(9)

Walk Participants

12 walkers - Peter C and Linda G, Roger E, Gavin F, Maggie K, Greg L, Alex R and Ana F, Phillip S, Tim W, Edwina Y, me.