Snow covered Tidbinbilla Range from Wanniassa trig

Map: Tuggeranong 1:25000

Walk Description

This walk was organised and led by Roger E as a CBC Tuesday walk:

Tuesday 23 July: Mount Wanniassa to Forster Hill - M/E. More blatant trig bagging for the CBC Centenary event ‘stretch your legs’. Start at Mount Wanniassa then to Tuggeranong Trig (which is nowhere near Tuggeranong Hill) via Fadden Pines, then to TG 26 on Urambi Hills and finally to Forester Hill. Car shuffle required. About 300 metres of climbing. Map: Tuggeranong 1:25,000. Leader Roger E. Transport estimated. $8.00 per car. Limit 8.

7 of us met near the intersection of Long Gully Rd and Erindale/Yamba Drive, after placing 2 cars down the Kambah Pool Rd. 2 more joined us later in the day at Urambi Hills.

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Track overview

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Track Notes

This walk had its ups and downs. Lovely views to the snow covered Tidbinbilla Range, derogatory remarks from Erindale College students (the Trinity Christian School were more polite), a 45-minute morning tea at a coffee shop (that's not a down), gratis Tuggeranong Treasures booklets handed out on Urambi Hills.

Left our cars at 8.35am and wandered up Mt Wanniassa. Didn't take long to warm up - a lovely cool day with plenty of sunshine. Great view from Wanniassa trig to the snowy Tidbinbilla Range. Down the long spur of the SE portion of the Wanniassa Hills Nature Reserve along the E side of Fadden to arrive at the N edge of Fadden Pines. Then generally W-ish along bike paths to the Erindale Drive/Ashley Drive roundabout and acroos it into the food strip of Erindale.

A looong morning tea with good coffee sitting out in a sun trap. Not usual to have a 45 minute break on Tuesday walks, but Roger still had a 20+km walk for us.

Then up through the Erindale Centre and across the College. The students out the front smoking bagged us out.

Next, along McBryde Cres and across Tavener St. A huge Telstra copper cable, 80m long and as thick as your leg, was being chopped up into metre long lengths - our resident engineer thought to recover the copper. Through the streets of Oxley and so to Tuggeranong trig in the centre of the suburb. Nice views over Lake Tuggeranong.

Down to cross Drakeford Drive, over the Soward Way bridge and down to the side of the lake. Lake Tuggeranong College students were in session, so we were spared further bagging. Up the side of the lake and across Athlon Drive, wandering the track on the S side of Tuggeranong Creek and using the wooden bridge to cross it. Up the 140m climb to TG 26 trig on the S knoll of Urambi Hills. Again, great views all round.

Roger had received a phone call, so we went to the N knoll of Urambi Hills to meet Jenny H and Leanne A for lunch. A new seat and cairn on that knoll; the Kurrajong tree starkly dead. Jenny generously gave each person a copy of Tuggeranong Treasures.

Next, down the hill and generally W-ish across the S flanks of Gleneagles Estate and golf course. Signage says the golf course no longer welcomes through foot traffic. Out to Kambah Pool Rd and the long arc down it to reach the edge of the Murrumbidgee River Corridor public land.

N to Forster Hill, with around 100m climb up the conical land form. For the fourth time, nice views.

We waved to Rob H at work over at Youth Haven, then returned to the cars along the line of the 132kV power lines.

Trusting that 45 minute morning teas don't become the norm and that Tuesday walks remain at 20+km or Rough. Thanks Roger, another 4 trigs ticked off and a third CBC member has bagged 40 trigs.

Summary

Distance: 21.6km Climb: 550nm. Time: 8.35am - 2.45pm (6hrs 10 mins), with 1hr 05mins of breaks.

Grading: L/E-M; M(11)

Walk Participants

9 walkers - Roger E (leader), Chris F, Eric G, Nathan H, Stewart J, Ian W, me. We were joined for some of the walk by Leanne A and Jenny H.