HURLSTONE PARK AND WOLLI CREEK - Apr 26
After a few false starts, the Hurlstone Park to Bardwell Park via Tempe walk finally went ahead on Monday 12th April. Due to a clash of dates with the book club and a higher than usual number of walkers reporting illnesses, we started out with only 8 walkers.
The weather was good and after the obligatory coffee at Kylon Eatery in Hurlstone Park we meandered at a very leisurely pace down to and along the Cooks River on a very flat cycle path. This was a walk that was advertised as having three exit points, however we found a fourth when one of our party's hips decided to call it quits early. Fortunately, we were right next to the bus stop and our walker was on their way home.
The group had now shrunk down to 6, who continued on to Tempe, the next exit point where we had one planned exit.
After another loss, we were on to the second and more challenging part following the Wolli Creek. This is an urban bushwalk and follows a corridor that was earmarked to be the M5 East until it was redirected into a tunnel.
On this section we saw the six heritage listed ‘Jackson Cottages’ which had been preserved. The story behind six stone cottages is the story of William Jackson and his wife Louisa who left their native Yorkshire and emigrated to Australia in 1884, settling in the Wolli Creek Valley in 1890. The Jacksons developed a quarry and market garden and built a unique street of six stone cottages in Undercliffe, now called Jackson Place in the early 1900s.
Grey-headed Flying Fox colony along Wolli Creek
We also encountered a Grey Headed Flying Fox colony on the way. The Turella exit saw another ‘walker’ exit, leaving four of us to travel up and down for the final 2 kms leading to a well-deserved lunch and drink at the Earlwood Bardwell Park RSL.
Overall an interesting walk with a bit of something for all levels of fitness and interest.
