BANKSIA to RAMSGATE - Sep 2026
The ever so pessimistic weatherman got it wrong (again?) on Monday, Sept 7th. The prediction was for cool, clouds and showers – it turned out to be warm (very) and sunny!
Seventeen brave hikers reached the base camp at the Dark Matter Café, directly across from the Banksia station. With sufficient nutrition and fully equipped, they set off from Banksia to Ramsgate, about 9.5kms (with limited comfort stops!).
Crossing Banksia Avenue, we tried to access the very impressive temple, The Holy Church of St Savvas of Kalymnos with its golden minarets, but it was closed on Monday. Apparently, services are held in English, Greek and Ukrainian.
Back on track, we hiked down to the Barton Park sports precinct that borders on the new Riverine Park with more sports fields. This turned out to be Camp 1, the toilets were open! On the way, in the middle of Banksia suburbia are a number of market gardens, some even boasting banana trees. Barton and Riverine are at the end of the east-west runway of Sydney Airport, so effectively this is unusable ground. Both border on the Cook’s River and on one of its tributaries, the Muddy Creek.
The walk passed through Barton Park along Muddy Creek. Finding the Shiralee Tourist Caravan Park in the area was a surprise. Continuing past the Rockdale Rugby Union Club, the brand new, and very impressive walkway veered away from the Muddy Creek towards Rockdale Bicentennial Park, and more sporting facilities. This could have been Camp 2, but the toilets were closed on Monday! Our national flower, the Golden Wattle, were in full bloom everywhere – spring has sprung!
Overpassing West Botany Road on a beautiful walkway with an elegant helix descent, the disastrous sinkhole area that has halted all M6 highway development was clearly visible. What a mess for the region!
Canonical Greek Orthodox parish -Saint Savvas the New of Kalymnos (1862–1947), a renowned ascetic, iconographer, and miracle-worker from the Greek island of Kalymnos
The walk continued through Scarborough North, Scarborough and Cook’s Park before culminating at the summit, Ramsgate RSL Memorial Club, where a thirst-quenching beer was most welcome. After a hearty lunch it was bus and trains to home. All in all, a lovely day.
