Dhurrawarri Buranya Walk NSW (5.7 km)
Gouging
Nearest Town
Queanbeyan
Starting Location
London Bridge Woolshed carpark
Finish Location
London Bridge Woolshed carpark
Best Time to Travel
Year round although in Spring the landscape is a bit lusher
Dhurrawarri Buranya Walk Summary
When I first started this walk I had almost written this off as a ‘do only once walk’ but this soon changed when I realised this was a walk of ‘quarters’. The start of this walk takes you to London Bridge and if you are time poor, you can make your back to the car park from here. Apart from London Bridge, the first section of this walk is on management road in an area that was very obviously old farming land with minimum appeal.
The middle half of the walk is on both management road and walking track but takes you through relatively untouched bushland and it just has that great feel. We did this walk in February towards the end of Summer and although this walk is suitable year round, it would be excellent after a bit of rain.
The final quarter of this walk as you come out of the bushland is back on rural management road again. Like the very first section of the walk, this part is nothing special.
This walk requires you to cross steam beds and having been to this area in both Winter and Summer, be prepared to get your feet wet, mainly in the cooler months of the year when most of the rain occurs. When we crossed the only steam crossing, Drawdown Crossing, in Summer it was bone dry.
Wildlife is limited on this trail particularly during the drier months but we did come across wombat holes. We also saw a Rock Wallaby on the middle section of the track but didn’t manage to get a photo as it was moving so quickly through the bushland.
Like many other walks in the Googong area the Dhurrawarri Buranya Walk is not as well known as those in the Namadgi National Park. This walk is close to Canberra and relatively easy to undertake. You will need to cross over London Bridge itself which is about 20 metres wide and there are plenty of warning signs about keeping away from soft edges. Take care of young children when approaching the bridge. Once you cross the bridge, follow the signage down towards the creek and then head towards to the road and follow the signage. Overall the signage isn’t too bad but is lacking in a couple of areas requiring you to pay attention to where you are headed.
I came away from this walk with a better opinion than I had expected. I would be happy to do it again in the cooler months where a bit of fog and frost would add a bit more character.
Trail roster. The starting point for this walk is at the woodshed. The area has gas barbecues, small shelters and toilet facillties. Great for a barbecue lunch at the end of the walk
An example of the interpretive signage at the Woolshed
Toilet facilities at the trail head
Shearers quarters and barbecue facilities at the trail head
Close up of gas barbecue at the trail head. There are two barbecue shelters in this area and both have a couple of tables for the family
Woolshed
Looking back from the trail after starting and finishing the walk
Leaving the trail head paddock
Do’s and don’ts on the trail
Heading down to London Bridge
Cliff warning sign
The London Bridge Arch looking down from the cliff top. Keep away from the edge as it is unstable
The London Bridge Arch. This Arch is one of the most recognisable features in the Canberra region but one that most locals have never seen
There is good signage on most of the trail; but not all
Looking back at the top of London Bridge
Forested road on the middle of the trail
Which way? The correct way is towards the left but it wasn’t obvious at this point. It just needed a small sign to help
At the ‘T’ intersection follow the signs to the left
Washpen Crossing
At this point you are walking along the Queanbeyan River
A one off direction sign on the ground
A single solitary seat on the back end of the trail
Walking along the ridge line through the bush
Follow the signage
The hill on some small switchbacks
At this point you can head back one of two ways, your choice
Wombat hole
Dry crossing. After periods of heavy rain expect wet feet
Crossing Drawdown Crossing
Top the top of the hill. The trail head is just past that
Back to the start
Getting There
How to get There: Leaving from Queanbeyan take the Old Cooma Road before turning left onto Burra Road. Travel approximately 7.8 km and turn left onto the London Bridge Road. Stay on the London Bridge Road until you reach the London Bridge Woolshed Creek car park
WARNING: If you are using Google maps to reach the woolshed enter the destination as ‘London Bridge carpark’. If you enter ‘London Bridge Homestead’ you will end up coming in from the rear end of the homestead which means you are parking in a farmer’s paddock
Turnoff point from the Old Cooma Road onto the Burra Road. From here the turnoff to the London Bridge Road is 7.8 km
Turnoff onto the London Bridge Road
When you reach the end of the bitumen follow the signage to London Bridge
Go through the closed gate (open it first of course), then close the gate and follow the signs
Be conscious of the opening hours particularly if starting early or finishing late
Opening times for this area
Plenty of parking available at the trail head
Things to Know
- While this walk is in NSW it is managed by the ACT Government as is is part of Canberra’s water source
- Opening hours are 8:00am-5:00pm (7:00pm in Summer) but check on the ACT Government website prior to going
- If you are using Google Maps to reach your destination enter the as ‘London Bridge carpark’. If you enter ‘London Bridge Homestead’ you will end up coming in from the rear end of the homestead which means you are parking in a farmer’s paddock
- Keep clear of the edges when crossing London bridge as the edges can be a bit soft. Keep young children close and safe on this walk
- While this area is managed by ACT Parks as part of the Googong Water Catchment Area, the Googong area is actually located in NSW rather than the ACT
- Phone signal on the Telstra network is reasonably good on a lot of this trail although there are some areas where there is no signal
Disclaimer
This walk was undertaken by the team from Australian Hiker