Bobbin Head
Sphinx and Warrimoo Tracks
10km | 3.5 hours | Hard
The Sydney lockdown limits change at midnight tonight from a 10km radius from home to a 5km radius. It is a beautiful sunny winters day and I am after one more decent walk before the circle tightens. This is the first time I have done a bushwalk of this length by myself and am curious to see how it compares to walking with a companion.
Sphinx Track
The Bobbin Head Loop starts from the Sphinx War Memorial near the North Turramurra entrance to Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. There is a car park at the memorial but technically it is in the NP and you would probably have to pay for parking. Or you could park just outside the park gates, it is only a few meters further. The loop incorporates the Sphinx Track, a large portion of Warrimoo Track and Bobbin Head Trail.
The memorial was created by Private Shirley whilst a patient of the Lady Davidson Convalescent Hospital, being treated after serving in WW1. It took one and a half years to carve before he died in 1929, leaving this memorial to fallen A.I.F. comrades.
Starting from the Sphinx, the head of the track is easy to find, and the turn off downhill is clearly sign posted. The track starts steeply down timber steps before flattening out and continuing gently down the hill. As you get closer to the bottom the track zigzags steeply down a series of timber and stone steps until it meets the Warrimoo track and flattens out.
Warrimoo Track
Following the ‘Bobbin Head’ sign to the left, the track meaders along Cowan Creek through
a flat ferny section crossing small gullies and passing several natural sandstone overhangs. After passing a grassy salt marsh mangrove the track bends left and crosses a creek at a wide rocky gully. The track continues to undulate gently along the foreshore through casuarinas until you came to a tall overhang on a rock platform right on the edge of Cowan Creek, this part of the track may become covered with water at high tide.
The mostly flat track leads through a tall wooded forest filled with ferns and crosses a few middens. There are more mangroves, a short flat timber bridge, mossy, densely forested gullies, large smooth bark angophora’s, all topped off with even more water views.
Exactly half way through the loop you come to a three-way intersection marked with a ‘Warrimoo Ave & Sphinx Memorial’ sign pointing back along the track. This turn off to ‘Bobbin Head Trail’ is only 150m short of Empire Marina and today is quite warm, this seems like a perfect time for a break. A cold drink was calling my name…
The café at the marina is still serving takeaway during Sydneys lockdown, although the toilets are closed which was unfortunate. Sitting in the sun near the marina, drinking a mango iced tea, was just what I needed before tackling that hill.
The Warrimoo Track section of this walk is definitely the prettiest and if are after a less challenging walk then starting from the marina and just doing this track would be ideal. There are lots of great spots to stop and rest and soak in the views.
From the marina head back to the signposted intersection and brace yourself for the climb.
Bobbin Head Trail
The climb up to Bobbin Head trail is steep and is mostly stairs cut into the rock. The hard work is compensated for by the great views back over the marina. At the top of the rock climb the track meets a fire trail which zigzags up the hill, passing under the powerlines several times. This management trail was part of the original road down to Bobbin Head.
The rest of the walk is fire trail and although it is not as pretty as the Warrimoo track, there are many wildflowers blooming, and I am surrounded by the sounds of bees and birdsong. There are intermittent views over Cowan Creek and wallabies are often spotted along here, but I fear the track is too busy today for any sightings.
The fire trail finishes near the entrance of the National Park and it is a short stroll down the road to the carpark at the Sphinx.
