Rumbalara Reserve Statues

On a wet and rainy morning, we decided to go bush walking at Rumbalara Reserve near Gosford to see the statues. The forecast said some light drizzle clearing to a fine day. Well, it rained all the way during our drive there, where on arrival we waited another hour for the rain to ease. So, not to be put off by a bit of a wet track we took off. This was when we discovered that wet weather plus Rumbalara Reserve equals leaches. Lots of leaches. Fortunately, we came prepared and the first attack was repelled by carefully applied salt. This was followed by lots of Bushman Plus Repellent which seemed to keep them off skin, but not boots, so these were monitored and cleaned regularly.

Anyway, despite this minor setback we really enjoyed the area, especially the statues.

Getting There

Located in Gosford on the NSW Central Coast, Rumbalara Reserve is 1.25 hours north of Sydney or 1.5 hours south of Newcastle. On arrival, we stopped at the Yaruga Picnic Area on Dolly Avenue, where toilet facilities and picnic tables are available.

Once the rain cleared, we started our walk by going to the Statue of Edward John Eyre.

Statue of Edward John Eyre

This statue is the hardest of the four to find. Located by itself on the Mouat Trail it is some distance from the other three. This makes it fun to find. Starting at the Yarunga Picnic Area, we walked back down Dolly Avenue and past the large water tank. Not far past the water tank, a sign on the left-hand side gives directions to Mouat Trail and the statue.

The track is surrounded by Australian coastal eucalypt rainforest with a nice fern understory. With the recent rainfall the track was a little muddy but easy to walk. not far down the track we came across the statue of Edward John Eyre hidden in the ferns. One of us jumped and nearly had a coronary because he appeared so suddenly.

Famous as a colonial explorer of Australia, Edward John Eyre was the first European to traverse the Nullarbor Plain, where the current highway bears his name. Other features named after him include the Eyre Peninsula and Lake Eyre.

Flannel Flower Walk

From the statue we retraced out steps to the start of the track and took the Flannel Flower Walk. This was where we noticed the leaches, making a quick stop to remove them and apply repellent.

The trail itself is very nice with the eucalyptus rain forest providing a great atmosphere to walk in. There are several steep drop offs and cliffs but there are fenced and safe if you stay away. As it goes uphill, the trail climbs over rocks so be aware of this, as it’s rough in places.

At the top of the hill, Flannel Flower Walk meets Dolly Avenue and the Start of Iron Bark Loop.

Iron Bark Loop and Three Bronze Statues

Located on Iron Bark Loop, the remaining three statues are very easy to find. Getting here can be by walking along the trails, or drive to a parking spot at the end of Dolly Avenue. On the loop walk and below the carpark the three statues look out over the surrounding landscape.

The statues are:

Sir Charles Kingsford Smith

Sir Charles Edward Kingsford Smith was an early Australian aviator.

In 1928, he made the first transpacific flight from the United States to Australia. He also made the first non-stop crossing of the Australian mainland, the first flights between Australia and New Zealand, and the first eastward Pacific crossing from Australia to the United States; and, also, made a flight from Australia to London, setting a new record of 10.5 days.

Matthew Flinders

Lieutenant (later Captain) Matthew Flinders was a British navigator and cartographer who led the first inshore circumnavigation of mainland Australia, then called New Holland. He is also credited as being the first person to utilise the name Australia to describe the entirety of that continent including Van Diemen’s Land (now Tasmania).

Charles Sturt

Charles Sturt was a British officer and explorer of Australia, and part of the European exploration of Australia. He led several expeditions into the interior of the continent, starting from Sydney and later from Adelaide.