The Pearl Beach Patonga Firetrail can be started at either end, but we chose Pearl Beach, which has a carpark at the Crommelin Arboretum. Driving through Pearl Beach is interesting, because all of the streets are named after gemstones. A short walk back down the road from the carpark takes you to the start of the track.
The Pearl Beach Patonga Firetrail
The Pearl Beach Patonga Firetrail is a 4.4km well defined track taking around one hour to complete, one-way. It is well maintained and sign posted, because it it a fire trail. Bike riders also use the trail, so be careful to keep out of their way. The track passes through red gum forest, which provides a great backdrop to the walk.
Pearl Caves
About 300m into the walk, the hillside on the left becomes steeper and you will notice rock overhangs at the base. These become quite large and form sandstone caves under the cliff. We decided not to walk though the bush to go inside as the undergrowth was very dense. Instead, we looked at them from the track.
Pearl Caves
Warrah Lookout
Located a further 1.4km past Pearl Caves is Warrah Lookout, with spectacular views over the Hawkesbury River. If you look carefully, Barrenjoey Lighthouse is visible on the far side.
Warrah Lookout Sign
View over the Hawkesbury River From Warrah Lookout
View over the Hawkesbury River From Warrah Lookout
Hawkesbury River Through Trees at Warrah Lookout
What Did We Think?
This was a great walk, with wonderful views from the lookout surrounded by eucalypt forest. We thought it was a good walk because of the scenery and amazing coastal views.
Located on the western shore of Lake Macquarie, the Wangi Point Circuit Walking Track is a great walk through Australian coastal bushland. This 1.8km loop takes about 45 minutes to walk, but took us longer as we took in the wonderful views over the lake. The track is well formed and easy to walk, unless you decide to take some of the offshoots. These can lead down to the lakeshore, and can be steep and rocky, but provide amazing views of the coast and waterways.
Parking
A small parking area on Reserve Road, provides a small area for a limited number of cars. No facilities are provided, so you will need to be prepared before you arrive here. A large map next to the parking area provides directions to the walks in the area and typical walking times.
Wildlife
During our walk, we saw seagulls and cormorants, but white-faced herons and white-breasted sea eagles also live in the area. Other walkers we passed said they saw a seal on one of the rocky beaches, but it was gone when we arrived.
The Circuit Walking Track
Wangi Point
Wangi Point Looking Over Lake Macquarie
Lake Macquarie State Conservation Area
Lake Macquarie From the Circuit Track
To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.
Only two and a half hours drive south of Sydney, Nowra is a great place to explore the nearby Kangaroo Valley and Shoalhaven District. Public transport by train and bus goes to Nowra, but you will then need to organise personal transport to explore outside of the town.
Where Did We Stay
While in Nowra, we stayed at Springs Shoalhaven, because it was in a quiet location and had an on-site restaurant at the adjoining club. The clean rooms and great views over the golf course we a nice place to relax before going out for dinner. The meals at the club were great and the staff friendly.
Nowra’s Buildings
Wandering through Nowra’s business district, we found several nice old buildings, which were worth stopping to look at.
Roxy TheatreMechanics’ Institute and School of ArtsSaint Andrew’s Presbyterian Church
Nowra Street Art
Walking through the central shopping district of Nowra, you will come across many pieces of excellent street art decorated buildings. Mostly located around the Shoalhaven Regional Gallery, others can be found in side streets, which makes them fun to track down while exploring.
Aboriginal Child – Street Art NowraQuest Street ArtStreet ArtStreet ArtCar on Garage Door Street ArtCar on Garage Door Street ArtStreet ArtStreet ArtCar on Garage Door Street ArtStreet ArtStreet ArtCockatoo Street ArtStreet ArtStreet Art
Ben’s Walk
The walk loops around the Shoalhaven River, through its gorges and forests. The walk begins at the Nowra Showground, where you can enjoy a barbecue, and superb views of the river and mountains from Hanging Rock. The complete track provides a return walk of about 5.5 kilometres taking around two hours. A short return walk from the footbridge to the Showground and Hanging Rock takes around 10 minutes. A suspension bridge provides a fun crossing of the river.
Hanging RockShoalhaven River From Hanging Rock LookoutShoalhaven River From Hanging Rock LookoutStairs to Ben’s WalkSuspension Bridge Across Nowra Creek
Soldiers’ Monument
Opened in 1931, this memorial commemorates all those who served in conflicts that involved Australia. The bronze statue represents an Australian soldier, his helmet and rifle discarded now that has won and returned home, but remains forever vigil.
Nowra Soldiers MemorialNowra Soldiers Memorial
Royal Australian Navy Fleet Air Arm Museum
The museum has an almost complete collection of the aircraft operated by the RAN. This ranges from the early 1950s when HMAS Sydney and Melbourne were acquired to a recently retired Seahawk helicopter. A purpose-built air-conditioned building houses all the displays. Inside a raised mezzanine floor provides an excellent overhead perspective of the displays. This is something that many aviation museums are lacking. There is also plenty of space between each display so that they can be seen easily without the crowding that some museums use.
To read the full story of our visit there, follow the link.
RAN Fairey Firefly AS.5
What Did We Think of Nowra?
A great place to stay with a range of activities to do and things to see. We used it as a base for exploring Kangaroo Valley and further afield to Kiama and the Illawarra.