Founders Way walking track

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Founders Way

Bushwalking track notes, photographs, maps and more for Founders Way are found in each of the tabs below

Founders Way

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Time:	1 hr 30 mins Walking time Includes the time for the return leg Please allow extra time to rest and to explore	1.1 km ESE of St Ives
Length:	3 km Walk Length As this is a return style walk, the 3 km includes the return leg of this walk (ie back to the start)	Garigal National Park
Climb:	137 m Total Climbing This walk has a total cumulative climb of 137 m, this is the total of the elevation gains made in each of the walks uphill sections
Style:	Return

This return walk starts at the Founders Way track head, in St Ives, and follows the pipeline through the National Park. The walk heads down into the valley where it comes to the Middle Harbour Creek pipe bridge. There is a short, optional side trip along the Bungaroo Track to the stepping stones crossing the creek. (open in app)

Today's Fire rating
LOW MODERATE (No fire ban)

Bushwalking track notes photographs, maps and camping spots for Founders Way

Map of Walk

Location

Sponsor of Founders Way bushwalking tracknotes

Map of Founders Way
Problem loading PDF Try here
Map Controls - Show Contours | Hide Path | Hide Distances | Hide Names
Map Scale

1 km

Base maps are used under licence and is © Department of lands Panorama Avenue Bathurst 2795 www.lands.nsw.gov.au

Maps that cover the walk area (please always carry maps of the area)

Print a map and track notes here

Hornsby

1:25 000 Map Series

NSW-91304S

Sydney

1:100 000 Map Series

9130

Photo Gallery




	Founders Way +




	Founders Way +




	Intersection near the lower entrance from Hunter St +




	Welcome to Garigal National Park +




	Service trail along pipeline track +




	Continuing through the bush +




	Looking up the hill +




	Continuing through the bush +




	Heading through the bush +




	The pipeline crossing Middle Harbour Crk +




	Following the bushtrack +




	Through the bush beside the creek +




	Crossing over a fallen tree +




	Intersection at the bottom of the Bungaroo Track +




	Middle Harbour Creek crossing +

Terrain

Please note: This is a 'return' style walk and therefore these graphs only show the terrain for the first half of the walk (until the turn around point.)

Cross sectional view of the Founders Way bushwalking track

Cross Section of the Founders Way bushwalking track

Analysis and summary of the altitude variation on the Founders Way bushwalking track

Summary of the gradients over the the lenght of the Founders Way bushwalking track

Overview of this walks Grading - Based on the AS 2156.1 - 2001
These details are new. This new feature still requires more testing and refining. Please use the 'Walker Feedback' for report specific issues. Please e-mail Matt if you have any general comments. Hope you find it helpful.

Under this standard, a walk is graded based on the most difficult section of the walk.

		Length	3km
		Time	1 hr 30 mins
		.
Grade 3/6 Track: Moderate	AS 2156.1	Gradient	Short steep hills (3/6)
		Quality of track	Clear and well formed track or trail (2/6)
		Signs	Directional signs along the way (3/6)
		Experience Required	No experience required (1/6)
		Weather	Weather generally has little impact on safety (1/6)
		Infrastructure	Generally useful facilities (such as fenced cliffs and seats) (1/6)

*This summary of grading information is new and still in testing

Some more detail of this walks Grading
Here is a bit more details explaining the grading looking at sections of the walk.
Gradient
760m of this walk has short steep hills and another 490m has gentle hills with occasional steps. The remaining (240m) is flat with no steps.

Quality of track
This whole walk, 1.5km follows a clear and well formed track or trail.

Signs
Around 1.1km of this walk has directional signs at most intersection, whilst the remaining 390m is clearly signposted.

Experience Required
This whole walk, 1.5km requires no previous bushwalking experience.

Weather
This whole walk, 1.5km is not usually affected by severe weather events (that would unexpectedly impact safety and navigation).

Infrastructure
This whole walk, 1.5km is close to useful facilities (such as fenced cliffs and seats).

Track Notes

Since this is a 'return' style walk once you have had enough of the walk, turn around and retrace your steps back to the start.

Wildwalks
Wildwalks
Online bushwalking Magazine. Download the full magazine for free Bushwalk Australia eMag The Online Magazine is produces by the community at bushwalk.com and the Wildwalks team Bushwalk.com Australia's most active bushwalking forum - Check it out. Happy Reading. Matt :)

Catch the bus to Int of Hunter Ave and Founders Way
Catch the bus to Int of Hunter Ave and Founders Way
You can phone 131500 (the transport info line) for up to date running times. Use these links to plan your Bus (and train) trip to the end of this walk. (Links currently not working sorry) Plan your trip from --> Castle Hill\|Chatswood\|Dural\|Epping\|Gosford\|Hornsby\|Katoomba\|Manly\|Parramatta\|Penrith\|Strathfield\|Sutherland\|Sydney\|

Drive to Int of Hunter Ave and Founders Way
Drive to Int of Hunter Ave and Founders Way
There is free parking available. You can drive or ride to the start of this walk Use these links to plan your trip to the start of this walk. Plan your trip from --> Castle Hill\|Chatswood\|Dural\|Epping\|Gosford\|Hornsby\|Katoomba\|Manly\|Parramatta\|Penrith\|Strathfield\|Sutherland\|Sydney\|

(0 km) Int of Hunter Ave and Founders Way to Int of Pipeline Track and Founders Way Walk: Easy - servicetrail	Length = 66 m	Time = 1 mins
	Climb = 0 m	Descent = -2 m
From the intersection, this walk follows the Founders Way service trail, heading away from the road and past a picnic seat, continuing along to the 'T' intersection with the pipeline track.

(0.07 km) Int of Pipeline Track and Founders Way to Int of Pipeline and Bungaroo Tracks Walk: Easy - servicetrail	Length = 177 m	Time = 3 mins
	Climb = 8 m	Descent = 0 m
Veer left: From the intersection, this walk follows the management trail keeping the pipeline on the right as it heads up the gentle hill and past a Garigal National Park sign. It then continues through the bush for a while before coming to the signposted intersection with the Bungaroo Track.

(0.24 km) Int of Pipeline and Bungaroo Tracks to Int of Pipeline and Middle Harbour Creek tracks Track: Moderate - servicetrail	Length = 1.25 km	Time = 31 mins
	Climb = 3 m	Descent = -124 m
Continue straight: From the intersection, this walk follows the service trail in the opposite direction to the Pipeline Track arrow. The track keeps the pipe line on the right while heading through the bush, until the track comes to the intersection of the upper link track almost directly below the high-tension power lines. (Look for an arrow marked into the concrete pipeline support opposite the bush track.) Continue straight: From the intersection, this walk follows the service trail, keeping the pipeline on the right as the track heads through the bush. The trail comes down a gentle hill to the intersection with the middle link track as it flattens out. (Look for an 'X' marked into the concrete pipeline support opposite the bush track) Continue straight: From the intersection, this walk follows the service trail, keeping the pipeline on the right as it steadily heads down the long hill into the valley, coming to the intersection with the Middle Harbour Creek bush track at the pipe bridge.

Pipeline	Alt = 2 m
Pipeline
This pipeline is unearthed at Hunter Street, St Ives, and travels through Garigal National Park, across Middle Harbour Creek to John Oxley Drive, Sorlie. The pipe carries water under pressure From Ryde to Pymble to the reservoir at Beacon Hill. The old smaller-capacity pipe can still be seen running parallel to the larger pipe. ^[1]

(1.49 km) Int of Pipeline and Middle Harbour Creek tracks to Int of Gov. Phillip and Bungaroo tracks Optional sidetrip: Track: Moderate - bushtrack	Length = 661 m	Time = 12 mins
	Climb = 23 m	Descent = -14 m
Turn left: From the intersection, this walk follows the bush track heading away from the pipeline, keeping the creek on the right as it winds through the thick bush for a while with the ground sloping up to the left. The walk comes to the intersection with the Bungaroo track (this heads up the wooden steps on the left). Continue straight: From the intersection, this walk follows the bush track, with the ground sloping up to the left and keeping the wide creek a short distance (through the bush) to the right. The track continues through the thick bush and around some boulders for a little while before bending to the right and coming to the Middle Harbour Creek, which it crosses at the large sandstone steppingstones (not safe to cross if stepping stones covered in water). The walk then continues up the steps on the other side to the signposted intersection of the 'Governor Phillip Track'.

Bungaroo	Alt = 9 m
Bungaroo
Governor Arthur Phillip (first governor of NSW) described this section of the river as where "the flowing of the tide ceased". Phillip and his party of nine camped here in 1788 whilst looking for land suitable for farming. John White (Surgeon General) described the the area as "the most desert, wild and solitary seclusion that the imagination can form any idea of". Over the past 200 years the river has changed, but somewhere not far upstream of the stepping stone is Bungaroo. More info

Catch the bus from Int of Hunter Ave and Founders Way
Catch the bus from Int of Hunter Ave and Founders Way
You can phone 131500 (the transport info line) for up to date running times. Use these links to plan your Bus (and train) trip from the end of this walk. (Links currently not working sorry) Plan your trip to --> Castle Hill\|Chatswood\|Dural\|Epping\|Gosford\|Hornsby\|Katoomba\|Manly\|Parramatta\|Penrith\|Strathfield\|Sutherland\|Sydney\|

Drive from Int of Hunter Ave and Founders Way
Drive from Int of Hunter Ave and Founders Way
There is free parking available. You can drive or ride from the end of this walk Use these links to plan your trip from the end of this walk. Plan your trip to --> Castle Hill\|Chatswood\|Dural\|Epping\|Gosford\|Hornsby\|Katoomba\|Manly\|Parramatta\|Penrith\|Strathfield\|Sutherland\|Sydney\|

Getting there

Plan your trip to the start of the walk and back from the end of the walk

Public Transport links currently not working, sorry

Public Transport Timetables

	To the start of the walk From Castle Hill Chatswood Dural Epping Gosford Hornsby Katoomba Manly Parramatta Penrith Strathfield Sutherland Sydney	From the end of the walk To Castle Hill Chatswood Dural Epping Gosford Hornsby Katoomba Manly Parramatta Penrith Strathfield Sutherland Sydney
Driving Directions

	To the start of the walk Drive from:	From the end of the walk Drive to:

Near by

Nearest know Outdoor Stores near the start of this walk

Store	Address	Phone	Distance (straight line)
Mountain Equipment	72 Archer St , Chatswood	(02) 9419 6955	5.9 km
Larry Adler Ski & Outdoor	77 Archer St , Chatswood	(02) 9412 4777	5.9 km
Mountain Designs	Shop 16/ 9 Spring St , Chatswood	(02) 9415 4566	6 km
Kangaroo Tent City & BBQs	165-167 Victoria Avenue, Chatswood	(02) 9884 9199	5.8 km
All Camping Supplies	12 Railway Pde, Thornleigh	(02) 9481 0473	9.1 km

A list of the nearest UHF CB repeaters I found to Founders Way.

Channel	Call sign (more info)	Site	Distance and dir from Founders Way Click to re-center search
5	SYD05	Sydney Adventist Hospital 185 Fox Valley Rd WAHROONGA Emergency use only	7 km (to the W)
6	VMB7	CB Repeater Site 16 Alan Rd BEROWRA HEIGHTS	15 km (to the NNW)
7	SYD07	7 Glamorgan St BLACKTOWN	25 km (to the W)
1	SYD01	12/14 Ormonde Parade HURSTVILLE	26 km (to the SSW)
8	MDC08	Gencom Site Lot 6 Wakefield Close KARIONG	36 km (to the NNE)

Weather and Park info

Fire Danger
This walk passes Greater Sydney Region fire area which currently has a LOW MODERATE rating and No fire ban in place.
(Tomorrow the Fire Danger Rating is LOW MODERATE, No fire ban.) (Downloaded 7 years ago)
Please Note: Each park may have its own fire ban, this rating is only valid for today and is based on information from the RFS Please check the RFS Website for more information.

Weather and Climate
Weather and Climate summary detailed weather and climate information here

°C (feels like °)

km/h from the

% humidity (as at )

Wed	29°	Showers. Likely storm developing.
Thu	19°\|25°	Possible shower.
Fri	18°\|30°	Partly cloudy.
Sat	16°\|24°	Possible late shower.

A graph displaying the average daily temperature range for the year

Garigal National Park Link to official closures and fire bans page
Largely following Middle Harbour Creek and stretching from Seaforth in the south to St Ives in the north Garigal National Park is hidden through Sydney's Northern suburbs. Despite how close it is to large urban centres Garigal is quite beautiful with lots of different walking and cycling tracks. For those just wishing to picnic Davidson Reserve is a great spot just next to Middle Harbour Creek, under the Roseville Bridge.
Region: Sydney & Surrounds
Park fees Camping Facilities I am not aware of any closures in this park at the moment.

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not too much longer now :)