This walk is named after the heritage magazine buildings at about the halfway point. There is not a great view of the buildings but the walk provides great views of Bantry bay, and visits the secluded flat rock beach. Most of the walk is on bush track and there are plenty of rocky points along the way to sit and soak up the views.
(open in app)
Cross sectional view of the Magazine Track bushwalking track
Analysis and summary of the altitude variation on the Magazine Track 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
3.4km
Time
1 hr 30 mins
.
Grade 3/6
Track: Moderate
AS 2156.1
Gradient
Short steep hills (3/6)
Quality of track
Formed track, with some branches and other obstacles (3/6)
Signs
Directional signs along the way (3/6)
Experience Required
Some bushwalking experience recommended (3/6)
Weather
Weather generally has little impact on safety (1/6)
Infrastructure
Limited facilities, not all cliffs are fenced (3/6)
*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
Around 3.4km of this walk has short steep hills, whilst the remaining 40m has gentle hills with occasional steps.
Quality of track
Around 3.1km of this walk follows a formed track, with some branches and other obstacles, whilst the remaining 330m follows a clear and well formed track or trail.
Signs
Around 2.5km of this walk has directional signs at most intersection, whilst the remaining 960m is clearly signposted.
Experience Required
Around 3.1km of this walk requires some bushwalking experience, whilst the remaining 330m requires no previous bushwalking experience.
Weather
This whole walk, 3.4km is not usually affected by severe weather events (that would unexpectedly impact safety and navigation).
Infrastructure
Around 2km of this walk has limited facilities (such as not all cliffs fenced), whilst the remaining 1.5km is close to useful facilities (such as fenced cliffs and seats).
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 :)
(0 km)
Bend in Cook St
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Int of Bates Creek and Currie Rd tracks Track: Moderate - servicetrail
Length = 288 m
Time = 7 mins
Climb = 1 m
Descent = -25 m
From the bend in Cook St, Forestville, this walk follows the management trail, between the green transformer box and number 75, as it heads down the hill and around the gate (alternatively use the stairs on the other side of the power box). The management trail soon turns left to head behind the village - after a gentle uphill, the track then turns right and heads downhill to a four-way intersection with a large tree in the centre.
(0.29 km)
Int of Bates Creek and Currie Rd tracks
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Bantry Bay View Optional sidetrip: Track: Hard - servicetrail,bushtrack
Length = 1.15 km
Time = 22 mins
Climb = 7 m
Descent = -89 m
Continue straight: From the intersection, this walk follows the service trail heading south east, gently down hill. The track gently winds down the hill passing some interesting rocky outcrops along the way. As the track starts to steepen it passes two service trails on the left (same track looping around), then becomes steeper before coming to an end at a small clearing (with a bush track heading down to the water). Continue straight: From the end of the service trail, this walk follows the bush track down the rocky path for a short distance to the waters edge where there is a great view of Bantry Bay from the rocky shoreline. (Retrace your steps back to the main track, then turn left to continue along this walk.)
Bantry Bay View
Alt = 2 m
Bantry Bay View is a small, informal lookout, found at the end of a track on the northern end of Bantry Bay, in Garigal National Park. The track finishes on the rocky shoreline looking down Bantry Bay. On the right of the bay is the Bantry Bay Explosives Magazine complex, and on the left is the Bantry Bay Picnic Area. You can see along Middle Harbour to Seaforth. There are usually plenty of boats in the otherwise quiet waters.
(0.29 km)
Int of Bates Creek and Currie Rd tracks
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Int of Magazine Track and Tipperary Road service trail Track: Moderate - bushtrack
Length = 731 m
Time = 13 mins
Climb = 5 m
Descent = -35 m
Turn right: From the intersection, this walk follows the bush track, heading through the dense vegetation. After a little while, the track starts to zigzag down the rocky hill and through the bush until it flattens out and crosses Bates Creek. The walk then turns left and continues through the bush, meandering along the flat bush track until coming to the signposted intersection with the Magazine Track.
(1.02 km)
Int of Magazine Track and Tipperary Road service trail
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Back of Magazine Buildings Track: Moderate - bushtrack
Length = 1.15 km
Time = 27 mins
Climb = 45 m
Descent = -79 m
Continue straight: From the intersection, this walk follows the 'Magazine Track' sign along the wide, flat trail which winds around behind some houses (on the right). The track continues along a narrower, rocky bush track which steadily winds down a long hill to the bottom of the valley, where it flattens out just above the water. From here, the walk continues along the bush track, winding up and down along the side of the hill until it follows a track marker up to the magazine buildings' fence line. The track runs parallel to this fence as it heads along to an open, square concrete tank just off to the left of the track, from which the roofs of the magazine buildings and Middle Harbour Creek are both visible.
Bantry Bay Explosives Magazine complex
Alt = 12 m
The Magazine Buildings were the premier storage facility for merchants' explosives between 1915 and 1974. During this time, the carefully constructed building where crucial for the safe storage of explosives used for building public works such as the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and additionally used by the Australian Navy during World War II. There is currently no public access to the site, and the buildings are best viewed from across the water at Bantry Bay Picnic Area, or anywhere on the other side of Bantry Bay. More info
(2.17 km)
Back of Magazine Buildings
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Int of Magazine and Flat Rock Beach Tracks Track: Moderate - bushtrack
Length = 1.05 km
Time = 23 mins
Climb = 44 m
Descent = -53 m
Continue straight: From the open concrete tank, this walk follows the bush track, with the ground sloping up to the right, as it heads down a short rocky hill. The track flattens out and follows the fence line to the end, where it turns left and continues down the rocky hill, along the bush track running parallel to a shorter fence. Soon, the track turns right and leaves the fence line. The walk follows the bush track heading away from the buildings and down the rocky hill, to the waters edge where it continues along the side of the hill, following Middle Harbour Creek for a long while. In time, the track winds around behind a small beach to the intersection of a narrow bush track heading down a short hill on the left.
(3.22 km)
Int of Magazine and Flat Rock Beach Tracks
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Flat Rock Beach Optional sidetrip: Track: Moderate - bushtrack
Length = 29 m
Time = 1 mins
Climb = 0 m
Descent = -6 m
Turn sharp left: From the intersection, this walk follows the narrow bush track heading down the hill to the small beach at the bottom. (Retrace your steps back to the main track, then veer left to continue along this walk.)
Flat Rock Beach
Alt = 2 m
Flat Rock Beach is a small, south-facing beach on Middle Harbour, in Garigal National Park. The sand is deposited on a rock shelf that pokes through in places, forming interesting sculptures. The beach is frequented by walkers and boaters enjoying their day by the water. The beach can be accessed by a bush track from the end of Killarney Drive, Killarney Heights. Historically, the beach was a popular picnic area and serviced by a ferry in the early 1900's. Today, there are no facilities, but some shade is provided by the trees at the back of the beach.
(3.22 km)
Int of Magazine and Flat Rock Beach Tracks
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Int of Flat Rock and Magazine Tracks Track: Moderate - bushtrack
Length = 187 m
Time = 5 mins
Climb = 36 m
Descent = 0 m
Continue straight: From the intersection, this walk follows the bush track with the ground sloping up to the right, heading up the wooden steps. The track flattens out and turns right, following the track marker through the bush and up the rocky hill, using the spread-out sets of wooden steps. The walk comes to an intersection and a signpost for the 'Magazine Track'[1].
(3.4 km)
Int of Flat Rock and Magazine Tracks
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End of Killarney Drive Walk: Easy - servicetrail
Length = 42 m
Time = 1 mins
Climb = 8 m
Descent = 0 m
Continue straight: From the intersection, this walk follows the rocky bush track, climbing up the hill for a little while before the track flattens out and continues along to the end of Killarney Drive.
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.
Garigal National ParkLink 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 feesCampingFacilities I am not aware of any closures in this park at the moment.
Great walk, wonderful views and very pretty and well worth doing.
Joe
IP:155.143.11.xxx | 2015-01-28 10:18:08
Went today on a rainy day, torrential water rushing down across the track perhaps 500m from the end at killarney drive - unsafe to cross and had to turn back.
Generally the track looks like it has not been maintained in quite a while and there are quite a few fallen trees plus views to the water are very restricted.
Hiking near Sydney 
Track: Moderate
1 km
You can phone 131500 (the transport info line) for up to date running times.
There is free parking available.
not too much longer now :)