All walks last for two hours. The walks follow bushland tracks which are sometimes rough, steep and uneven. Some walks require creeks to be crossed on stepping stones. Some walks have no toilet facilities. Numbers are limited so bookings are essential for all walks.
Bookings
Boronia Tours, Ph: (02) 9634 3163, Mob: 0407 456 577, Email: jennifer@boroniatours.com
Where to Meet
The exact meeting place will be advised at the time of booking.
What to Bring
Wear comfortable shoea, a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen. For night time walks wear warm clothes, mosquito repellant and bring a drink and torch. For bird watching walks bring binoculars. Always bring your camera!
Tuesday 22 March 10am - 12 noon
Banskia Walk Fre Caterson Reserve, Castle Hill
There are four Banksias native to Castle Hill and we should see all of them in flower on this easy walk through the bushland at Fred Caterson Reserve. We will explore the sandstone gully vegetation along Cattai Creek and also the angophora woodland on the sandstone slopes above Castle Hill Creek.
Saturday 2 April 7pm - 9pm (features a waterfall)
Night Walk North Rocks
Experience the sights and sounds of the bush after dark. Use all your senses to discover the hidden world which is not so obvious in daylight. As darkness falls the creatures of the daylight retire and are replaced by nocturnal animals. This walk goes down and along the valley of Darling Mills Creek to a loveley waterfall.
Sunday 10 April 8am - 10am
Breakfast with the Birds, Fred Caterson Reserve, Castle Hill
Fred Caterson provides a variety of habitats for birds from the open playing fields to the dense scrub beside Cattai Creek. The old scribbly gums provide tree hollows which are nesting sites for many of our native birds. Cumberland Bird Observers' Club will lead this walk to introduce us to the birds of the Hills District. The walk will be followed by a hearty breakfast.
IMPORTANT NOTE: To assist with catering, bookings for this walk are essential by COB Thursday 7 April.
Sunday 1 May 2pm - 4pm
James Pye's Orchard & Thomas Atkins Vegetable Garden, Speers Road Reserve
Speers Road Reserve is all that remains of the most successful orange orchard in 19th century NSW. James Pye bought the land from William Charles Wentworth, developed his orchard and participated in public life. The stone quarried on his property was used to construct the dam wall for Lake Parramatta. Also living on the property was a tennant, Thomas Atkins, who raised vegetables on the alluvial soil in Darling Mills Creek. The foundations of his house will be visited on this walk.
Saturday 21 May 2pm - 4pm
Explore the Firetrails of Kenthurst
Explore part of the fire trail along Blue Gum Creek Kenthurst with the Kenthurst Rural Fire Service. Learn how to identify local plants and enjoy the walk through the blue gums. Find out the reasons why the fire trails are built where they are, their role in fighting and preventing fire and the policy of control burns.
Saturday 4 June 9am - 12noon
World Environment Day Tour
See how much difference hardworking members of our community have made to two bushland reserves in the Hills Shire. There will be two hour long walks in seperate reserves on this bus tour. Our first visit will be to Sophia Doyle reserve in Baulkham Hills to look at the beautiful valley of the Toongabbie Creek headwaters where lilly pillies and callicoma now flourish in a creek which was once choked with willows and pivet. Then on to Seville Reserve in North Rocks where the local bushcare group was cleared the reserve of lantana and pivet thickets and replanted with indigenous species in a relatively short time.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Bookings for this walk are to be made to Gerard Nolan (02) 9843 0533 or email gnolan@thehills.nsw.gov.au
Sunday 19 June 2pm - 4pm
Stevenson's Creek, Baulkham Hills
Stevenson's Creek is named after the principal of Baulkham Hills Public School who used to take his students down into the hidden valley behind the school to teach them about the local bushland. On this walk we will retrace his steps. One of the highlights is a sandstone overhang where evidence of Aboriginal occupation has been discovered.
Sunday 26 June 2pm - 4pm
Knightsbridge & Cattai Creek
Behind the suburb of Knightsbridge is the beautiful bushland reserve along Cattai Creek. On this walk we will see rapids and cascades in the creek and early spring flowers appearing in the bush. One of the plants which should be flowering will be Styphelia or Five Corners which was a popular bush fruit in the early days of Castle Hill.