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Bobbin HeadSubmitted by Rob on Thu, 06/07/2006 - 23:19.
Some Pictures: Distance:
Just 3.5Km one way, add a few side trips to make up to around 15Km overall. Summary: Very easy fire trail along the ridge top with a couple of fast downhill sections if you're up to it, this is perfect for the absolute beginner. Meeting Point:
There's a car park by the Spinx Memorial just inside Ku-ring-gai national park (adjoining North Turramurra), or don't drive through the gates to avoid NP fees. Show on Google Maps: Meeting point. Login or register to get directions. Map or Maps:
KMZ (Google Earth) Link:
Bobbin Head interactive map: Open Direct. View in browser. Details: Bobbin Head itself is at the end of a firetrail of the same name (Bobbin Head Track). From North Turramurra this is a very leisurely ride North. If you're just getting into MTB then this is ideal - it's flat and wide and a nice gravel like surface to ride on. The only thing to worry about here really is the North end where there's a steep descent. In fact, if you don't like the sound of what's about to come maybe turning round here is best. That would be a shame though as the marina and small grassy area by Foleys Bay at the bottom makes a very nice rest stop. Trouble here is that despite what might be marked on the map, the firetrail is not accessible (least when we were last there) all the way down to the bay - there were locked gates right by where the hike-a-bike section splits off on our map. If the gates are still locked then carry your bike down the hike-a-bike for a few hundred metres, being very careful on the rocky path along the way. Once here, the easy option is to ride back along Bobbin Head Road which makes the climb very gradually - or the tough route is back up that hike and hill - phew! A couple of nice side trails are here too which can add some nice views or more speedy firetrail descents: Jacob TrackThis is a short (800m one way) out and back to the East of the main firetrail, parting from that about 600m on from the Sphinx Track. Some nice leafy views towards Terrey Hills/Duffys Forest marred only by power pylons. Spinx TrackThis one's a rather short (around 1400m one way) out and back, again to the East of Bobbin Head track, very close to the Southern end of there. In fact, if parking at the car park you'll probably ride on Spinx to reach the main trail. Heading East on Spinx is always good fun - weather from the car park or the top junction with Bobbin Head - as it's rather steel downhill in that direction. Just remember that what goes down must come back up. Sadly there's no view to speak of at the end of here despite looking that way on the map. Talking of maps here - on the topo one it also looks like one can fork left down the Spinx walking track, skirt along the waters edge, and end up at the Bobbin Head marina that way. Sadly not - the top of that walking track has it clearly marked as a no-cycle zone. We met a local here who also confirmed that route isn't really worth a look in any event as the track is pretty nasty and not really rideable. |
Northern BeachesSydneyDays Away |
Sphinx Walking(cough cough) Trail
We did the sphinx walking trail (oops) down the hundred or so stairs 6.5kms to halvorsens then back up the gibberagong waterholes track 5.5kms and cut to north turramurra (instead of up to grovenor st, wahroonga) A bit too much hike a bike involved and didnt realise sphinx was a no go till walkers told us halfway around. was a good day though. the track from north turramurra down to gibberagong could be worth it for a fastish tech downhill, was very cool down under the trees too on a fairly hot day. nice tight trail in some place which was fun but again a lot of hike a bike and scrambling over gaps made it a bit annoying make sure to fill your water in bobbin hd as the water on gibberagong didnt look too good for drinking!
the mangrove boardwalk and sandstone stair area bit was fun too up and over....kind of like some crazy over size north shore!!! but gibberagong was pretty ordinary, it had its good bits...some fast single track by the creek through a ferny grove and over some small fallen tree trunks was super fun, but overall not ideal as a ride track. the waterholes would be worth a swim in summer, provided some fresh rain had fallen! met some old walkers who warned us of what lay ahead, lots of massive rocks to carry your bikes over and steep slippery drops to the creek about 5-6 metres below.
the north turramurra exit point was not marked...i happened to notice a bit of a worn path heading up and at a point somewhere near where lovers jump creek comes into gibberagong creek(about a hundred metres before the stairs up to wahroonga) then we found arrows scratched into rock most of the way up and blue and white police type tape around trees leading up, plus some search area signs ( i think from a few months ago when an old guy went missing from shady acres) then it led us up to the murrua rd firetrail behind the landings development site (which is just where the park entry is) you can then ride around to where you park your car via kirkpatrick st, du faur st, then bobbin hd rd.
i really think the downhill would be a lot of fun then ride on to bobbin hd park and back up the road. there are a fair few cut off tracks on murrua though so it could be easy to not find it from above, from memory going backwards you enter the firetrail/power maintenance rd at murrua rd, ride till the landings are on your right, then a few hundred metres (maybe 1km) you should get to a left fork leading towards hornsby from the powerlines then the next right off that firetrail (i noticed a lot of bike and running shoe prints too if that helps) a gentle grade for 100 metres then follow the A7, A6 etc signs down or the blue/white tape. some good drops but fairly slippery due to lots of pine needles on the ground. as we climbed it i have no idea what its like downhill, only that i kept noting that nothing we climbed (hike a bike style) looks unrideable. hope this helps some one out, i'll post it as a ride story too!
thanks for reading and enjoi the ride!