SATURDAY BUSHWALK - Seaforth, Bantry Bay, and Manly Dam loop - 12km moderate

This gorgeous loop through Sydney's north shore is a delight of epic vistas across the wild northern waterways, pretty trails through Garigal national park's lush coastal forest, heath and mangrove ecologies, impressive rock formations like the Natural Bridge, picturesque waterfalls, and the magical lake shores of Manly Dam. Afterwards if there is interest, we can car pool to dinner at one of the fab restaurants nearby in Mosman, Cremorne or Neutral Bay.

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THE PLAN

Meeting point:
Gather for a 10am start in the car park of Seaforth Oval (on Wakehurst Parkway, Seaforth). Walk to the far right of the bitumen car park, past the sports facility building and playing fields, and look for us at the metal archway and information board at the start of the Timbergetters Track/Engravings Track.

The walk:
The route is a 12km loop that takes us over and back again across the ridge that separates North Harbour valley and Manly Dam valley.

- We start easy, heading down the ridge along the old logging trail for a kilometre to sea level at Bantry Bay with mangroves and the relics of the old logging machinery and boat docks.

- Then we ascent 100 metres for 1 km long up a rocky trail (nothing dangerous or technical. We'll take it very slow, and help each other over the stone steps, and pause lots to check the views. Best of all this ascent means we have conquered most of the elevation for today's walk, yay!

- At the top we are rewarded with the impressive Bluff Lookout where relax on the rock outcrop for morning break and enjoy sweeping views across north harbour estuary, the wild forested hills of northern Sydney, and the Sydney CBD skyscrapers on the southern horizon.

- We now drop down another rocky trail to reach the remarkable Natural Bridge rock formation .... yep, you won't be the first people to do a selfie in front of this dramatic cavern. We'll stop here for lunch break by the beautiful creek that flows right through the cavern.

- We continue on a gentle ascent through exquisite tall forest and lush fern glens to emerge at Forestville, where we can use the toilets.

- And now we weave through some secret forest trails to cross from North Harbour over the ridge into the catchment of Manly Creek. Here we follow a really easy trail downwards, passing a beautiful waterfall, lush rainforest, casuarina groves, and placid lake shores lined with water lilies, reeds and foraging birds, to come out at Manly Dam.

It is now just an easy, slow ascent for 1km up another bush trail to loop us back to to our start point at Seaforth Oval at about 4.30pm.

After-party:
If there is interest in drinks and dinner afterwards, we can car pool to one of the many excellent restaurants in nearby Mosman, Cremorne or Neutral Bay (with very fast public transport on express buses to the City if you need it after that).

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DIFFICULTY - IS THIS ACTIVITY RIGHT FOR ME?

This walk is graded MODERATE because it is 12km long, it has a couple of short steep ascents and descents, and some trail sections are rough rocky steps (nothing technical or dangerous).

It is not the right choice for an absolute first time bushwalker, but if you feel comfortable on uneven rocky bush trails and have done walks of about 10km length before you will handle it just fine.

We will take the day at a relaxed and social pace with lots of pauses (especially the 100 metre ascent soon after the start).

If you get tired at any point through the day, there are multiple easy exits from the trail with bus connections at

• 5km (after the first ascent to the Bluff and the descent to Natural Bridge, exiting into Killarney Heights),
• 7km (crossing Wakehurst Parkway at Forestville), and
• 9km (exiting at Manly dam before the final ascent to Seaforth Oval).

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TRANSPORT

By car: Seaforth is very easily accessed from

• the City ... via North Sydney, Neutral Bay and Mosman along Military Rd and Spit Rd, cross the Spit Bridge, and turn left at Seaforth shops to follow Frenchs Forest Rd / Clontarf St / Wakehurst Parkway, OR
• from northern Sydney ... head to Warringah Rd in Forestville, and turn south onto Wakehurst Parkway.

There is plenty of free parking at Seaforth Oval, but remember to park in the dirt area with no time restrictions rather than the bitumen car park with a 4 hour limit.

By bus:

• from Wynyard station (Carrington Street, bus stand A, stop ID 200021), take bus 173X (Warringah Mall service) at 9.00am, arriving at Sydney Rd, Balgowlah (bus stop just after Warringah Gold Club and just before Wanganella Street) at 9.21am, then
• cross at the traffic lights to the bus stop (ID 209332) on the opposite side of Sydney Rd, and
• take the route 141 (Austlink via Seaforth and Frenchs Forest service) at 9.30am, arriving at Seaforth Oval on Wakehurst Parkway at 9.37am.

See the trip planner at www.transportnsw.info for other connecting routes and times.

At the end of the day: there are frequent bus departures from Seaforth Oval southwards to the city, and northwards to the beaches, northern suburbs, and Chatswood station for the north shore train line.

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GRATUITY
Please contribute $10 to help offset the group's operating costs.
You can either

• bring cash on the day, or
• make a PayID bank transfer to the organiser's phone number 0411600717 in the morning before you arrive to the event.

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BRING

• Opal card for public transport
• lunch, snacks, 1 litre of water (refills available along the way)
• hat, sunscreen, sunglasses, insect repellent
• sturdy walking shoes
• dress in layers, with a warm jacket and pants for later in the day
• towel to sit on at lunch time

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LIABILITY DISCLAIMER
By your RSVP to this event you agree to the conditions of membership and participation which you can read in the "WHAT WE'RE ABOUT" section HERE.