Walk: Blue Gums in Hornsby Valley

This walk is remarkable for its scenic beauty and for the vegetation contrasts between tall Sydney Blue Gum forests, dry sandstone woodlands, tall sandstone valley forests and riparian rainforests. The reason behind the variety is the chain of Jurassic-age diatremes within the sandstone which carry basaltic breccias that break down to deep, fertile soils, creating a broad sweep of Blue Gum forested valley. The walk also descends to the deeply incised, meandering sandstone valley of Berowra Creek which hosts the famous Fishponds Waterholes. Look out for there eels, carp, turtles (Emydura not Chelodina), water dragons, plus swamp wallabies in surrounding bushland, not to mention a great variety of bird species including lyrebirds.

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Date: Sunday 17 September
Time: 9:15 for a 9:30 am start 
Meet: end of Rosemead Road, Hornsby Valley, next to the park – plenty of kerbside parking!
Length: 4 km (about 3 h)
Grade: medium, climbs are in stages and only locally steep and rocky
Bring: snacks, drink, hat, salt or repellent in case of leeches
Leader: John Martyn (0425 830 260)

Historic notes: Former home territory of Jimmy Bancks, creator of classic cartoon strip Ginger Meggs. Hornsby Valley volcanic rocks were quarried extensively until late last century and the quarry is now the site of a major landfill and landscaped park project. However we won't be visiting its site.