Great North Walk

One Way, 270 km, Some sections are steep and rocky, 10-13 Days.

The Great North Walk starts near the beautiful Sydney Opera House in central Sydney and finishes near Anzac Walk lookout with amazing views across the Newcastle beaches. In many places it is quite challenging due to the steep inclines. 

This is a surprisingly stunning walk through astonishingly varied, back country national parks far away from beaches. Some sections are steep and rocky with majestic rock formations, dropping into hidden valleys with lush forest, magic coves, beautiful waterways and secluded waterfalls. The Great North Walk never ceases to amaze. At times the hike is steep and sometimes you need to climb up or down boulders. For the bigger boulders, hand holds are there to assist. It is not scary.

The hike can be done as a thru-hike. However, we found water, campsites and food are a challenge. Creeks along the trail often flow from built up areas so you will need to assess the water quality. Almost all campsites are very basic, flat ground, no nearby water, no toilets and generally no views. Food resupply also needs to be planned as there are few supermarkets and cafes along the trail.

The Great North Walk is well suited to Hiking in Sectors. 

Trains and ferries (shown in FarOut app) can be used for the section from Circular Quay to Brooklyn (Hawkesbury River). 

If you wish to do a series of shorter sectors, the trail north of Patonga requires car shuffles as there is virtually no public transport and taxi services are not close to the trail. Parking locations are shown in the FarOut app. Bayswater Car Hire (Atarmon) provided a good weekly rate although the cars need to be returned to the same location. Rental cars generally cannot be driven on unsealed roads.

If doing day/overnight sectors, staying in Gosford is well located for the mid section of the trail. (Patonga to Yarramalong). Staying in Cessnock is well located for the northwest section of the trail. (Yarramalong to Teralba). Trains can be used for the Teralba to Newcastle Section.

Despite its logistical challenges, this is a fabulous trail! Well thought out and full of amazing scenery not to be missed!

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