Bushwalks

Ben's Walk is a great place to step out and stretch your legs during a visit to Nowra. It loops around the Shoalhaven River, through its gorges, forests, and grassy shores. The walk begins at the Nowra Showground and has superb-elevated views of the river and mountains from Hanging Rock. The complete track provides a leisurely return walk of about 5.5 kilometres taking around two hours.

A short child-friendly return walk from the footbridge to the Showground and Hanging Rock takes around 10 minutes. A suspension bridge provides a fun crossing of the river and gives access to Depot Farm Reserve and its picnic area.

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If you like to feel on top of the world without the effort, you can’t go past Warris Chair lookout. Gaze across the last remaining pocket of rainforest protected by Budderoo National Park from the heathlands on the western edge of Kangaroo Valley. This easy walk-through woodlands of swamp banksia offers fabulous birdwatching. The track is 1km return and will take between 30 minutes to 1 hour. Warris Chair lookout track starts at Nellies Glen picnic area in the Carrington Falls precinct of Budderoo National Park. Access via Cloonty Road, Robertson.

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A classic but always a goodie! Circling Mount Keira is an engaging loop, the ring track is a terrific setting for a casual hike or an energetic run. Expect to encounter a lush parade of forests and terrain, from cool sub-tropical bush to lofty red cedars and rocky outcrops. The track is 5.5km and takes approx. 3 hours The best starting spot is Byarong Park car park. If you are driving up from Wollongong on Mt Keira Road, it is a small car park on the left, just before the Archery Range – if you go past the Girl Guide Camp you missed it, so turn around!

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This old logging route leads to Rainbow Falls and three smaller waterfalls upstream on the Macquarie Rivulet. After walking in the dense shade of the forest, suddenly the landscape opens at Clover Hill – these are the paddocks cleared by farmers over a century ago. High above, the massive cliffs of the escarpment glow yellow and orange in the sunlight. Highlights include a spectacular view of the escarpment, and adventurers may wish to scramble upstream at the end of the track to access Rainbow Falls. The track is 6km return and takes 2-3 hours. Access the track from Clover Hill Road on the left hand side as you travel up Macquarie Pass.

Image credit: Tourism Shellharbour