bush walks Archives - Adventure, baby!

Exploring the America Bay Track Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park

America Bay track in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park is a short, moderate walk with waterfalls, Aboriginal engravings and a stunning picnic spot at the end of the track.

The track is 1km return, starting from West Head Road off McCarrs Creek Road. Look for the large sign on the side of the road. There is parking on the roadside available.

There are no bathrooms nearby, so make sure you go before you start the trail.

While the walk is quite short, it’s a winding walk with plenty to look at along the way, over uneven surfaces. There are plenty of rocks to climb and little water cascades to explore. Right near the entrance there is a a detour to see the Aboriginal rock engravings. The detour is not sign posted so we actually missed it, even though we were looking for it.

Walking quite slowly, the trail took us 45 minutes to reach the rock platform overlooking America Bay, which is located near the mouth of the Hawksburry River. It used to extend further, however the next park is closed due to hazards.

There is a little waterfall at the rock platform and plenty of shady wide rocks to sit on. We brought a picnic blanket and lunch to enjoy at the lookout.

Be sure to bring good walking shoes, a hat and sunscreen when doing this walk.

The walking track is one of many on offer in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, so you could very easily do this short walk in conjunction with others.

Entry to the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park is $12, so I would definitely advise making a day of it.

Along the walking trail you’ll encounter woodlands of scribbly gum and bloodwood, and a little creek with crystal clear water. In August and September the wildflowers bloom bright yellow and pink throughout the bush.

Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park is open sunrise to sunset.

nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/things-to-do/walking-tracks/america-bay-walking-track

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The Blue Mountains are full of insanely beautiful waterfalls, many of which are well known and full of tourists, like the Katoomba and Wentworth Falls. We like to get off the beaten path a bit and avoid selfie sticks, so took a stroll one fine summer’s day out to the adorably named Minni Ha Ha Falls in North Katoomba (and yes, I wanted to visit them just so I could say over and over again “Minni Ha Ha”!).

The Minni Ha Ha Falls (also known as Minniehaha Falls and Minnihaha Falls) are just past the main Katoomba city centre turn off, on the opposite side of the road. From the Great Western Highway turn onto Civic Plaza, then turn left to the Station Street and follow Victoria Street until South Street, where you need to turn right. Turn left onto Minni Ha Ha Road and drive until you reach the small car park at the end of the road. This is Minni Ha Ha Reserve – a large park with a small playground and a few picnic tables.

The 1.3km trail to the Minni Ha Ha Falls begins in the reserve. There is only one trail to follow until right before the falls come into view, so it’s very easy to find, although the path is very steep in the second part, very rocky, and, if it’s been raining, like it had been just before we visited, very slippery and filled with muddy puddles. Right before the waterfall are several sections with steep stairs and handrails. Cheese was a bit scared to do down them but, with a bit of encouragement, she descended them successfully.

Don’t be put off by this description. While the walk was hard with a preschooler, it was absolutely do-able and Cheese had an amazing time. We helped her over the hardest bits, or where the path was flooded, but she otherwise walked the entire route there and back again on her own.

The trail leads right to the base of the falls, which are a pretty impressive 20-metres tall. If you’re brave enough (and don’t feel the cold!) you can swim in the pool at the bottom, right underneath the waterfall.