Great North Walk Map Kit DPE

Great North Walk Map Kit — DPE Official Series

Sydney to Newcastle • 250 km • 6 Map Pack • Weather-Resistant Sleeve

🥾 Walk the Spine of New South Wales

Stretching from the Sydney CBD to Newcastle and the Hunter Valley, the Great North Walk is one of Australia’s great long-distance hiking routes — 250 kilometres of ridges, rainforest, rivers, and coastline.

Created in 1988 to mark Australia’s Bicentenary, the walk showcases the diversity of NSW: from the Sydney Harbour foreshore through Berowra Valley and Hawkesbury River, across the Watagan Mountains, past Lake Macquarie, and on to the Newcastle beaches.

This official DPE (NSW Department of Planning and Environment) Map Kit contains six fold-out topographic maps in a weatherproof plastic sleeve, covering the full route plus link tracks to the Pokolbin vineyards and the Sydney–Newcastle rail corridor.

🗺 What’s Inside the Map Kit

Each sheet includes topographic contours, track notes, access roads, campsites, transport links, flora & fauna references, and local history.

Map 1 — Lane Cove Valley Walk

• Sydney → Thornleigh (27 km | 1 day | Easy / Moderate)

• From the Obelisk in Macquarie Place near Sydney Cove, ferry to Hunters Hill, then walk through the Lane Cove Valley bushland to Thornleigh.

• Historic architecture and riverside scenery; joins the Benowie Track.

• Scale 1 : 32 000

Map 2 — Benowie Walking Track

• Thornleigh → Berowra (25 km | 2–3 days | Easy – Hard)

• Follows Berowra Creek through Berowra Valley Regional Park.

• Includes overnight rest areas; link tracks allow one-day options Hornsby ↔ Thornleigh or Berowra ↔ Mt Kuring-gai.

• Scale 1 : 32 000

Map 3 — Hawkesbury Track

• Berowra → Somersby (78 km | 3–4 days | Moderate / Hard)

• Through Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park and along the Hawkesbury River via Jerusalem Bay, Brooklyn, and Brisbane Water National Park.

• Optional ferry or train connections between Patonga, Brooklyn, and Wondabyne.

• Access changes noted near Somersby Falls; latest DPE guidance included.

• Scale 1 : 32 000

Map 4 — Cedar Brush Walk

• Somersby → Flat Rock Lookout (61 km | 3 days | Easy – Hard)

• Scenic farmland of Ourimbah and Yarramalong Valleys, climbing into the Watagan Mountains.

• Features rainforest pockets and tall-timber state forests.

• Scale 1 : 32 000

Map 5 — Watagan Track Walk

• Flat Rock Lookout → Teralba (61 km | 3 days | Easy – Hard)

• Through Cooranbong, Heaton, and Awaba State Forests, crossing the Myall and Sugarloaf Ranges.

• Panoramic views of the Lower Hunter Valley and Central Coast; updated water and facilities notes included.

• Scale 1 : 32 000

Map 6 — Yuelarbah Track Walk

• Teralba → Newcastle (25 km | 1 day | Easy / Moderate)

• Follows Lake Macquarie foreshore through Warners Bay and Charlestown, entering Glenrock State Recreation Area.

• Ends at Queens Wharf, Port Hunter, via Merewether, Dixon Park, and Bar Beach.

• Scale 1 : 32 000

🌿 Features & Highlights

• Full 250 km route — Sydney → Newcastle, including link trails to Pokolbin vineyards.

• Six waterproof-fold maps — clear symbology for elevation, water, and vegetation.

• Campsites & facilities — locations of camping grounds, water stations, and lookouts.

• Public transport links — railway stations, ferry crossings, and road access points.

• Natural diversity — rainforest, sandstone ridges, farmland, and coastline.

• Interpretive content — flora, fauna, geology, and historical context.

🧭 Trail Facts

📜 A Walk Through History

Conceived by Sydney bushwalkers Garry McDougall and Leigh Shearer-Heriot in 1981 and opened for the Bicentenary of 1988, the Great North Walk has become a cultural and recreational landmark. It is maintained and upgraded by the NSW Land and Property Management Authority, and now attracts more than 40,000 walkers annually, from short section hikers to full-route adventurers.

🏕 Who It’s For

• Bushwalkers & backpackers — multi-day or section hikers.

• Educators & outdoor guides — teaching navigation and ecology.

• Nature lovers & photographers — diverse ecosystems and lookouts.

• Wine & food travellers — connecting to the Hunter Valley vineyards.

• Collectors — part of the official NSW Topographic Map Series.

🌄 Experience NSW From Harbour to Highlands

From Sydney’s sandstone escarpments to the surf beaches of Newcastle, the Great North Walk Map Kit is your complete navigation companion — six authoritative maps, one legendary trail.

Plan your route. Pack light. Walk far.