Boobera Pool / Kingdom Come - Heathcote National Park

[DamnAnotherDragon]

Hi all, this is my first post on here so please be kind

I've been rediscovering a long-term love of the outdoors by doing easy hikes.
These have mainly been done through the Royal National Park, generally in the Coastal Section.

I am planning a little overnighter this weekend, and have been reading (and dreaming) about Boobera Pool / Kingdom Come and Old Todd's hut.
My off-track / bushbashing is limited, and I don't want to be 'that guy'.

It appears that the Boobera Trail from Pipeline isn't overly challenging, and relatively short. However, I know that the trail (what's left) can be overgrown and needs some skills in reading the signs left (cairns).

Is this something that I can do? Worst case, I can turn around and come back. I'll probably go from the Heathcote end but I am open to suggestions. Any help/tips/advice would be most appreciated!

[Warin]

Welcome.

Safety advice? The basics.

Get an 'offline' map of the area on your phone.
Fully charge you phone.
Take your phone with you. (I failed on that some time ago )

Tell someone you trust what your doing and when to raise the alarm. Give them that in writing too so they don't miss anything if they need to retell it.

Take a look at satellite/aerial imagery to see what you maybe getting into.

Have a nice walk.

[crollsurf]

Hi DAD,
Have you seen the davies trip report from 2020? It should give you a good idea of what you're up for.
https://ssdavies.net/2020/06/16/waterfall-bondel-pool-kingfisher-pool-mount-mannell-boobera-pool/

[michael_p]

Hi DAD,

I've been to BP/KC several times including one overnight trip. Lovely spot, feels so remote considering how close the urban world is. My last trip was a few years back so this info is not super current.

On my last trip the BP track was getting good use and was easy to follow (it was easy compared to 20 years ago when I did my first trip there). You can download the gpx track log from the Davies trip report mentioned by Crollsurf or the BP track is on Open Street Maps: https://osm.org/go/uN9iiAIv .

Some hints. The Woronora River can be flooded and impassable, check the river height here: http://www.bom.gov.au/cgi-bin/wrap_fwo. ... nora_River. I treated the river water but one of my companions didn't and had no problems with it. Great spot for a swim if the weather is good (swimwear optional ). Good campsite, with logs for sitting and a fireplace.

Pretty straightforward walk from Heathcote. You have options, I generally start from the intersection of Bella Vista St and Freeman Rd (https://osm.org/go/uN9oETHtc-) to get to the Friendly Track. Follow the Pipeline Rd and when you get near the BP track follow the pipes under the road, cross the bridge over the creek and the BP track is on the right. (FYI: The shortest distance is from Woronora Dam Rd in the south.)

There is no track to Todd's Hut. I would suggest you grab a waypoint for it and put it in your phone (not been there myself but know the rough area it is in).

Hope this helps,
Michael.

[DamnAnotherDragon]

Thank you for all your responses. I reckon I've read every reference to these places out there! All the trip reports, old pdfs from bushwalking clubs, seen a few videos.
There's a good blog that has a few visits here, with some of the comments offering more information.
My only true concern is missing the actual trail itself, but I have seen a video showing clearly where it is.
Always have my phone, and always have a charger, my wife knows exactly where I'm going and when to let someone know I haven't contacted her in good time. The weather is good with some rain possible Sunday morning.
For Todd's hut - I have the coordinates, but that's very much an I might have a wander and look for it.
The main thing is to get out of Sydney for a night, ideally with no one else around me. Little Marley is fun but I've done it a few times now, and want to expand my horizons a little, with some introduction to off-track, or not as clearly marked track walking.

[DamnAnotherDragon]

I did it and survived! What a place. Will do a full trip report later.

[michael_p]

Great to hear you had a good trip. Looking forward to reading about your adventure.