In Canberra for a weekend, best day hike?

[Adricat]

As the title says, in ACT for a coupla days, lookng for a good walk. Taking the kids so up to maybe 15kms.

Any suggesitons?

[WarrenH]

In Namadgi National Park, info and maps are at the visitor's centre.

It is standard to say ... firstly, have you checked out Johnny Boy's Walkabout Blog ... http://jevans.pcug.org.au/ There are 580 walks (so far) on the blog.

Or, in the morning do the 3 kilometre, Shanahan's Mountain Walking Track off Boboyan Road. From the car park it is one kilometre to the edge the escarpment, then south along the escarpment for about 700-800m, on a faint track in places, then it is a kilometre back to the car park on a well defined track. It is a simple triangular shaped circuit. The track is relatively faint in places along the escarpment but not hard to stay on or find. A simple walk but with spectacular views.

Then take the short drive to Brayshaw's Hut still on the Boboyan Road. Do the 10 kilometre Settler's Walk in the afternoon. You will see three restored High Country huts. There is good water at each of the huts, in tanks. These two walks are in the Southern ACT.

If you like climbing on tracks, perhaps take the track to the summit of Mount Tennent. This track starts at the visitor's centre and is part of the Australian Alps Walking Track. This is a cool walk when the climbing starts.

Warren.

[MrWalker]

I'm also interested in a day walk near Canberra.

In June I will have one day available. 12-20km would be about right. Views of mountains would be good (not necessarily from mountains). Good tracks preferred rather than rock climbing.
My wife also needs a walk in the same area (or part of the same walk), but has a hip problem and can't do more than 6km and preferably not too much climbing. She likes plants, preferably lots of variety, but I'm guessing the autumn colours and spring flowers won't be that great in June.

So if we can only do one walk what should it be. I've seen the list of 580 walks and was hoping someone could narrow it down a bit.
Shanahan's (described above) could be OK but some other options would be good.

[Tony]

A very nice walk in the mountains is up Stockyard Spur to Mt Gingera from Corin Dam, some steep stuff to start but all on good track and fire trail, the reward is some very nice views in all directions.

Tony

[WarrenH]

So if we can only do one walk what should it be. I've seen the list of 580 walks and was hoping someone could narrow it down a bit.

The ACT and surrounds have been narrowed down to only 580 walks, that is the benefit of JBWB. I've been walking or decades in the ACT and have done maybe half a dozen of the routes on the JBW Blog. The beautiful thing about the ACT is you can go exploring anywhere. The southern ACT is the class act.

One thing if you are heading into the southern ACT, particularly around the southern side of the Scabby Range, the RTA in the Snowy Shire have put blanket warnings on roads, closed roads to non residents or rendered others as 4x4 only, due to the severe damage caused by recent rains. It will pay to keep abreast of the RTA road closures and ring the shires if wandering out of the Southern ACT. Tooma Road will remain closed until the 1st of October. Closed well ahead of the normal winter closing date. It is all happening down south.

Warren.

[WarrenH]

Ginini Falls (200m) are the highest falls in the ACT. With the good water in the creeks at the moment, these falls will be very spectacular. It is about a 10-11 kilometre walk (5.5 each way). Starting from the Mount Franklin carpark, then over the summit of Franklin. The route then follows a spur that runs east, then SE and east again to reach the top of the falls at the height of just over 1000m. It is moderately easy walking in thickly timbered country, provided you can keep to the ridge of the spur. Do not stray off the spur. There are two other falls that you'll see as you make your way down to the top of Ginini Falls. Views of the top of the falls can be had by dropping down the rocky ridge a short way, that's immediately to the north.

Johnny Boy's blog will hopefully have, a relatively recent report. My track notes are from 1978, my term moderately easy may have been updated.

There is another walk that I enjoyed when I first started bushwalking in the ACT. The walk to the cluster of large boulders called Billy Billy Rocks at the headwaters of Paddy's River. The walk to the rocks is only 3 kilometres, but can be a day walk. The walk starts on the Corin Dam Road at Smoker's Gap. I remember standing on top of the boulders and thinking, this spot isn't too bad. Rug-up well, it is cold at the moment.

Warren.