Food at shops on GNW

[xavieo]

Hi all,

I'm planning to buy lunch food when I stop at places like Somersby and was wondering if people who have done the walk before could let me know what kind of food I could expect to find in the small shops?

I would probably be looking at buying flat bread and peanut butter, maybe hard cheese or something like that. I would also probably grab something more perishable that could last for a more interesting lunch the next day. I'm really not sure what to expect to find.

Also, if anyone has done it recently, how many of the tanks north of Yarramalong are actually available?

[Bron]

Most of the stores that you go past on the GNW sell takeaway - think fast food, and usually some light grocery items. Mostly non-perishables and sometimes bread.

They dont cater for bushwalking more for the locals looking to pick up emergency items without driving into Gosford or Wyong.

Why dont you look them up using Google? There are pictures of the stores you may be interested in on the web.

If you are talking about the Walkers Rest campsites, they all have tanks. With the weather we have been having lately there should be plenty of water in the tanks.

Hope this helps.

Bron

[crollsurf]

Things change so maybe best to ring them and find out. Yarramalong had a good eat out/take away and a camping resupply section (dehy foods and alike) but that was 5-6 years ago now.

[ribuck]

We didn't really find any suitable groceries, apart from Aldi at Thornleigh and the Marina shop at Hawkesbury River (which keeps short hours). The other places had good hot food, except for the Heaton Gap servo which had mediocre hot food. But these things change from year to year.

[Walk_fat boy_walk]

Yarramalong servo kitchen was being renovated recently so there was no food (hot or cold). Somersby store is only open mon-fri and closes at 2pm. Cafes, pharmacy and small shop in brooklyn are good. Cafe in cowan is great if you time your lunch stop there and they sell limited supplies. Heaps of options in thornleigh of course, including aldi (as mentioned above), woolies etc

Sent from my SM-G977B using Tapatalk

[DavidB]

Don't assume all water tanks in the Watagans will be accessible as there is a history of vandalism to the tap heads. Generally a problem with tanks at campsites that are vehicle accessible. My advice with the Watagans is to fill up from tanks when you find them and they are in working order.

In relation to food if you can spare the time and effort consider putting in one or two food drops.

[skibug]

When doing longer hikes, one must be flexible and opportunistic at times. If you look at the American through hiking media, there is a lot of "going in to town" for food, accommodation, showers, laundry, buying replacement shoes, collecting mail, accessing wifi etc.

Thornleigh has an Also, but also a small mall with Woolworths, cafes, and bathrooms. There is another cafe directly across from the station on the western side. Further on, just before the Fishponds, you could stash your pack and walk to Hornsby in about 40 minutes - it has most mall stuff, including Kathmandu, Kmart for cheap gas etc. An hour or so past Crossland, you can divert to Berowra - cafes, servos, bakery, motel - or about an hour after Berowra waters divert to Berowra mall ( cafes and Coles). As well as the marina store and cafe, Brooklyn has other take -aways, meals at the pub, B&B's, and the post office doubles as a surprisingly good small grocery store - including a broad range of Indian packet meals. Further on at the Piles Creek crossing, there is a diversion to Kariong (see Open Maps for a GPS trail) - small supermarket, cafes, servo.

Furthermore, at Thornleigh, Berowra and Brooklyn you could jump on a train to Hornsby or Woy Woy, resupply etc then return to continue your hike.

I'm not familiar with the rest of the hike north of Somersby, but imagine the last few days coming into Newcastle you could divert to shops using local busses.

Some will argue that what I'm suggesting is not in the true spirit of Australian bushwalking, others may delight in the added flexibility. I won't judge you either way. ;>}

Skibug.