On this walk you follow the historic Lady Carrington Drive from Willow tree picnic area to Calala before returning the same way. The walk passes two icons on the old road, Gibraltar Rock and Jersey Spring whilst crossing several small brooks. At Calala you will find a large clearing and natural shade from some large trees, there is also access down to a small beach on the side of the shallow Hacking River. Let us begin by acknowledging the Dharawal people, Traditional Custodians of the land on which we travel today, and pay our respects to their Elders past and present.
Before you start any bushwalk ensure you;
• Tell someone you trust where you are going and what to do if you are overdue
• Have adequate equipment, supplies, skills & knowledge for the whole journey
• Consider the impact of weather forecasts, park/track closures & fire dangers
• Can respond to emergencies & call for help at any point
• Are healthy and fit enough for this journey
If not, change plans and stay safe. It is okay to delay and ask people for help.
Car (A park entry fee is required for driving into the park.)
Directions
From Princes Highway, A1
Turn on to Farnell Avenue then drive for 3.4 km
Keep right onto Lady Carrington Drive and drive for another 95 m
Turn slight left onto Lady Carrington Drive and drive for another 225 m
Keep left onto Lady Carrington Drive and drive for another 220 m
Getting started From the intersection, this walk follows the 'Lady Carrington Drive' sign around the locked gate and along the management trail (keeping the picnic area and river to the right). This walk winds along the trail gently uphill for about 400m to step onto the cobblestone section below the overhanging Gibraltar Rocks beside the picnic table.....
Turn map
Directions & comments
Start heading along Lady Carrington Drive.
Toilet (about 80 m back from the start).
Male and female toilet block. Entrance is 67cm wide, hand basins 90cm high, toilet seat 43cm high. Male toilet has a urinal with 20cm step. No handrails. There's a bigger toilet at the back, entrance is 81cm wide, hand basins 76cm high, toilet seat 47cm high.
Find the gate at the start.
After another 10 m find the "Lady Carrington Drive" (on your left).
Opened in 1886 by Lady Carrington, this road was formally named 'Lady Carrington Road' (later changed to 'drive'), and started on the southern side of the then newly constructed Audley weir. The road become popular among people exploring the region. The road follows the Hacking River's east bank and then Bola Creek to Sir Bertram Stevens Drive. Much history has been preserved, with several drinking troughs still filling with water and many sandstone retaining walls still standing. The brooks that the old road crosses have been named using the traditional names of birds, the following is a list with the English name in brackets. Mullion (Eagle), Wurrul (Bee Eater), Burowa (Bustard), Karonga (White Crane), Gorra Worra (Laughing Jackass), Buralga (Native Companion), Kobardo (Parrot), Birumba (Plover), Dirijiri (Wagtail), Murrindum (Quail), Dumbal (Crow), Tamur (Bronze winged Pigeon), Burunda (Swan), Karani (Duck), Palona (Hawk) Brooks.
After another 85 m find the "Willow Tree" (45 m on your right).
Willow Tree is a picnic area in the Royal National Park. It is found on the south side of Audley, between the old Lady Carrington Drive and the Hacking River. The picnic area has a large shelter with 4 picnic tables, an open grassy area, parking, BBQ's, tap water, garbage bins, recycling and toilets. The picnic area stretches along the river bank and provides a lovely spot to stop and enjoy the park .
After another 105 m pass the car park (9 m on your right).
After another 225 m find the "Trip Hazard" (on your left).
An 8cm trip hazard between dirt and cobblestones.
After another 25 m find the "Picnic Table" (on your right).
A timber slat picnic table and bench seats. The table is 79cm high, 91cm deep and 2.1m wide. The seats are 40cm high, 30cm deep and 2.1m wide (no backrest).
Then find the "Gibraltar Rock" (on your left).
Gibraltar Rock, Royal National Park, is a sandstone overhang found near the northern end of Lady Carrington Drive. The old road passes under the rocks and is home to a small section of sandstone cobblestone. At this point, the old road offers great views of the Hacking River and across to Wattle Forest picnic area. These and many other sandstone formations, together with the history, make this old road quite interesting to explore. There is a picnic table under the overhang.
After another 120 m come to the "Trip Hazard".
There are a number of tall stone walls and culverts crossing creeks along Lady Carrington Drive that are unfenced and have unmarked edges. The potential fall is significant enough to cause serious injury or death. Stay well clear of the edges.
After another 2 km find the "Jersey Spring" (on your left).
The Jersey Spring is beside the old Lady Carrington Drive in the Royal National Park. The permanent spring feeds into two sandstone troughs, built in 1892 to provide water for horses and people traveling along the road. The troughs are still fed by the same spring (although it has moved overtime and the water is no longer suitable for drinking). The springs are named after Rt. Hon. Victor George (Earl of Jersey), the 17th governor of NSW.
After another 50 m find the "Jersey Spring Clearing" (9 m on your right).
The Jersey Spring Clearing is an open grassy area between the old Lady Carrington Drive and the Hacking River. The clearing is not formally named but is just south of the Jersey Spring. This is a great area to stop, rest and enjoy the journey along the old road
After another 30 m find the "Picnic Table" (30 m on your right).
A timber slat picnic table and bench seat. The table is 77cm high, 93cm deep and 2.1m wide. The seats are 42cm high, 30cm deep and 2.1m wide (no backrest).
Continue another 2.6 km to find the end. Then turn around here and retrace the main route for 5.2 km to get back to the start.
About 50 m past the end is "Calala".
The signposted 'Calala' clearing lies between the old Lady Carrington Drive and the Hacking River. The large clearing has a picnic table and plenty of shade from the surrounding trees. There is an informal steep track that provides access to a small sandy beach on the Hacking River, making this a lovely spot to rest on a warm day.
About 50 m past the end is "Picnic Table".
A timber slat picnic table and bench seat. The table is 77cm high, 91cm deep and 2.1m wide. The seats are 39cm high, 30cm deep and 2.1m wide (no backrest).
Willow Tree to Calala
Grading
Class 3/6
Moderate track
Length
10.5 km
Time
3 h 30 min to 4 h
Quality of track
Clear and well formed track or trail (2/6)
Gradient
Short steep hills (3/6)
Signage
Directional signs along the way (3/6)
Infrastructure
Generally useful facilities (such as fenced cliffs and seats) (1/6)
Experience Required
No experience required (1/6)
Weather
Weather generally has little impact on safety (1/6)
Some facilities on route
Entity|toilet: There is one -73 m back from the start.
Cloudy. Light winds becoming east to northeasterly 15 to 20 km/h in the afternoon then becoming light in the late evening.
Fire Danger Rating: Moderate
UV Alert: Sun protection 8:30am to 4:50pm, UV Index predicted to reach 11 [Extreme]
Friday 6 December
21°C → 25°C
Partly cloudy. 10% chance of rain
Partly cloudy. The chance of fog in the west in the early morning. Slight chance of a shower. The chance of a thunderstorm in the afternoon and evening. Light winds becoming northeasterly 15 to 25 km/h in the middle of the day then becoming light in the late evening.
Saturday 7 December
22°C → 29°C
Shower or two. 60% chance of rain 0 → 3mm
Partly cloudy. Medium chance of showers, most likely in the afternoon and evening. The chance of a thunderstorm in the afternoon and evening. Light winds becoming northwesterly 15 to 25 km/h during the morning then becoming light during the evening.
Sunday 8 December
22°C → 25°C
Shower or two. 60% chance of rain 0 → 4mm
Cloudy. High chance of showers. Light winds becoming southeasterly 20 to 30 km/h during the morning.
Monday 9 December
19°C → 21°C
Cloudy. 30% chance of rain 0 → 1mm
Cloudy. Medium chance of showers, most likely during the morning. Winds southeasterly 15 to 20 km/h turning northeasterly 15 to 25 km/h during the day.
Tuesday 10 December
19°C → 24°C
Shower or two. 50% chance of rain 0 → 2mm
Cloudy. Medium chance of showers. Light winds becoming east to northeasterly 15 to 20 km/h during the day.
Wednesday 11 December
20°C → 25°C
Shower or two. 60% chance of rain 0 → 10mm
Partly cloudy. Medium chance of showers. Light winds becoming southeasterly 15 to 20 km/h during the day.
Closed areas: Uloola walking track Uloola vehicle trail and walking track in Royal National Park is closed from Wednesday 4 December until Friday 6 December 2024 due to construction works.
Uloola campground bookings will not be affected. Please follow the direction of closure signage and NPWS staff and contractors. Penalties apply for non-compliance. For more information, contact the Royal National Park Visitor Centre on 02 9542 0648.
Closed areas: Werrong Beach track Werrong Beach track in Royal National Park is closed until further notice due to landslides. Signs will be in place around the closed area. Penalties apply for non-compliance. For more information, contact the local NPWS office.
Closed areas: North Era campground closed North Era campground is closed until further notice due to operational activities. For more information please contact the local area office on 02 9542 0648.
Safety alerts: Curra Moors track in poor condition Sections of Curra Moors loop track are in poor condition due to erosion. Please use caution and be aware of unstable edges.
Planning for repairs is in progress. For more information, contact the Royal National Park Visitor Centre on 02 9542 0648.
Closed areas: Garie Road closed due to damage Garie Road is closed until further notice due to damage to the road surface.
This road may remain closed for some time to allow for extensive repairs. A reopening date is not currently known. Penalties apply for non-compliance. Please check Live Traffic NSW for updates before driving to Garie Beach.
Bushwalk
3 h 30 min to 4 h
Royal National Park alerts
Entity|toilet: There is one -73 m back from the start.
Map
Notes
Terrain
Reviews
Conditions
More
Find the gate at the start.
After another 10 m find the "Lady Carrington Drive" (on your left).
After another 85 m find the "Willow Tree" (45 m on your right).
After another 105 m pass the car park (9 m on your right).
After another 225 m find the "Trip Hazard" (on your left).
Then find the "Gibraltar Rock" (on your left).
