GREAT OUTDOORS • Wyrrabalong
GREAT OUTDOORS
WYRRABALONG Coast Walking Track WORDS AND PHOTOS KIM COLE
‘We found ourselves in a beautiful sandy bay sheltered by high projecting headlands, against whose rocky sides the waves were dashing violently … leaving the sands, we continued along the coast (though cut out from view of the sea by high banks) till gradually ascending we reached the summit of Wyrrabalong, one of the highest among the headlands of this coast, and from which there is an extensive and beautiful view…’ Mrs Felton Mathew, 1834
T
he Darkinjung people aptly named the prominent headland between Bateau Bay and Forresters Beach ‘Wyrrabalong’, meaning 'headland looking over the sea'. It was officially listed as Wyrrabalong by the Assistant Surveyor Felton Mathew in 1831, but was not designated as a national park until 1991, saving the area from the threat of proposed sand mining for all time. Wyrrabalong National Park conserves the last patch of coastal rainforest on the Central Coast. Its 620 hectares stretch from North Wyrrabalong (north of The Entrance), to South Wyrrabalong (south of The Entrance) and four islands within Tuggerah Lake (Pelican Island, Terilbah Island and two unnamed islands known locally as Bird Islands). The Coast Walking Track lies between Forresters Beach and Bateau Bay and boasts as many features as one could wish for on
a walking trail — from its wide variety of native flora and fauna to the breathtaking views from Crackneck Lookout, and the echoing sounds of the waves crashing onto the rock platforms below. Crackneck is said to have been so named for cattle falling over the top of the cliff. (See Once Upon a Time in … Bateau Bay in COAST Spring issue 2019.) The great thing about this trail is that you can choose one of three starting points: Bateau Bay Picnic area, Cromarty Hill or, as we did, Crackneck Lookout which shortens the walk to just over 3 km return, and is clearly sign-posted. The start of the trail is lined with stunning, overhanging Sydney Red Gums or Angophoras that lure you onward with a taste of
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