Somehow, the HVB magic produced a fine and sunny (if cool) day for our Friday walk, after a week of record low temperatures, record snowfalls, rain and strong winds – talk about being blessed! After a brief briefing – with everyone trying to stand in the sunshine for a very cool start to the day’s walk – we were off on the Pile Creek Loop track via Leake Creek and our first waterfall of the day near Boondi Lookout. 
Reaching the intersection with the Piles Creek West track we headed south to an early morning tea taken on an expansive rock outcrop in the sunshine (there being no other morning tea spots on this track – except the track itself). Then it was the Bundilla Lookout with a fine view of the Piles Creek waterfall before heading down, and down under the steep rocky cliffs on the western side of the Piles Creek valley until we reached water level at the Phil Houghton Bridge (part of the Great North Walk). From there it was a relatively level walk to the junction of Piles Creek with Moonee Moonee Creek and then an even shorter walk to the Old Pacific Highway bridge over Moonee Moonee Creek – where lunch was taken.
Leader John, having had a surveying career with the DMR/RTA/RMS was not going to let the walkers escape without a short history of the old Pacific Highway (completed each side of the Hawkesbury River by 1930 – the Hawkesbury River bridge not being completed until 1945) and the steel truss bridge over Moonee Moonee Creek opened in 1930. Don B even climbed the stairs to the bridge roadway level to report the plaque on the bridge itself was worded ‘MRB – 1930’ – another bit of history – the Main Roads Board (MRB) was NSW’s first Road Authority, being replaced by the Department of Main Roads (DMR) in 1934. Lunch and the history lecture over, it was time for the return journey. Unfortunately, the programmed walk was to return via the Eastern Pile Creek track, but NPWS have the track closed for maintenance until mid-July, so it was back the way we had come – climbing, climbing, climbing up those many steps we all skipped down on the outward journey, until we were back at the cars and very keen for an after-walk coffee at the Waterfall Café at Mount Penang Gardens!
Girrakool Reserve – and the Piles Creek track in particular – is remarkable for the beautiful rocks, ferns and rainforest trees, together with small mossy watercourses and waterfalls. At the lowest level of the walk along Piles Creek there are towering Sydney Blue gums and Turpentines. All in all it’s a beautiful bit of central coast bushland best enjoyed on a bushwalk – just like we did today!
Our intrepid leaders
John & Ros walked with Helen A, Nick B, Bronwyn, Don B, Susan C, Rhondda, Michael & Sue, Judy, Lyndy, Dawn, Margaret P, Wendy P, Vreni, Lyn, Cleona, Louis and Don Wo.
First Aid: Lyndy & Ros Tail End: Don B Walk Report by John G
Photography: Don Wo: 1,8. Lyndy: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, , 7. Helen A: 9, 10.