Here is a great story on the new Eastern Walkway in MHNP. Photos and words (slightly edited) are by Claire Bettington, Treasurer of FoMH. Great work Claire!

 

On 4 July, the FoMH committee, some Members of Maroubra Beach Precinct Committee, and staff from Randwick Council walked along the proposed formal track in the Eastern Section, guided by Chad Weston from NPWS.

Please note: the Park is not open to the public yet, there are still muddy sections that need stairs and boardwalk, and workmen are on site. No one is permitted in the Eastern Section on shooting days.

I recorded the walk on my GPS, and have superimposed it on Google Earth imagery:

We started at the Long Bay boat ramp car park, and admired the brand new National Park signs:

And posed for a FoMH group photo at the new entrance sign:

We followed the main track (some of you know this as “Mission Impossible Drive”) to Boora Pt.

There will be an alternative route from the car park, which follows the coastal track half way to Boora Pt, then ascends the spur to a lookout area on the bare rocks on top, close to where the windmill plinth was, now gone.

At Boora Pt, there is a bit of new landscaping:

And the Boora Pt Trig Station has been freshly painted:

Some paths have been blocked off where there are dangerous cliffs or other management issues, but marker signs have been installed, clearly showing direction and distance:

At the erosion gully near Magic Pt, some steps have been installed shown here with Chad, our NPWS Ranger.

Same steps, view from the bottom of the erosion gully:

On the path to Magic Pt, rock fishermen on the wave-cut rock platforms:

On the path from Magic Pt, new boardwalk at the Themeda patch, Maroubra Beach in the distance:

Boardwalk over the mud saves the vegetation from trampling:

More boardwalk is being installed, and the Rifle Range is going to have a secure fence around it to stop people entering it when shooting is happening.

We will keep you up to date with the progress of the boardwalks and more.

The Park should be officially open soon, so watch this space!