4 August 2007 A guided tour to Calvary - at last Photos
Maps: Tuggeranong 8727-3S 1:25000, Tidbinbilla 8627-2S 1:25000
Getting There

This walk was organised by me but certainly guided by Paul N as a private walk. Leave Duffy at 9am and be back in a few hours.

Further Information

Third time will be lucky! I've not found the Calvary site on two previous attempts on 30 June 2007 and 14 July 2007. So Paul N (whose FBI walk I originally saw) is going to show me.

Walk

Over the first gate (a step ladder for a large group would be an advantage, as it is not a gate constructed for easy crossing), through the next gate (which can be opened), then through the third gate (more easily climbed, as it is made with widely separated robust rods) at the start of the Miowera Pine Forest area. From here we followed the fence line which separates the pines from the Bullen Range Nature Reserve. We reached the NW corner of the pines area at 10.30am.

We then swung E up what Paul remembered as a cart track, but has since been graded - maybe a 2003 firebreak. After around 400m a fence heading ENE indicated where we should turn off and follow it, a further 250m to the Calvary site. It is fairly difficult to see in amongst the wattle regrowth (see pic 1). GR82237722 (MGA94) on Tuggeranong 1:25000, a little different to where we'd been previously searching. Paul had kindly brought me photocopied material from the ACT Register of Significant Sites (available through public libraries). We poked about and had morning tea.

We returned to the track and turned to the SE, following the fence line first up the cleared unnamed hill and then onto Barnes Hill, continuing to enjoy the magnificent view to the Tidbinbilla skyline to the W and glimpses of Tuggeranong suburbs to the E - quite a contrast. An eagle soared at one point. From Barnes Hill the fence curved down to the third gate, then we wandered the track back to the car.

An interesting site, an additional tick on the list and a recce of a little wander for church friends. Most grateful to Paul for his guidance, paperwork on the site - and stories of other interesting sites to visit!

Distance: 9.4km  Climb: 200m.  Time: 9.30am - 12.15pm (2.75hrs), with 25mins of stops.
Grading: S/E; E(6)

KMZ file for Google Earth/Maps: Calvary

Click on a thumbnail below to see the full sized picture
1 Calvary

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