Great North Walk: Ourimbah Valley Trackhead to Greta Road

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Safer Bushwalks Tips on staying safe on track
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.

Getting There Transport options and directions

Start	(-33.3175746,151.301194)
Mode	Car (There is free parking available.)
Directions	From Pacific Motorway, M1 Turn on to Pacific Highway Offramp then drive for 360 m At roundabout, take exit 3 onto Pacific Highway and drive for another 245 m At roundabout, take exit 2 onto Pacific Highway and drive for another 500 m Turn right onto Ourimbah Creek Road and drive for another 9.4 km
Finish	(-33.2395466,151.2484143)
Mode (end)	Car Shuttle Car (There is free parking available.)

Track Notes Turn by turn instructions & maps

Getting started
From the 'Ourimbah Valley Trackhead' (on Ourimbah Creek Rd), this walk follows the 'Newcastle' sign downhill along the dirt road. The road soon leads down and across a flat timber vehicle bridge then the road mostly flattens out, winding among the rural properties for almost 300m to pass a 'Palm Grove Nature Reserve' sign and a few 'Hidden Valley' signs. The walk continues along the road for about 700m then comes to the intersection in front of the Hidden Valley property (on your left, not far before another road bridge). This walk continues straight, gently downhill along the wide dirt road to almost immediately pass 'Wombats End' (private road) then cross the flat timber road bridge. After about 400m, the road leads under some high tension power lines then after another 150m of winding past the rural properties, this walk passes a timber 'Hidden Valley' private property shelter and water tank (on your right). A further 100m along the road past this shelter, the walk veers left (ignoring 'Platypus Creek La') to come to a locked gate with a 'Road Closed' sign.....

Turn map	Directions & comments
	Start heading along Ourimbah Creek Road.
	After another 120 m continue straight, to head along Ourimbah Creek Road. After another 65 m pass the "Great North Walk" (on your left). After another 560 m continue straight, to head along Ourimbah Creek Road.
	After another 180 m continue straight, to head along Ourimbah Creek Road. After another 270 m continue straight, to head along Ourimbah Creek Road.
	After another 560 m continue straight, to head along Ourimbah Creek Road. After another 135 m continue straight, to head along Ourimbah Creek Road.
	After another 50 m (at the intersection of Platypus Creek Lane & Ourimbah Creek Road) continue straight, to head along Ourimbah Creek Road (a vehicle track). After another 90 m head through/around the gate. After another 750 m cross the ford.
	After another 1.1 km (at the intersection of Ourimbah Creek Road & Cedar Brush Walk) turn left, to head along Cedar Brush Walk (a walking track). After another 1.9 km find the "Tooheys Road campsite" (8 m on your left). Tooheys Road campsite This is a small camping area on the side of Tooheys Road, with room for a small number of tents but providing no facilities. After another 630 m find the "Stringy Bark Point" (on your left). Stringy Bark Point This campsite is in a small clearing at Stringy Bark Point, just on the southern side of the bridge. This campsite provides room for a small campfire and a few tents. Water is usually available from the creek running by the campsite, please treat before drinking. Then cross the ford.
	After another 1.3 km (at the intersection of Tooheys Road & Cedar Brush Walk) veer left, to head along Tooheys Road (a vehicle track).
	The starting point of an optional sidetrip. An optional side trip to Archers Campsite. To start this optional side trip turn right here. On returning from this side trip veer right when you get back to this intersection. Details below. After another 2.3 km turn left. After another 185 m find the "Campsite" (20 m on your right). Campsite A basic clearing for an overnight stay, providing room for a fire and small number of tents. There is no water at this campsite so you will need to carry sufficient.
	After another 1.6 km continue straight.
	After another 200 m turn left. After another 75 m continue straight.
	After another 660 m continue straight.
	After another 610 m turn right, to head along Cherry Lane.
	After another 1.4 km (at the intersection of Greta Road & Cherry Lane) turn right, to head along Greta Road (a highway\|tertiary).
	After another 100 m continue straight, to head along Greta Road.
	After another 310 m turn left.
	After another 95 m come to the end.

An optional side trip to Archers Campsite.

Turn map	Directions & comments
	Start heading along Tooheys Road.
	After another 180 m come to the end. About 20 m past the end is "Archers Campsite". Archers Campsite This informally named campsite is found in Jilliby State Conservation Area, and is used regularly by members of the Tuggerah Lake Field Archers club. This is a basic campsite with a water tank and shed used for hanging shower water bags. The large open camping area has a few existing fire scars and a few flat grassy areas. (There are other facilities 150m further north along the dirt trail at the club house.) Turn around and retrace your steps back the 180 m to the main route.

Turn map

Directions & comments

Start heading along Tooheys Road.

After another 180 m come to the end.

About 20 m past the end is "Archers Campsite".

Archers Campsite

This informally named campsite is found in Jilliby State Conservation Area, and is used regularly by members of the Tuggerah Lake Field Archers club. This is a basic campsite with a water tank and shed used for hanging shower water bags. The large open camping area has a few existing fire scars and a few flat grassy areas. (There are other facilities 150m further north along the dirt trail at the club house.)

Turn around and retrace your steps back the 180 m to the main route.

Terrain Know the Hills, grading & facilities

Great North Walk: Ourimbah Valley Trackhead to Greta Road

Grading

	Class 4/6 Hard track
Length	14.9 km
Time	5 h to 6 h

Quality of track	Rough track, where fallen trees and other obstacles are likely (4/6)
Gradient	Very steep (4/6)
Signage	Minimal directional signs (4/6)
Infrastructure	Limited facilities (such as cliffs not fenced, significant creeks not bridged) (4/6)
Experience Required	Moderate level of bushwalking experience recommended (4/6)
Weather	Foretasted & unexpected storms and severe weather may impact on navigation and safety (4/6)

Some facilities on route

Campsite: There are 4 on route, on average they are 3.2 km apart with the largest gap of 5.8 km.

Order of key facilities on route

Item	From Start	Name & link to notes
Campsite	5.8 km	Tooheys Road campsite
Campsite	6.4 km	Stringy Bark Point
Campsite	9.7 km + 570 m	Archers Campsite
Campsite	9.9 km	Campsite

Articles Discover more details to thrive on track

Stringy Bark Point
This campsite is in a small clearing at Stringy Bark Point, just on the southern side of the bridge. This campsite provides room for a small campfire and a few tents. Water is usually available from the creek running by the campsite, please treat before drinking.

Archers Campsite
This informally named campsite is found in Jilliby State Conservation Area, and is used regularly by members of the Tuggerah Lake Field Archers club. This is a basic campsite with a water tank and shed used for hanging shower water bags. The large open camping area has a few existing fire scars and a few flat grassy areas. (There are other facilities 150m further north along the dirt trail at the club house.)

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Weather & Alerts Check forecasts & closures
Weather Forecast
- Wyong Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
  
  Saturday 21 December
  
  Partly cloudy.
  
  Partly cloudy. The chance of a thunderstorm. Winds east to southeasterly 15 to 20 km/h tending south to southeasterly in the late evening.
  
  Sunday 22 December
  
  19°C → 27°C
  Possible shower.
  40% chance of rain
  0 → 1mm
  
  Partly cloudy. Slight chance of a shower. The chance of a thunderstorm in the morning and afternoon. Winds south to southeasterly 15 to 20 km/h tending northeast to southeasterly in the morning then becoming light in the late evening. Overnight temperatures falling to between 15 and 19 with daytime temperatures reaching 29 to 37.
  
  UV Alert: Sun protection 8:40am to 5:10pm, UV Index predicted to reach 12 [Extreme]
  
  Monday 23 December
  
  18°C → 29°C
  Mostly sunny.
  30% chance of rain
  0 → 1mm
  
  Mostly sunny. Slight chance of a shower near the coast, near zero chance elsewhere. The chance of a thunderstorm in the morning and afternoon. Winds west to northwesterly 25 to 35 km/h tending west to southwesterly 25 to 40 km/h in the middle of the day then tending southeast to southwesterly 15 to 20 km/h in the late evening. Overnight temperatures falling to between 16 and 19 with daytime temperatures reaching 28 to 34.
  
  Tuesday 24 December
  
  14°C → 24°C
  Sunny.
  10% chance of rain
  
  Sunny. Light winds becoming south to southeasterly 15 to 25 km/h during the day then tending east to southeasterly during the evening. Overnight temperatures falling to between 10 and 14 with daytime temperatures reaching 25 to 30.
  
  Wednesday 25 December
  
  15°C → 27°C
  Sunny.
  5% chance of rain
  
  Sunny. Light winds becoming east to southeasterly 15 to 20 km/h during the afternoon then becoming light during the evening. Overnight temperatures falling to between 9 and 14 with daytime temperatures reaching 27 to 33.
  
  Thursday 26 December
  
  15°C → 28°C
  Sunny.
  5% chance of rain
  
  Sunny.
  
  Friday 27 December
  
  18°C → 37°C
  Mostly sunny.
  30% chance of rain
  0 → 1mm
  
  Mostly sunny.
  
  Saturday 28 December
  
  23°C → 31°C
  Possible shower.
  40% chance of rain
  0 → 1mm
  
  Possible shower.
  
  Forecast data thanks to © Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology
Alerts
- Jilliby State Conservation Area alerts
  Safety alerts: Major Roadworks in Jilliby State Conservation Area - ongoing
  Major roadworks are ongoing in Jilliby State Conservation Area (Southern Precinct) and part of Ourimbah State Forest.
  Partial and intermittent road closures should be expected. The roads that will be affected are:
  
  Red Hill Road
  
  Prestons Ridge Road
  
  Bradleys Point Road
  
  Campbells Point Road and
  
  Tooheys Road.
  
  Visitors are asked to avoid the area (if possible). Otherwise, please be aware of trucks and machinery using and working on the above roads and to drive to the conditions. Warning signs and traffic control will be in place. Work is expected to be completed by January 2025. The work is funded as part of the Fire Access and Fire Trail (FAFT) program aimed at providing safe and strategic fire trails for fire response and access.
  For more information, please contact the NPWS Central Coast Area Office at Lake Munmorah on 02 4972 9000 or visit the NSW National Parks safety page for park safety guidelines.
  
  Closed areas: Muirs Lookout Picnic Area - Closed
  Muirs Lookout Picnic Area on Prickly Ridge Road has been closed due to ageing infrastructure, obstructed lookout views to the coast and very low public visitation. Alternative picnic facilities are located nearby in Olney State Forest and Watagans National Park. Further information on other places to visit can be obtained via the NPWS or Forestry Corporation websites.
  
  Safety alerts: Prickly Ridge Road 4WD only
  The section of Prickly Ridge Road between Watagan Forest Road and Cut-Rock Road is suitable for 4WD vehicles only.
  To prevent further damage to the road and to protect visitor safety, please avoid this area and other trails in the reserve that are still slippery and potentially hazardous.
  For further information, please contact the Central Coast Area Office at Lake Munmorah on 02 4972 9000.
  
  Alert kindly provided by © NSW Nataional Parks and Wildlife Service

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