Ouraka Point Loop

A beautiful walk, taking in some of the scenic highlights of the lower section of the Rumbalara Reserve. The walk covers a great variety of vegetation, from quite dry eucalypt forest through to rainforest. The tracks are well formed, with a lot of steps in the steeper sections, making the walking a little easier. This is a great walk to see some of the excellent scenery in Rumbalara. A very short, optional sidetrip takes you to a sculpture of Charles Sturt, adding some more variety to the walk. The easy access from Gosford train station also makes it a great walk for those using public transport. Let us begin by acknowledging the Darkinjung & Guringai people, Traditional Custodians of the land on which we travel today, and pay our respects to their Elders past and present.

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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	(-33.4277016,151.3476176)
Mode	Bus Car (There is free parking available.)
Directions	From York Street, A49 Turn on to Henry Parry Drive then drive for 1.7 km Turn right onto Donnison Street and drive for another 250 m Keep left onto Henry Wheeler Place and drive for another 45 m Continue and drive for another 30 m

Track Notes Turn by turn instructions & maps

Getting started
From the car park, this walk follows the 'Rumbalara Environmental Education Centre' arrow along the paved footpath to the trackhead at the back of the buildings, signposted 'Walking Trail'.....

Turn map	Directions & comments
	Start. After 50 m find the "Rumbalara Environmental Education Centre" (20 m on your right). Rumbalara Environmental Education Centre This centre is 'a New South Wales Department of Education and Training facility that provides environmental education and field work opportunities to students, teachers and the community of the Central Coast' . The centre is at the end of Donnison St, Gosford and is a good access point to some of the walking tracks in the adjoining Rumbalara Reserve.
	After another 65 m continue straight.
	After another 25 m continue straight. Then head down the steps (about 70 m long)
	Veer right.
	After another 45 m turn sharp left. After another 40 m head through/around the gate.
	After another 345 m continue straight. After another 50 m find the "Cappers Gully quarry" (7 m on your right). Cappers Gully quarry This old quarry site is beside Cappers Gully in the Rumbalara Reserve, Gosford. The area is fenced off for safety reasons. The neat, square-cut walls of the quarry make an interesting sight on the walks in the area.
	After another 6 m continue straight, to head along Rainforest Track.
	After another 285 m continue straight, to head along Rainforest Track. After another 370 m pass the "Statue" (75 m on your right). After another 6 m find the "Casuarina" (25 m on your right). Casuarina Commonly known as the she-oak, sheoak, ironwood, or beefwood, casuarinas have 'delicate, slender ultimate branches and leaves that are no more than scales, making the tree look more like a wispy conifer'. There are 17 species of Casuarina 'native to Australasia, southeastern Asia, and islands of the western Pacific Ocean'.
	The starting point of an optional sidetrip. An optional side trip to Sculpture of Charles Sturt. To start this optional side trip turn right here. On returning from this side trip continue straight when you get back to this intersection. Details below. Veer left. After another 200 m come to the "Ouraka Lookout" (10 m on your right). Then head up the steps (about 140 m long) Then find the "Ouraka Point" (on your left). Ouraka Point This picturesque spot with fantastic views over Gosford and the surrounding areas, including Brisbane Waters, is located within the Rumbalara Reserve, along the Casuarina Walk. It is a beautiful spot to sit and enjoy the views for a while during a walk in the reserve.
	After another 175 m turn right. Then head up the steps (about 70 m long)
	Continue straight.
	After another 25 m continue straight.
	After another 115 m come to the end.

An optional side trip to Sculpture of Charles Sturt.

Turn map	Directions & comments
	Start. After another 60 m come to "Casuarina". Casuarina Commonly known as the she-oak, sheoak, ironwood, or beefwood, casuarinas have 'delicate, slender ultimate branches and leaves that are no more than scales, making the tree look more like a wispy conifer'. There are 17 species of Casuarina 'native to Australasia, southeastern Asia, and islands of the western Pacific Ocean'.
	The end. About 15 m past the end is "Statue". Turn around and retrace your steps back the 60 m to the main route.

Terrain Know the Hills, grading & facilities

Ouraka Point Loop

Grading

	Class 4/6 Hard track
Length	1.9 km
Time	1 h to 1 h 15 min

Quality of track	Formed track, with some branches and other obstacles (3/6)
Gradient	Very steep (4/6)
Signage	Directional signs along the way (3/6)
Infrastructure	Limited facilities, not all cliffs are fenced (3/6)
Experience Required	Some bushwalking experience recommended (3/6)
Weather	Weather generally has little impact on safety (1/6)

Articles Discover more details to thrive on track

Rumbalara Environmental Education Centre
This centre is 'a New South Wales Department of Education and Training facility that provides environmental education and field work opportunities to students, teachers and the community of the Central Coast' . The centre is at the end of Donnison St, Gosford and is a good access point to some of the walking tracks in the adjoining Rumbalara Reserve.

Cappers Gully quarry
This old quarry site is beside Cappers Gully in the Rumbalara Reserve, Gosford. The area is fenced off for safety reasons. The neat, square-cut walls of the quarry make an interesting sight on the walks in the area.

Casuarina
Commonly known as the she-oak, sheoak, ironwood, or beefwood, casuarinas have 'delicate, slender ultimate branches and leaves that are no more than scales, making the tree look more like a wispy conifer'. There are 17 species of Casuarina 'native to Australasia, southeastern Asia, and islands of the western Pacific Ocean'.

Sculptures in Rumbalara
There are four bronze figurative sculptures in the Rumbalara Reserve that were 'commissioned in the series "Salute to Famous Australians", which includes Captain Charles Sturt, Edward Eyre, and Sir Charles Kingsford Smith.' Matthew Flinders is the fourth in the series. They were 'commissioned by Sara Lee Kitchens (Australia) Pty Ltd and Gosford City Council for the State Bicentennial Celebrations 1987.'. Smith and Flinders are the most easily reached, at the Nurrunga picnic area.

Ouraka Point
This picturesque spot with fantastic views over Gosford and the surrounding areas, including Brisbane Waters, is located within the Rumbalara Reserve, along the Casuarina Walk. It is a beautiful spot to sit and enjoy the views for a while during a walk in the reserve.

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Weather & Alerts Check forecasts & closures
Weather Forecast
- Gosford Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed
  
  Thursday 31 October
  
  26°C
  Shower or two. Possible storm.
  70% chance of rain
  
  Partly cloudy. Medium chance of showers, most likely in the late afternoon and evening. The chance of a thunderstorm, possibly severe. Winds west to southwesterly 15 to 20 km/h becoming light in the late afternoon. Daytime maximum temperatures around 30.
  
  UV Alert: Sun protection 8:50am to 4:30pm, UV Index predicted to reach 10 [Very High]
  
  Friday 1 November
  
  15°C → 23°C
  Shower or two.
  60% chance of rain
  0 → 4mm
  
  Partly cloudy. Medium chance of showers, most likely in the morning and early afternoon. The chance of a thunderstorm about the Lower Hunter. Light winds becoming southeasterly 15 to 20 km/h in the morning. Overnight temperatures falling to between 11 and 15 with daytime temperatures reaching the low to mid 20s.
  
  Saturday 2 November
  
  15°C → 22°C
  Shower or two clearing.
  50% chance of rain
  0 → 2mm
  
  Partly cloudy. Slight chance of a shower in the morning and afternoon. Winds southeasterly 15 to 20 km/h becoming light during the morning then becoming northeast to southeasterly 15 to 25 km/h during the afternoon. Overnight temperatures falling to between 11 and 14 with daytime temperatures reaching 21 to 27.
  
  Sunday 3 November
  
  15°C → 30°C
  Mostly sunny.
  5% chance of rain
  
  Mostly sunny. Light winds becoming north to northwesterly 20 to 30 km/h during the morning then becoming light during the evening. Overnight temperatures falling to between 11 and 14 with daytime temperatures reaching 29 to 34.
  
  Monday 4 November
  
  20°C → 27°C
  Possible shower.
  40% chance of rain
  0 → 1mm
  
  Possible shower.
  
  Tuesday 5 November
  
  17°C → 24°C
  Possible shower.
  40% chance of rain
  0 → 1mm
  
  Possible shower.
  
  Wednesday 6 November
  
  17°C → 26°C
  Partly cloudy.
  30% chance of rain
  0 → 1mm
  
  Partly cloudy.
  
  Forecast data thanks to © Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology
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