Ironbark and Flannel Flower Circuit

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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	(-33.4251386,151.3546894)
Mode	Car (There is free parking available.)
Directions	From York Street, A49 Turn on to Wells Street then drive for 360 m At roundabout, take exit 2 onto Wells Street and drive for another 700 m At roundabout, take exit 2 onto Wells Street and drive for another 810 m At roundabout, take exit 1 onto Springfield Road and drive for another 260 m Turn left onto Dolly Avenue and drive for another 345 m Continue onto Dolly Avenue and drive for another 1.4 km

Track Notes Turn by turn instructions & maps

Getting started
From the BBQs, this walk goes across the picnic area, keeping the road to the right. The walk passes the information board, to the left, and follows the paved path toward the nearby toilet block. The walk turns left just before the toilet block and follows the 'Nurrunga Picnic Area' arrow down the paved steps and along the bush track. The walk descends gently for a while with numerous sandstone steps, then meanders around the side of the hill, for some distance. Ignoring a bush track, to the left, and another soon after, to the right, the walk continues for some distance until reaching an intersection with a management trail, with a 'Flannel Flower Track' signpost pointing back to the 'Yaruga Picnic Area'.....

Turn map	Directions & comments
	Start. After 55 m pass the car park (10 m on your left). After another 40 m find the "Rumbalara Reserve Flora and Fauna" (20 m on your left). Rumbalara Reserve Flora and Fauna The reserve is home to a wide range of flora and fauna. The vegetation types range from the relatively dry 'Coastal Narrabeen Ironbark Forest' to pockets of 'Coastal Warm Temperate Rainforest'. Commonly seen birds include Kookaburras, Eastern Rosellas and Magpies. Rarer birds such as the Glossy Black Cockatoo and Swift Parrot are sometimes sighted here as well. Sugar Gliders, Brush-tailed possums, Blue-tounged lizards and Tree snakes can be seen in the reserve if you are patient and lucky enough. Then come to the "Yaruga Lookout" (40 m on your left). Then find the "Yaruga Picnic Area" (70 m on your left). Yaruga Picnic Area This picnic area is right beside Dolly Ave, within the Rumbalara Reserve, Gosford. The facilities include free electric BBQs, picnic tables, toilets and garbage bins. There are information boards with details of the walking tracks and other features of the reserve. There are a couple of lookout points at the edge of the picnic area with great views out across Gosford and the surrounding areas. Then pass the toilet (15 m on your right).
	After another 210 m (Very Steep Rocky path) continue straight, to head along Flannel Flower walk.
	After another 160 m continue straight, to head along Flannel Flower walk.
	After another 245 m turn left. After another 120 m find the "Flannel Flower" (10 m on your right). Flannel Flower Actinotus helianthi, popularly known as the Sydney flannel flower, is frequently spotted by spring-time bushwalkers in the Sydney region. Generally growing up to 50 cm, the stem, branches and leaves of the plant are a pale grey in colour, covered in downy hair (rather like flannel in texture).
	Turn right. After another 25 m pass the "Statue" (140 m on your left).
	After another 170 m turn left.
	After another 60 m continue straight. After another 160 m pass the "Statue" (9 m on your left). After another 50 m come to the "Nurrunga Point" (30 m on your left). Then find the "Sculptures in Rumbalara" (10 m on your left). 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. Then pass the "Statue" (15 m on your left). After another 105 m pass the toilet (8 m on your right).
	After another 85 m continue straight.
	After another 25 m turn left.
	After another 30 m continue straight. After another 25 m find the "Rumbalara Reserve" (7 m on your right). Rumbalara Reserve Rumbalara Reserve lies just to the east of the Gosford CBD and is part of Gosford's Coastal Open Space System (COSS). There is an extensive set of well marked walking tracks within the reserve. Yaruga Picnic Area has free electric BBQs while both Yaruga and Nurrunga picnic areas have toilets, picnic tables, nearby lookouts and proximity to walking tracks. The picnic areas are accessed via Dolly Ave, Springfield, with the gate being locked at 8pm each evening. The Rumbalara Environmental Education Centre, at the end of Donnison St, Gosford, is one of several good access points to the walking tracks in the lower section of the reserve.
	After another 140 m veer right, to head along Fire Trail.
	After another 135 m continue straight, to head along Fire Trail.
	After another 240 m turn right.
	After another 40 m turn right, to head along Rumbalara Lookout Road.
	After another 85 m continue straight, to head along Rumbalara Lookout Road.
	After another 2 m come to the end.

Terrain Know the Hills, grading & facilities

Ironbark and Flannel Flower Circuit

Grading

	Class 3/6 Moderate track
Length	2 km
Time	50 min to 1 h

Quality of track	Formed track, with some branches and other obstacles (3/6)
Gradient	Short steep hills (3/6)
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)

Some facilities on route

Toilet: There are 2 on route, on average they are 680 m apart with the largest gap of 1.2 km.

Order of key facilities on route

Item	From Start	Name & link to notes
Toilet	70 m	[toilet]
Toilet	1.2 km	[toilet]

Articles Discover more details to thrive on track

Rumbalara Reserve
Rumbalara Reserve lies just to the east of the Gosford CBD and is part of Gosford's Coastal Open Space System (COSS). There is an extensive set of well marked walking tracks within the reserve. Yaruga Picnic Area has free electric BBQs while both Yaruga and Nurrunga picnic areas have toilets, picnic tables, nearby lookouts and proximity to walking tracks. The picnic areas are accessed via Dolly Ave, Springfield, with the gate being locked at 8pm each evening. The Rumbalara Environmental Education Centre, at the end of Donnison St, Gosford, is one of several good access points to the walking tracks in the lower section of the reserve.

Yaruga Picnic Area
This picnic area is right beside Dolly Ave, within the Rumbalara Reserve, Gosford. The facilities include free electric BBQs, picnic tables, toilets and garbage bins. There are information boards with details of the walking tracks and other features of the reserve. There are a couple of lookout points at the edge of the picnic area with great views out across Gosford and the surrounding areas.

Flannel Flower
Actinotus helianthi, popularly known as the Sydney flannel flower, is frequently spotted by spring-time bushwalkers in the Sydney region. Generally growing up to 50 cm, the stem, branches and leaves of the plant are a pale grey in colour, covered in downy hair (rather like flannel in texture).

Rumbalara Reserve Flora and Fauna
The reserve is home to a wide range of flora and fauna. The vegetation types range from the relatively dry 'Coastal Narrabeen Ironbark Forest' to pockets of 'Coastal Warm Temperate Rainforest'. Commonly seen birds include Kookaburras, Eastern Rosellas and Magpies. Rarer birds such as the Glossy Black Cockatoo and Swift Parrot are sometimes sighted here as well. Sugar Gliders, Brush-tailed possums, Blue-tounged lizards and Tree snakes can be seen in the reserve if you are patient and lucky enough.

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.

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Weather & Alerts Check forecasts & closures
Weather Forecast
- Gosford Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
  
  Monday 9 September
  
  24°C
  Mostly sunny.
  5% chance of rain
  
  Mostly clear. Slight chance of a shower. Winds west to northwesterly 15 to 25 km/h becoming light in the evening.
  
  Tuesday 10 September
  
  9°C → 22°C
  Mostly sunny.
  10% chance of rain
  
  Partly cloudy. Light winds becoming west to northwesterly 15 to 25 km/h in the morning then becoming light in the evening. Overnight temperatures falling to between 6 and 11 with daytime temperatures reaching between 19 and 24.
  
  UV Alert: Sun protection 9:10am to 2:30pm, UV Index predicted to reach 6 [High]
  
  Wednesday 11 September
  
  9°C → 25°C
  Mostly sunny.
  20% chance of rain
  
  Sunny. Light winds. Overnight temperatures falling to between 5 and 9 with daytime temperatures reaching the low to mid 20s.
  
  Thursday 12 September
  
  12°C → 19°C
  Shower or two.
  60% chance of rain
  0 → 3mm
  
  Mostly sunny. The chance of morning fog. Slight chance of a shower. Light winds becoming west to northwesterly 15 to 20 km/h during the morning then becoming light during the afternoon. Overnight temperatures falling to between 6 and 10 with daytime temperatures reaching the low to high 20s.
  
  Friday 13 September
  
  10°C → 19°C
  Cloudy.
  30% chance of rain
  0 → 1mm
  
  Partly cloudy. Medium chance of showers, most likely in the morning and afternoon. Winds south to southeasterly 20 to 30 km/h becoming light during the evening. Overnight temperatures falling to between 9 and 13 with daytime temperatures reaching between 16 and 20.
  
  Saturday 14 September
  
  9°C → 19°C
  Shower or two.
  50% chance of rain
  0 → 2mm
  
  Shower or two.
  
  Sunday 15 September
  
  9°C → 16°C
  Shower or two.
  60% chance of rain
  0 → 4mm
  
  Shower or two.
  
  Forecast data thanks to © Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology
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