Rare chance to step inside a natural treasure when Muogamarra Nature Reserve opens to public

• Rare opportunity to visit one of Sydney’s best-kept natural secrets
• Fragile reserve home to extraordinary range of flora and fauna

It is an extraordinary natural treasure that offers some of the best views in Sydney and the public have just 12 chances a year to take it in. Muogamarra Nature Reserve is open for just six weekends a year to protect its fragile ecosystems and Aboriginal heritage.

The reserve lies in bushland between the outer Sydney suburb of Cowan to the south, and the Hawkesbury River to the north.

From August 16-September 21, the public can visit the reserve as the spring transformation begins and wildflowers put on a spectacular display.

Already the park is alive with colour as boronia, pink wax flowers and wattle blooms.

Discovery co-ordinator Tim Porter said Muogamarra offered spectacular views of the Hawkesbury River and Central Coast all the way out to the west.

“I think it has one of the best views in Sydney,” he said.

“On a clear day you can see to the Blue Mountains.”

Birdwatchers in particular are drawn to the reserve to catch a glimpse of the 140 native bird resident species including the soaring wedge-tail eagle and lyrebird.

Native mammals such as the swamp wallaby, brush tail possum and echidna live in the reserve and Aboriginal engravings and shell middens are found throughout. There are also remnants of early colonial settlement.

The reserve is the legacy of John Duncan Tipper, an early environmentalist who leased 240ha of the land in 1934 to protect the flora, fauna and Aboriginal sites.

Concerned at the loss of Hawkesbury sandstone forest, he founded the reserve and named it Muogamarra, which he believed meant to preserve for the future in the local Awabakal language.

Tipper continued to expand his lease to more than 800ha until giving up the land in 1954 to be gazetted as the Muogamarra Sanctuary.

In 1969, it was amalgamated with Sir Edward Hallstrom Faunal Reserve to create Muogamarra Nature Reserve.

Now run by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, guided walks are offered on the 12 open days to ensure visitors get the most from the extraordinary reserve.
This year, for the first time, there will be a kayak tour, which will take in the reserve’s northern and western shores, enabling people to experience a new perspective on Muogamarra.

“It was a good season last year,” Mr Porter said. “We had about 3000-4000 visitors and lots of people took up our guided walks.”

J D Tipper Walk: Take a short loop through a riot of pea flowers, boronias, woody pears and waratahs. From the lookout there are panoramic views over Brooklyn.

Lloyd Trig Walk: Amble along the old convict road and a bush track, explore the Lloyd Trig cairn then soak up 360 degree panoramic views over the Hawkesbury River and bushland.

Point Loop: Take this one for the views. The ridge-top walk gives stunning outlooks over Peats Crater and beyond to Bar Island, Berowra Creek and the Hawkesbury River. Wildflowers complete the experience with displays of pink wax flowers, boronias, angophoras, old-man banksias, mountain devils, woody pears and waratahs.

Deerubbin Lookover: This track winds down the old convict-built Peats Ferry Road and the Powerline Road down to a rock shelter which forms a natural viewing platform. Sweeping views from almost 180m above the Hawkesbury River are a highlight.

Peats Crater Walk: This walk winds down Peats Bight Trail over historic road works into Peats Crater, a volcanic diatreme and the site of early farm settlements. Continue through rainforest and mangrove environments and give yourself plenty of time for this one.

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