Date: 8/10/2025
Trip leader: Bruce Stafford
Party: Brenda, Felix, Jingxuan, Junee, Leesa, Yaqi, Yashwanth, Zi, Cathie (guest)
Helensburgh to Stanwell Park Beach WEDNESDAY 8/10/2025.
This relatively short walk of 7km shows that a lot of interesting things can be packed into a short trip. With three tunnels (not two) and whales as well as chooks, there was a lot to see. And the weather turned out almost perfect, not too hot with frequent sea breezes.
Wednesday is an unusual day for a bushwalk but it was in the middle of the Semester 2 break. A downside of weekday walks is that train fares are hight as travel is done on the peak periods. Even so we had a reasonable turnout with three “no-shows” (more on that at the end).
So we set off from Central for the hour long train trip to Helensburgh, our first stop. We had an OSCAR set, as the South Coast Line will be the last line to be “invaded” by the “Marry-Young” D sets with their unpopular non-reversible seats. People got on at various stations along the way, and we all got together at Helensburgh Station for the 500 metre walk to the first tunnel, Old Helensburgh Tunnel. This one is only 80 metres long and was the third in a series of eight tunnels of the original alignment of the South Coast Line, which were all (except one) replaced by the present double track line by 1920. In the photos you will see the tunnel “refuges”, which are in all tunnels every 50 metres for rail workers to retreat if a train came while they were in the tunnel. Apart from that, Old Helensburgh Tunnel is not very exciting.
Then we went across the road to the next tunnel and the fourth of the eight old tunnels: Metropolitan Tunnel. This is the one with glowworms. First thing noticed was new signage at the street entrance to te short pathway, requesting certain behaviour in the tunnel, especially keeping quiet, no flashes from cameras, all of which disturbs the glowworms. The pathway crosses the top of the old Helensburgh Station (nameboard still there) then drops down onto the soggy tracks to enter the tunnel. I did not go in but 7 of the group did, and managed to see the glowworms. They all came out with muddy shoes, which they washed with the tap on the station platform (the present station that is) while we waited for the next train to Otford, one stop onward.
So we arrived at Otford Station 8 minutes later, and after a group photo on the station steps, headed up those steep steps to the lower end of “Beaumont Road”, then immediately left along “Station Road” which is actually just a shaded pathway for half its length. Then a left tuen onto Domville Road to reach “Otford Pantry” on Lady Wakehurst Drive. The usual way that people go when heading for Burning Palms is straight up Beaumont Road then left onto Lady Wakehurst Drive, but we were going to Stanwell Park instead, and although using the “Station Road” track and Domville Road is twice the distance compared to going straight up “Beaument Road”, that way is much less steep and not slippery from loose gravel as that latter road is.
“Otford Pantry” shop is not open on weekdays but we could still use their tables and bench seats outside for our lunch break, as it was now 12 noon. I went across the road to find some bushes for a “short wee break”, and on looking out to sea I saw some waves in odd places, and then the unmistakeable sign of a whale breaching much further out. I came back to the lunch spot and told the others who then all came over to look. Sure enough there appeared to be at least three whales fairly close to the shore. After watching for a while (knowing that we would follow the coastline for a while on this walk and see moe whales), we returned to lunch.
After lunch we continued the walk which follows the edge of Lady Wakehurst Drive for about 400 metres until diving into the grassland and then under the trees, providing welcome shade for a while on this warm day. Eventually it comes out at Bald Hill where the vista of the South Coast as far as Wollongong comes into view. You can see why Stanwell Park is claimed to be the most photographed beach in Australia. It is also a popular place for hang-gliding, but none were here this day. Then down to the main Bald Hill view point where there was a toilet stop, and a couple of people got some more snacks from the cafe. This was also a good view point to see more whales. I didn’t have a telephoto lens on my camera (wide angle instead) but Yaqi did and she too a movie of three whales below us, which were lifting up their pectoral flippers. I can’t put a movie on this report so instead I took some screenshots (including the one heading this report) and have included them.
After enjoying the whales we conitued our walk which from here descends Bald Hill via the new track completed just two years ago as part of the planned great walk from Bundeena to Austinmer (which includes the coast walk). It is well made and deceptively steep, and you don’t realise how steep until you get to the bottom at the beach and look up! On this section I taught members about the good rule of keeping one body length distance from the person in front or behind you when going down (or climbing up) steep tracks, because if you trip and fall you won’t bring down the next person! (We actually saw how wise this rule is when on the 4/5/25 Blue Mountains walk, someone DID slip but was far enough away from the person in front of her not to hit them). It can be a cultural norm for some to walk close to other people so it can require some conscious effort.
At the bottom of this track we arrived at “Chellow Dene Avenue” which here is just a wide path which is also the roadbed of the old Illawarra railway before it was diverted to its present line. We followed this for about 100 metres and came to the entrance of Otford Tunnel, the seventh and by far the longest (at 1.5km) of the original eight tunnels. Indeed it was the longst single track rail tunel in Australia until 1982 when the Bylong No2 Tunnel on the Sandy Hollow Line was completed. Otford Tunnel opened on 3rd October 1888 and closed to trains on 10th October 1920 – a life of only 32 years.
We did not plan to walk the length of this tunnel and back, which because of its length (and also a lot of trip hazards and rough surface) would take over an hour. Instead, we went in only until we could see the opening at the other end about 1.5km away (there is a short curve at the portal that we entered which stops you from seeing end to end).
So we went in for about 100 metres to look around (and again I got some to pose in the tunnel refuges). After this we made our way out and then back to the base of the track down Bald Hill. This time however we turned left to take a track in the open grassland to a street called “The Drive” and followed it to the headland overlooking Stanwell Park Beach and the lagoon on Hargraves Creek (a favoutite paddling place for children). To get down to the beach meant doing our last real “bushwalk” section down a short but steep and rough cliff track.
Then on to Stanwell Park Beach where we had a nice rest and enjoyed the nice cool sea breeze and the ocean (no one went in swimming). I found out (yet again) that there are some international students who don’t know the rule about “swimming between the flags”, so I explained that. Meanwhile, Felix, Yashwanth and Junee went from the beach to look for a coffee shop and we would catch up with them later at the railway station. The after enjoying the view, the rest of us left the beach and walked through the large parkland behind Stanwell Park Beach (and a toilet stop) instead of just going straight up boring Station Street. This took us through some shady glens and we eventually came to a line of backyards where we saw a couple of chooks (Gallus domesticus).
Then we kept going towards Stanwell Park Station along footpaths which were our final hill walk on this trip. Ten minutes later the train to Helensburgh turned up and we went to that station where we had to change for an express train back to Central. That train was unusual in that it terminated at Central instead of going to Bondi Junction, making it much easier to change trains at Redfern. Meanwhile at Helensburgh another passenger took a group photo with a Polaroid camera of one of our group (very retro!).
There were three “no shows” and two of them have yet to make any contact with me as to why they didn’t show up. That is a nuisance as a couple of other SUBW members had made enquiries about joing the walk.Still, all those who came had an enjoyable time. especially the unexpected bonus of seeing whales.
Most photos are by me, with several also by Yaqi including the whales (thank you, Yaqi).
Bruce Stafford.
