Date: 24/10/2026
Trip leader: Yessentay Ismanov
Party: Luchenyang(Luke), Neha, Paul, Taran, Yuzhuo (Elly)
I had been wanting to do this section of the Great North Walk ever since I finished the previous section back in January 2023. After some planning, I decided to pull together a solid 27 km single-day trek from Somersby to Yarramalong. The main logistical challenge was setting up a car shuffle across both ends of the route. Fortunately, after I posted the trip on the SUBW board, a few people with cars signed up.
I drove my car and picked up Taran early in the morning, arriving at the Somersby starting point before 7:00 AM. Shortly after, Paul arrived with his wife Neha, along with Elly and Luke, whom they had picked up from Gordon station. We regrouped and drove both cars over to the finish point at Yarramalong, where Paul parked his vehicle. We then shuttled back to Somersby in my car to get ready for the trail.
Somersby to Ourimbah Creek
We managed to set off just before our target start time of 8:00 AM, aiming for an 8-hour total duration. The trip began with a straightforward 3.6 km roadbash along Kilkenny Road before entering Palm Grove State Conservation Area via the Cedar Brush Walk track.
This was where the true bushwalking began. Dropping around 1.3 km into the first rainforest gully, we immediately encountered the biggest bane of our trip: leeches. The initial reactions from the group were fairly emotional, but we kept moving, flicking them off our boots and pants as we commenced our first steep hill climb. Taran kept spirits up by sharing his botany knowledge, pointing out a local plant with leaves that tasted sweet when bitten (with the caveat to chew for it flavor and not eat).
We took our first rest at the designated seating area atop the hill. Everyone shared snacks – Taran passed around chips he got from a servo and Elly brought out some tasty mini-cucumbers. Following a brief 1 km descent, we paused at the logbook post where Taran wrote down his name, before transitioning onto another road section following Ourimbah Creek.
The Ridge, Goannas & Archers Campsite
Reaching the end of Ourimbah Creek Road, we turned left back onto the Cedar Brush Walk track to face the hardest climb of the day. While we were still picking off leeches, the group had grown accustomed to them by now, casually yanking them off and tossing them into the scrub.
By the 16 km mark, we hit the Tooheys Road firetrail. Here, we spotted a fat goanna climbing up a tree.
A kilometer later – at the 17 km mark – we reached the highest point of the route and pulled into Archers Campsite for a well-earned 30-minute lunch break.
Archers was a great spot to recharge, complete with a rainwater tank and toilet facilities. Another resident goanna – clearly very accustomed to bushwalkers – prowled near the picnic table hunting for food scraps while we refocused and ate.
Dead Horse Creek & The Final Stretch to Yarramalong
Refueled, we dropped into the next gully where Dead Horse Creek runs, before tackling our final major bush ascent. Along this stretch, Taran pointed out native Lilly flowers along the track. Reaching the 20 km mark at Cherry Lane, we took a final 10-minute roadside break to demolish the bag of mandarins I had brought along.
The remaining 2.6 km road section tested everyone’s stamina. As fatigue set in, members of the group were routinely asking how much distance was left. Paul kept everyone motivated with regular distance updates, helping us maintain a steady pace without stopping. Special credit goes to Neha, who completed the entire 28 km trek carrying a weighted rucksack with an extra ~10 kg metal plate inside – a wild effort considering the rest of us were struggling with standard daypacks!
We commenced our final descent into Yarramalong, pushing through the finish line just before 5:00 PM. While we missed our 8-hour target, coming in at under 9 hours for 28 km with significant elevation gain was a solid result.
Logistics Aftermath
We left Taran at the finish point to wait for me while Paul drove us back to Somersby to retrieve my car. However, by this point, my brain had completely shut down from exhaustion: I realized upon arriving at Somersby that I had left my backpack – containing my car keys – at the finish line at Yarramalong!
Massive thanks to Paul for driving all the way back to Yarramalong to pick up Taran and my keys, and huge credit to the entire group: Paul, Neha, Taran, Luke, and Elly – for pushing through the climbs, roadbashes, and leeches without a single complaint.
P.S. This trip report was written using AI, my academic English is not good enough for this type of writing.
P.P.S. I learnt “TAO YEEEN!”, which apparently mean something along the lines of “I hate this f**n sh*t!”
