Glenrock Lagoon to Warners Bay on Great North Walk

Lieutenant John Shortland reported finding coal deposits here while pursuing a group of convict escapees in 1797. He landed near the mouth of the Coal River, in the vicinity of what is now Newcastle, and, as its ‘discoverer’, claimed the prerogative of naming it, which he did so after Governor Hunter. His party didn’t find the convicts who by then had managed to make their stolen boat sea-worthy and headed off northwards. If you look around carefully you may glimpse the Permian coal seam in the exposed part of the lagoon’s headland — there is an outcrop visible just above the high tide mark.

As we walk around this headland, you can see the remains of a railway line. It seems that, in December 1884, the Burwood Coal Mining Company sank its first mine shaft although it was not completed until May, 1885. They then built a private railway line from this new mine to transport the coal across the lagoon, around the headland and along Burwood Beach, which was at that time usually called Smelters Beach.
This is one of the many signposts all along the Great North Walk trail -- note the total distance of the hike -- when you come across these signs between Newcastle and Sydney Harbour -- check the addition -- it is not always the same!

Yuelarbah Track is part of the Great North Walk and follows a very pleasant and easy trail along good paths beside Flaggy Creek. This area was the site of Newcastle’s first tannery established by William Mills in 1866.

Leichardt’s Lookout is impressive with panoramic views of the bay and countryside. The bench seats and the view offer a chance to learn a little about this immigrant explorer. Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig Leichhardt was a pioneering Prussian naturalist who gained fame by being lost in southern Queensland. He voyaged to Sydney in 1842 when he was just 31 with a plan of exploring the country and documenting its extraordinary wildlife. He went on to lead three expeditions into north and central Australia from 1844 until he was last seen on April 3 1848 at McPherson’s Station, on the Darling Downs. His disappearance, although investigated by many, remains a mystery. Prior to his daring expeditions and mysterious disappearance, he also walked around part of the NSW coast.

Kahibah comes from the Aboriginal word ‘Ky-yee-bah’ meaning either a place where games were held or alternatively perhaps to be active and eager. But it seems the original ‘Ky-yee-bah’ was where we now call Pelicans Flat. The trail winds around slopes overlooking Flaggy Creek and passes Kahibah public school.

The track takes you into woodland and skirts the Charlestown Golf Club. Charlestown links its name to a Mr Charles Smith, the manager of the Waratah Coal Company, formed in 1862 specifically to mine coal in the vicinity. The first mineshaft to be sunk, although officially named South Waratah, was known locally as Rasberry Gully, The Gully Pit or, the title that sticks, Charles’ Pit. So the mining settlement that springs up in this area later comes to be Charlestown.

Keep a careful watch for Great North Walk trail signposts. These have a variety of forms. The oldest are beige in colour with a spherical top. The newer ones are painted green and often have contact information -- as this one. Sometimes these posts are a little way form road and path junctions so you may have to hunt around crossroads and trail intersections for a couple of minutes. This is worthwhile -- because it saves lost time if you take the wrong path.

NSW Land & Property Management Authority -- which looks after the Great North Walk trail from Sydney to Newcastle -- appreciates any feedback you may have. Be sure to mention if you failed to find a signpost or if one has been knocked over or defaced.

A small distance (0.5 km) off the track in Warners Bay is the Warners at the Bay Hotel Motel (previously the Best Western Warners at the Bay) at 320 Hillsborough Road. This is standard motel style accommodation with 50 self-contained units and an attached restaurant.
Tantarra B&B offers B&B and is about 1 km off the track in eastern Warners Bay. There are two rooms with ensuites and a suite for 6 (consisting of 3 bedrooms all with ensuites). The half acre property also has a swimming pool and temple garden.

The trail merges onto roads near Warner's Bay. There is a narrow park between King and Queen Streets. This grassy area through which the trail runs is where the Warners Bay railway should have been. But it never arrived. There are plenty of coffee shops and restaurants around Warner's Bay which is now a holiday haunt. Look out for the sea-birds on Lake Macquarie.

An earthquake of magnitude 5.6 hit the city in December 1989. Only 13 people killed but more than 150 injured and the damage to houses meant that 300,000 people were affected and 1,000 made homeless. Epicentre was around Boolaroo near the Five Islands Bridge.