Galston Gorge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Galston Gorge |
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 Galston Gorge
Location in Sydney
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| Geology | |
| Type | Gorge |
| Geography | |
| Location | Galston, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Rivers | Tunks Creek |
Galston Gorge is a beautiful valley found in the Berowra Valley Regional Park in Sydney, Australia. It sits between the suburbs of Galston and Hornsby Heights. Inside the gorge, you'll find Galston Road and the historic Tunks Creek Bridge. Right next to Tunks Creek Bridge, there's another concrete bridge that crosses Berowra Creek. The gorge is a popular spot for people who love the outdoors, offering many walking paths, waterfalls, and a wide range of Australian plants. Hikers, bike riders, and rock climbers often visit this area.
Exploring Galston Gorge
Galston Gorge is a valley filled with thick bushland. It has many natural features like waterfalls and streams. You can reach these spots using the walking tracks.
At the bottom of the valley, the Tunks Creek Bridge crosses Tunks Creek. This bridge was built in 1893 and was made of timber. It was listed as a heritage site in 2000, meaning it's an important historical structure. A second bridge, called the Steel Military Bridge, crosses Berowra Creek. It was put in place in 1965 to help fire trucks get between Hornsby and Dural. There's also a small car park near the bottom of the gorge. From here, you can start on the Galston Gorge track, which connects to parts of the famous Great North Walk.
Galston Road is the only road that goes all the way through Galston Gorge. It connects Galston and Hornsby Heights. Driving through the gorge usually takes about 20 to 25 minutes. If you go around the gorge, it takes about 40 to 45 minutes, and even longer during busy times. The road from Tunks Creek Bridge to Hornsby Heights is about three kilometers long. It goes uphill quite a bit, with an average slope of 5%. It also has six sharp turns, called hairpin corners. Because of these turns, it's hard for long vehicles to drive here. Trucks longer than 7.5 meters are not allowed. There's a safety rail along the side of the road next to Berowra Creek. Even with this, the road is known for being tricky to drive.
You can also explore the gorge by walking or cycling. The Galston Gorge East and Galston Gorge West climbs are popular routes for cyclists. For bushwalking, you can use the Benowie Walking Track, the Tunks Trail, and the Ulolo Trail. The Benowie Walking Track is the most important one. It's part of the Great North Walk, which stretches from Sydney Cove all the way to Newcastle. This track is 25 kilometers long through Berowra Valley National Park. You can start your walk from six different places along the track. It's even suitable for overnight walks, as there's a campsite along the Benowie Walking Track. However, this campsite does not have water or other facilities. Along the Benowie Walking Track, you'll also see features like the Gulley Creek Falls. The Heritage Bridges Walk is another popular bushwalk. It starts at the constructed wetlands in Clarinda Street, Hornsby. This walk mostly follows fire trails and offers great views of the two bridges before ending at the bottom of Galston Gorge.
Plants and Animals of Galston Gorge
Galston Gorge is home to many native birds, mammals, and reptiles. As you get closer to Berowra Creek, you'll see more rainforest plants. Trees like Grey Myrtle, ferns, and water gums grow naturally here. At night, you might spot possums and other night-active marsupials.
Along the Benowie Walking Track, you'll commonly find trees like Sydney Blue Gum, Blackbutt, She Oak, Sydney Peppermint, and Smooth-barked Apple. These are mixed with Coachwood, Blackwattle, and Pittosporum. Many birds are often seen, including honeyeaters, fantails, parrots, and various waterbirds like the Pied Cormorant, White Faced Heron, and Dusky Moorhen. If you're lucky, you might even see Satin Bowerbirds and Lyrebirds.
Before the year 2000, some wild chickens lived in the bushland. These chickens were abandoned by people who owned properties nearby, which helped their numbers grow. The Hornsby Shire Council later removed this population in 2000.
Driving Safely Through the Gorge
Traffic problems happen often in Galston Gorge. Most of the time, large trucks get stuck at the sharp turns or on the Tunks Creek Bridge. As of May 2018, more than 100 trucks that were too long have caused traffic jams in the gorge.
To help with this, new signs and a camera system were put in place. This system uses infrared technology to detect trucks that are too long. If a heavy vehicle over 7.5 meters tries to enter Galston Gorge, the driver gets a fine of $2,270. A roundabout was also built on the Galston side of the gorge. This gives heavy vehicles a chance to turn around and avoid the big fine.
However, some oversized vehicles still try to use Galston Road. They have been involved in traffic incidents, including one where the Tunks Creek Bridge was damaged and diesel spilled.
