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Central Coast Bushwalk

Koolewong to Woy Woy Bay via Spion Kop (8.5km)

An 8.5km walk from Koolewong to Woy Woy Bay via the dramatic skull like outcrop of Spion Kop with bay views.

At a glance

Distance
8.5km
Ascent
300m
Toilets
Yes
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This is by far my favourite walk on the Central Coast. The dramatic skull like outcropping of Spion Kop with a bay on each side and a view that stretches as far as Lion Island is hard to beat. This way to get to Spion Kop is a bit of a scramble, so if you would like a less challenging way to get there, would suggest Spion Kop Return from Bambina Road (13km) instead. Having said that, this is the fastest and it also has wonderful caves on the way. The red river in the valley between the two ridges is worth a visit itself. This walk takes around four hours.

This is also the best way to get to the bush from the streets of Koolewong where the houses are.

Click on the map, it is powered by open street map and shows you where the path is. You can click on the navigator icon to show you where you are and check if you are on the right track.

This is exactly how to find Spion Kop, it is a bit hard to find wo we highly recommend using the map and clicking on the locator button.

Walk directions

  1. Start, behind the bus stop, head up the hill: -33.46163,151.31220
  2. Turn left where the red tape is to cross back over the fire trail and follow a very small dry creek bed: -33.46066,151.30967
  3. Turn left at the creek and follow the red rock creek down the hill: -33.46282,151.30843
  4. Just before the creek drops down turn right between two boulders to head up the hill, follow the rock cairns the rest of the way to Spion Kop: -33.46465,151.30873
  5. Yay! You've reached the stunning view at Spion Kop: -33.47461,151.30668
  6. There is a rock cairns and Tape near a crevice in the rock, head down and follow the pink tape: -33.47167,151.30404
  7. Yay! You've reached the end at Woy Woy Firetrail: -33.48439,151.30305
Stunning view of Spion kop
Hiker standing in a gap of the skull like sandstone rock formation at Spion Kop
Hazy panorama over Brisbane Water and Koolewong from the Spion Kop ledge
Three hikers standing in a narrow gap between towering sandstone boulders
Hiker sitting at the cliff edge overlooking Brisbane Water in sunny weather
White flannel flower blooming among leaf litter on the Spion Kop track
Hiker resting beneath a honeycombed sandstone overhang on the walk
Aerial view over Koolewong's waterfront homes and jetties, a boat leaving a wake
Overcast panorama of Brisbane Water and the Koolewong shoreline with a passing boat
Panorama over the bend in Brisbane Water with a jutting rock ledge in the foreground
Cluster of small white heath flowers growing beside the trail
Wide overcast panorama over Brisbane Water with houses on the far shore
Narrow bush track winding between two large sandstone boulders
Small rock shelter cave tucked beneath a boulder overhang on the trail
Slender tree trunk growing out of a sandstone rock crevice on the ridge
Lush green ferns carpeting the forest floor between tree trunks
Heart shaped bark scar exposed on a eucalyptus trunk beside the trail
The cover of A Cornucopia of Central Coast Walks: watercolour wildflowers, including a waratah and orchids, on a bright yellow background

The book

The cave walks are in the book

A Cornucopia of Central Coast Walks includes the Megacave Loop and both the short and long walks to Ritcher's Cave, each with a map and numbered directions, alongside over 100 other walks on the Coast.

See the book
The cover of The Bush Wee: a girl with red bunny ears and a starry blue dress peeks out from behind a tree beside a waterfall

A picture book

A picture book for when there is no toilet for miles

The quieter tracks have no toilets. The Bush Wee is my read aloud picture book for children aged 2 to 7 that turns needing to go in the bush into the funniest part of the day, and teaches which leaves to use and which stinging ones to avoid.

See the picture book
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This walk is on Darkinung country. Good Architect acknowledges the Darkinung people as the Traditional Custodians of this land and we pay our respects to Elders, past, present and emerging. Darkinjung Land Council.