Central Valley loop Walk
CENTRAL VALLEY LOOP WALK - Australian Botanic Gardens Mount Annan
Distance > 3km Steps 4000
Time > 1 hour Level of Difficulty Easy/Moderate (a few hills)
This map and an accompanying brochure is provided by the Garden on its website and can be downloaded here.
This walking trail is located in the middle of the Australian Botanic Gardens in Mount Annan.
I stopped in at the Gardens recently on my way down to Canberra and did this walk while waiting for the coffee cart to open, (8:30 am if you need an early caffeine fix like me).
Summary
The Mount Annan Garden covers an area of over 400 hectares. To see it all you’d be walking for days. The Central Valley Walk is a great introduction to the Garden as a whole. It affords sweeping views from its high points and features many Garden highlights.
There are a few hills to get the heart pumping, and these make it generally unsuitable for wheelchairs or prams.
This is a short walk and can be easily done in under an hour. For a slightly longer walk, try the Woodlands Walk or choose your own trail - there are plenty of paths to choose from.
Along the way
The start of the walk takes you around the Connections Garden featuring rainforest plants, a waterfall and the prehistoric Wollemi Pine. (It’s worth exploring this area’s winding paths so I’ve rounded up the steps to account for this.)
Surrounding this garden are many annual and perennial cottage garden style displays that are the focus for the annual wildflower display on show late winter and early spring. The colour and variety of wildflowers in spring is something to see.
From here you’ll take an undulating path to the Fig Tree Arboretum featuring 42 species of Australian figs.
As you head up to the summit, you’ll pass the Wedding Knot, a popular spot for wedding day photos. And look out for the Bunya Pine trees lining the path which bear cones so big they come with a warning! Be especially wary in the wind which can get quite strong up here.
At the top of the summit on Sundial Hill, you get a 360 degree view over the gardens and around to the outer reaches of Campbelltown and Camden and over to the Blue Mountains. On a clear day you can even see the Sydney city skyline and the top of the Harbour Bridge.
A curious sculptural piece sits atop this hill. The Sundial Of Human Involvement is what is known as an ‘analemmatic’ sundial which uses a person’s body to tell the time. Instructions provided on a nearly bronze plate will tell you how.
Descending the path you’ll cross between Sedgwick and Fitzpatick Lakes. Both lakes are teeming with birdlife and in the spring time particularly you’ll see many new families on the water and among the surrounding reeds.
The Lakeside Lawn is a nice place to stop for a rest before exploring other parts of the Gardens. Or come back to enjoy that morning coffee once the coffee cart is open.
Good to know
The Australian Botanic Gardens is a refuge for wildlife, so leave the pets at home
The Gardens are open from 8-5 for most of the year except for the summer months when they close at 7.
The best way to get to the Gardens is by car or by train and bus to and from Campbelltown Station.