Cooks River Loop Walk
The Walk
Pretty self- explanatory, this walk begins and ends in the car park of Gough Whitlam Park. The park is just a short walk from Tempe train station.
It’s an easy walk done by many locals daily, and it’s short enough for the kids to join in.
The trail loops around the Cooks River, along a shared cycleway on one side.
It’s pram and wheelchair friendly for the most part though some sections can get boggy after rain.
Along the way
As you walk you’ll pass through parklands with picnic areas and playgrounds. There’s even a water play area in Steel Park (open in the warmer months only).
Also in Steel Park, you’ll pass a sculpture of a bark canoe (nawi), created by Joe Hurst as part of the Gadigal Wangal Wayfinding Project. The structure and its placement call to mind a time when people fished along this once healthy river. Sadly, pollutants in the river mean that it’s not such a good idea to do so today.
The birds don’t seem to mind though. I saw many fishing along the river. In the short time I was there I spotted a spoonbill and several cormorants, Willy Wagtails and a Sacred Kingfisher, as well as magpies, rosellas and ducks.
Stay and Play
Gough Whitlam Park is a good place to stop and enjoy the surrounds once you’ve finished your walk. You can picnic riverside or pick up something at Cafe Green House which has a good selection for breakfast and lunch.
If you’ve brought the kids, the older ones will love the climbing frame and flying fox, and there’s a toddler-friendly playground beside the cafe.
In the middle of the park is the Garden of the World, featuring local and exotic species. At its centre is Awakening Flower of the Peace, a tall steel sculpture by Terrance Plowright. The garden and sculpture represent the coming together of people from all over the world in this local community..
