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Topography
Geology
Flora
Fauna
History
Trail Going
Overview Map
Elevation Profile
Topography
Section 1 (28.6 km)
Teralba to Checkpoint 1 (Old Watagan Forestry HQ)
[GNW100sMap]
[MapMyRun]
[GoogleEarth]
The route climbs
from Teralba on the shores of Lake Macquarie into the majestic
Awaba, Watagan and Heaton State Forests with their rich eucalypt and
rainforest landscapes. There are also magnificent panoramic views
of the Central Coast and Lower Hunter Valley while crossing the
Sugarloaf and Myall Ranges. The track from Teralba to Heaton Gap is
easy to moderate going while the section from Heaton Gap to the Old
Watagan Forestry HQ incorporates some precipitous ascents and
descents and is very rough and hard to follow in parts.
Section 2 (23.9 km)
Checkpoint 1 (Old Watagan Forestry HQ) to Checkpoint 2 Congewai
Public School)
[GNW100sMap]
[MapMyRun]
[GoogleEarth]
The route follows
the ridge of the Myall Range through eucalypt forest with extensive
views to the north across the Lower Hunter Valley until it descends
southwards into the picturesque farmland of the Congewai Valley.
Generally the track is easy to moderate going.
Section 3 (29.1 km)
Checkpoint 2 (Congewai Public School) to Checkpoint 3 (Basin
Campsite)
[GNW100sMap]
[MapMyRun]
[GoogleEarth]
The route climbs
from the Congewai Valley into the Watagan Mountains and passes
through the Watagan and Olney State Forests with majestic stands of
tall timber and delightful pockets of rainforest. Generally the
track going is moderate to hard.
Section 4 (22.1 km)
Checkpoint 3 (Basin Campsite) to Checkpoint 4 and Finish 100 km
(Yarramalong Public School)
[GNW100sMap]
[MapMyRun]
[GoogleEarth]
The route
continues through the Olney State Forest before descending to the
Cedar Brush Trackhead and following the road down the beautiful
rural Yarramalong Valley. The track going is moderate to easy.
Section 5 (28.4 km)
Checkpoint 4 (Yarramalong Public School) to Checkpoint 5 (Somersby
Public School)
[GNW100sMap]
[MapMyRun]
[GoogleEarth]
The route
initially climbs through eucalypt forest before following Milligans
Ridge through Ourimbah State Forest. It then descends to follow
Ourimbah Creek through its picturesque rural valley before climbing
back onto the plateau. The track going is generally moderate to
easy with a few difficult sections.
Section 6 (17.8 km)
Checkpoint 5 (Somersby Public School) to Checkpoint 6 (Pacific Hwy
bridge over Mooney Mooney Creek)
[GNW100sMap]
[MapMyRun]
[GoogleEarth]
The route passes
through rural countryside before skirting the eastern side of the
Mooney Mooney Creek valley in Brisbane Water National Park. From
the junction with the track to Somersby Falls the course descends
into the scenic Mooney Mooney Creek valley, passing Mooney Mooney
Creek Dam, before eventually crossing the Creek (take care!). The
course then follows Mooney Mooney Creek to Checkpoint 6. The track
going is easy to moderate.
Section 7 (25.4 km)
Checkpoint 6 (Pacific Hwy bridge over Mooney Mooney Creek) to Finish
100 Mile (Patonga Wharf)
[GNW100sMap]
[MapMyRun]
[GoogleEarth]
The route follows
Mooney Mooney Creek downstream a short distance before turning to
follow Piles Creek upstream and then crossing the creek on a
suspension bridge. It then climbs steeply out of the rainforest
pockets of the valley into eucalypt forest and open sandstone
plateaus. It then descends to Broken Bay and Patonga offering
magnificent views en route. The track going ranges from easy to
hard.
Geology
In the north, the
forested Watagan Mountains separate the Hunter River catchment from
the catchments of Lake Macquarie and the Tuggerah Lakes. Further
south, Hawkesbury sandstone is the areas dominant rock type, with
underlying Narrabeen sediments being exposed in some escarpments
along watercourses. “Tafoni” or “honeycomb” weathering has eroded
the face of sandstone escarpments to produce many fantastically
elaborate rock shelters. Spectacular tidal inlets have been created
where ancient river valleys were drowned about 8,000 years ago by
the rise in sea level following the last ice age.
Flora
The Course of the
GNW100s passes through an area where the ecologically rich forests
of the mid north coast give way to the drier gnarled forests of the
Sydney sandstone country. As a result, many plant species are
encountered along the way. In the north, magnificent isolated
stands of red cedar and Illawarra flame trees mix with more common
species including spotted gum, Sydney blue gum, turpentine,
peppermints and forest oaks. Further to the south, high areas carry
open woodland with a heath-like understorey and occasional “hanging”
swamps. Along the whole route, some of the deep gorges contain
remnants of dense sub-tropical rainforest with tree ferns,
cabbage-tree palms, elkhorns and rock- and tree orchids.
Fauna
Along the route of
the GNW100s live populations of wallabies, koalas, echidnas,
platypus, brush-tailed and ring-tailed possums and great gliders as
well as 37 species of snake (rarely seen!) and many species of
birds.
History
The area of the
race has a long aboriginal heritage. In the north, the Darkinjug
and Awabakal Aboriginal people have been connected to the Watagan
Mountains for at least 11,000 years. The mountains are of spiritual
and cultural significance and were a rich source of food and shelter
in the traditional hunter/gatherer economy. Rock art, axe grinding
grooves, engravings and stone artefact scatters can be found along
ridge lines, spurs and valley floors. In the south, near Broken Bay
and Brisbane Water, lived the Gurringai tribe. They have left
behind a rich legacy of rock engravings, charcoal and ochre drawings
and exe-grinding grooves. European use of the Watagan Mountains
began with the arrival of the cedar-getters in the early 1820s.
Hardwood harvesting followed, bolstered by the construction of the
Newcastle rail link in the 1850s, the availability of a timber
supply route via Dora Creek and the growing coal mining industry’s
need for timber. The early roads in the mountains developed from
the original bullock tracks used to extract the logs.
Trail Going
|
Characteristic |
100 Kilometre |
100 Mile |
|
Sec. 1 |
Sec. 2 |
Sec. 3 |
Sec. 4 |
Total |
Sec. 5 |
Sec. 6 |
Sec. 7 |
Total |
|
Trail Going (kilometres) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sealed Road |
Easy |
6.6 |
|
|
3.9 |
10.5 |
1.6 |
2.0 |
|
14.1 |
| |
Moderate |
0.2 |
|
|
|
0.2 |
2.0 |
0.8 |
|
3.0 |
| |
Hard |
|
|
|
|
0.0 |
0.1 |
|
|
0.1 |
| |
Total |
6.8 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
3.9 |
10.7 |
3.7 |
2.8 |
0.0 |
17.2 |
|
Gravel Road |
Easy |
6.4 |
7.8 |
8.9 |
8.1 |
31.2 |
5.5 |
2.0 |
|
38.7 |
| |
Moderate |
|
|
|
|
0.0 |
|
|
1.3 |
1.3 |
| |
Hard |
|
|
|
|
0.0 |
|
|
|
0.0 |
| |
Total |
6.4 |
7.8 |
8.9 |
8.1 |
31.2 |
5.5 |
2.0 |
1.3 |
40.0 |
|
Fire/4WD Trail |
Easy |
0.4 |
|
0.1 |
4.1 |
4.5 |
0.3 |
|
1.4 |
6.2 |
| |
Moderate |
4.3 |
12.5 |
3.9 |
|
20.6 |
7.2 |
0.4 |
7.2 |
35.4 |
| |
Hard |
|
|
2.4 |
|
2.4 |
|
|
|
2.4 |
| |
Total |
4.6 |
12.5 |
6.4 |
4.1 |
27.5 |
7.5 |
0.4 |
8.6 |
44.0 |
|
Foot Track |
Easy |
1.4 |
|
|
|
1.4 |
1.8 |
|
2.4 |
5.5 |
| |
Moderate |
2.0 |
3.7 |
2.7 |
2.2 |
10.5 |
2.8 |
12.2 |
3.1 |
28.6 |
| |
Hard |
7.4 |
|
11.1 |
3.8 |
22.3 |
7.0 |
|
10.0 |
39.4 |
| |
Total |
10.8 |
3.7 |
13.8 |
6.0 |
34.3 |
11.5 |
12.2 |
15.5 |
73.5 |
|
Total Distance |
28.6 |
23.9 |
29.1 |
22.1 |
103.7 |
28.2 |
17.4 |
25.4 |
174.7 |
|
Elevation (metres) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gain |
|
1476 |
472 |
1353 |
492 |
3793 |
1134 |
306 |
897 |
6130 |
|
Loss |
|
996 |
837 |
1238 |
691 |
3761 |
895 |
551 |
937 |
6144 |
 |
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|
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Overview Map
Click
here for a high-level view of the
course.
Elevation Profile
Click
here for an elevation profile of
the course.
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