A Peaceful Spot For A Leisurely Walk [With A Side OF Bird-Watching]
Handy information and outdoor fun, kindly brought to you by The Fixed Wheel, Bowral.
This is a super easy and relaxing walk north of the township of Moss Vale.
A hidden treasure where nature and indigenous culture are celebrated, Cecil Hoskins Nature Reserve is a super peaceful spot in the centre of the Highlands, and a great place to catch up with family for a picnic.
Family-friendly :: Yep, there are two short walks ideal for little legs. The river is easily accessible so you’ll have to keep an eye on the kids.
Easily Accessible :: There is a car park at the entrance [and another at the south end of the Bong Bong Track you can also use].
Dog Friendly :: No doggo’s, as it’s part of National Parks NSW and a nature reserve.
Stairs :: None. There’s a small ascent on one of the walks but blink and you’ll miss it.
Length :: We wandered around the entire reserve and clocked 2.42km.
Time :: We had a VERY leisurely stroll, stopping to take lots of pics so were there for under an hour. You could knock off both the walks in under 30 minutes easily.
Cost :: No cost.
Where is it?
North of the township of Moss Vale, the Cecil Hoskins Nature Reserve is on the banks of the Wingecarribee River.
If you’re coming from Moss Vale, turn right just after the bridge but instead of turning right into the Bong Bong Track car park, continue straight ahead up a dirt road and you’ll come across the sign for Cecil Hoskins Nature Reserve.
Continue past that and go over a cattle grid and you’ll come to a small car park.
Head of the trail
When you jump out of the car, the first thing you’ll see is couple of grass clearings.
The first clearing has the information board with a map of the reserve and the walking trails on it.
It also has info about who Cecil Hoskins actually was. Turns out we have him to thank for many of our gorgeous gardens in the area – both public [Seymour Park in Moss Vale] and private [Invergowrie and Cardrona].
Learn from local Gundungurra people
Walk through the first clearing and veer to the right.
This is where you’ll find a lovely spot where our First Nations people have shared someof their local knowledge.
Take the time to wander around the circular set of info signs and learn how indigenous communities work with nature to live and thrive.
Loop Walk
From this clearing, continue straight ahead where you’ll come to a fork a little way into the grass track.
Keep going straight to explore the area around the weir – it’s a dead end so you’ll have to come back to where you started to continue the Loop Walk.
The trail is all grass [so maybe not great for prams if it’s a bit wet underfoot] and quite wide.
The river winds along to your left with longer grass and plenty of trees on either side of the track.
We actually came across a Highlands Copperhead [!] sunning itself on the edge of the trail, so if you’re heading here in the warmer months just keep an eye out the way most locals do when they’re bush walking!
We just kept our distance and quietly veered around him – he wasn’t too keen to move.
Must’ve been the delicious Sunday morning sun!
We followed the trail up to where it dog legs 90 degrees to the right.
Just before this you’ll see another small path lead off to the right. You can take this too if you like – it will bring you out about halfway up the trail we’re continuing on.
You’ll have a fenced paddock on your left for about 50 metres before veering to the right at a big white gum.
Follow this pathway another 200 metres or so and it will bring you back to the original clearing you were in.
Riverside walk
Keep walking straight ahead and you’ll see this sign just before the picnic area.
Walk on through the picnic area and follow the pathway up the hill [toilets are to the left here].
The track is a single dirt path but not too rocky, so pretty stable underfoot.
Follow the trail and you’ll end up on the high side of the bank with the river on your right.
There are benches dotted along the walk for you to just sit and take in the view across the water to the farmlands beyond.
And if you’re lucky, you’ll spot a platypus!
About 500 metres from the start of the track, you’ll come across the lookout.
If you’re an avid bird watcher, this is where you pull out the binoculars and settle in to see what you can find.
It’s a bird’s paradise here.
Follow the information signs at the lookout to see what you can spot.
There are lovely views straight ahead, to the left and to the right from the lookout.
There’s a bench here too if you just fancy sitting and breathing and being.
A little extra
The walk officially ends at the lookout but if you fancy adding another couple of hundred meetings to your walk, keep following the path.
It’s a dead-end – you’ll come to a gate where you can turn around and retrace your steps but there’s some lovely views too.
Water’s edge
On the way back to the picnic area, once the path starts to descend, there’s a rough pathway that shoots off from the main pathway that will take you through the trees down to the river’s edge.
There was a lovely family of ducks that we said hello to when we were there.
So, a super easy walk in a beautifully peaceful space in the middle of the Highlands!
If you’ve driven past the Cecil Hoskins sign and never driven in, maybe it’s time to put the blinker on and discover it for yourself.
Keen to find some new walks to hit up? Head here for some more articles in our Walking Adventures series.
We love sharing our awesome outdoor adventures with The Fold readers and want to make sure everyone stays safe and healthy when giving our walks and rides a crack for themselves. So, always check the weather forecast before you venture out. If you’re heading into a National Park, be sure to consult the National Parks website for up-to-date information about current alerts. Prepare yourself with the right equipment, clothing, safety items, with plenty to eat and drink if you’re going on longer hikes, and always let someone else know where you’re going and what time you are expected to be back. Have fun and stay safe!