A Leisurely Walk By The River Just Minutes From The Centre Of Berrima Village

We love that Berrima village has the perfect balance of gorgeous shops, cafes and restaurants serving up delicious food, a kids playground, plenty of green space, gorgeous galleries, historical buildings and museums AND that it’s all so close to nature and a couple of fab bush walks!

Everything is in a super convenient radius and so accessible.

We did the Stone Quarry Walk recently, perfect for getting in some exercise and walking off lunch!

Here’s what you need to know.

Family-friendly :: It’s an easy enough pathway to navigate for little legs. There are some stairs so it won’t work for prams. PLUS it’s right next to the river so you’ll need to hang onto inquisitive little ‘uns.

Easily Accessible :: There are two trail heads. One is across the road from the Surveyor General Inn. The other one is at the corner of Argyle Street and Market Place, to the right of Holy Trinity Church if you’re standing looking at the church].

Dog Friendly :: Yes, we met a lovely black lab on our walk.

Stairs :: The pathway down to the river bank and up is a little steep with stone stairs. There is also a flight of stairs about halfway along the walk.

Length :: The actual walk from trail head to trail head is just under 600 metres. We tracked just over a kilometre doing the full loop from where the car was parked at the pub.

Time :: If you step it out, it’s a quick 5 – 10 minute walk. But we took our time and made a few new friends including a beautiful lace monitor lizard. If you take your time and wander, it can take around 20 minutes.

Cost ::  Free.

Good to know ::  We did the walk in early April so it was very muddy and wet. If you’re hitting the trail after heavy rain, wear old shoes or gumboots and keep an eye out for leeches [although we came away leech free].

Where is it?

The Stone Quarry Walk runs along the western bank of the Wingecarribee River and is easily accessible from the centre of Berrima Village.

Head of the trail

The trail runs in a u-shape and has two entry / exit points – you choose which one depending which end of town.

One trail head is in the centre of town across the road from the Surveyor General Inn. There’s a large black info sign to the left of the entrance.

The other one is a bit further south at the corner of Argyle Street and Market Place, to the right of Holy Trinity Church [if you’re standing looking at the church].

Down to the river

We started across the road from the Surveyor General Inn. There’s a large black sign marking the entrance. You can’t miss it.

The pathway winds its way down to the river bank.

It can get a little steep [and it was slippery when we were there thanks to all the rain] as you get closer to the water but there’s a hand rail to help you.

Along the river bank

Then it’s all about strolling along the river bank enjoying the view.

The pathway runs parallel to the water with some stairs halfway along.

The river was up a bit from the recent rains and moving along at a rapid pace but normally it’s quite serene down there.

There’s plenty of big rocks to jump on and around if you’re young and nimble!

And we met a very cool little fella sunning himself on the rocks in a rare moment of sunshine.

History lesson time

It wouldn’t be Berrima if there wasn’t some sort of snippet of history, right?

So, here’s the deal.

The sandstone blocks used to build Holy Trinity Church were cut from a quarry on the river behind the church back in 1847-49.

And as you wander along check out the large rock walls and look for quarrying marks on the rock faces.

Platypus spotting

This walk is also known to have guest appearances by the elusive platypus every now and then.

They do like it quiet and are nocturnal but sometimes appear at dawn or dusk too.

Take a seat, sit quietly and see if you can spot one.

We didn’t spot one because we’re pretty noisy, it was the middle of the day AND we were pretty focused on our monitor lizard mate.

Back up to town

Towards the end of the walk, the path doglegs to the right and sends you back up towards the village where you’ll pop out at the corner of Market Place and Argyle Street.

From there it’s an easy stroll back to the main road.

What to do afterwards…

We love the village of Berrima. Grab a coffee and a bit from one of the fantastic cafes in the morning such as the Gumnut Patisserie, and follow the walk up with some retail therapy at one of the gorgeous stores.

If it’s warm, head on over to Berrima River Reserve on the other side of town and jump in the river for a dip.

Or if you’re up for another walk, here’s our guide to the Berrima River Walk.

Or book in for some lunch at The Lodge at Berrima Vault House head out for a walk and do what we did afterwards and pop into the pub for a cold one.

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!