Mummy, my legs hurt

Near Wolgan Valley Distance: 7.5km Duration: Around 2.5 hours A magical walk we did in winter, with crystallized frost on the grass and an interesting assortment of ruins from the old mining days. You've got to be pretty self sufficient for this one; Newnes itself is one hotel and a road - that's pretty much it - so bring lots of snacks and water, more than you think you'll need as you're a long way from anywhere if you get delayed! There's interpretive signage everywhere so you can see what's what. You can just explore a little area or do the entire site if you feel like it. We were lucky enough to see a wombat in broad daylight, hanging around the nearby campground and generally nonplussed about us staring at him. The kids got really close before he skittered back into his burrow! This was a really lovely walk with something everywhere you look to keep the kids occupied. The ruins are scattered on the side of a s...

Near Newnes NSW Distance: 5km Duration: 2.5 hours including snack breaks We have been planning to get out to Newnes again for a while now, especially considering that the continued conservation of this magical areas hangs in the balance due to pressure from coal mining companies. I hope that it will be protected for years to come but just in case, we want to explore it thoroughly while we can, whilst it is still relatively untouched. Although there is definite evidence of human interference already; the native bush areas are in stark contrast to the endless clearfelled forestry-owned areas that you drive through to get to the walking tracks. The Newnes plateau is best known for its unusual rock formations known as pagodas; craggy stepped outcrops that have formed over millions of years. From the NPWS website: "The geological evolution of this park has produced Triassic Narrabeen sandstone cliffs, slot canyons, grand mesas and the beautiful, yet often strangely delicate...