The Quiet Joy of Small Places
An autumn afternoon exploring sandstone overhangs, quiet woodland and hidden formations in the upper reaches of Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park.
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Date walked: May 2026
Kilometres: 2.8 km
Elevation gain: 50 m
Grade: 3
Location: Ku-Ring-Gai Chase National Park
Maps: NSW Topographic 1:25:000, HORNSBY
All photos Copyright and by Sandstone Symphony
We had driven past countless times. A modest sandstone outcrop sits behind McCarrs Creek Road in the southern reaches of Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. From the road, there was little to see — just a low cliff line glimpsed through the trees near Terry Hills. Still, it kept drawing our attention.
On this late autumn afternoon, no grand expedition was planned, and instead, we accepted the cliff’s invitation and let the landscape lead us.
First Contact
The scramble up from the roadside led quickly to a broad sandstone overhang, its walls stained deep red and ochre. In places, darker markings interrupted the colour — possible traces of art, or perhaps only the stone’s own patterns. It was hard to tell.
We followed the cliff line south through quiet bush and soft afternoon light that shifted the patterns on the rock. Rounding one corner, a boobook owl burst suddenly from its roost.
For a moment, golden eyes met human ones before the bird wheeled away to settle higher up in a nearby tree, resuming its patient watch from a safer distance.
Australian boobook (Ninox boobook)
Climbing Higher
The cliff's southern end offered an easy route to its flat rock top, where open woodland stretched away under the canopy. Beyond it lay open woodland and broad sandstone shelves stepping gently east through the bush.
This was one part of Ku-Ring-Gai Chase where scrub has not formed impenetrable barriers—open understorey that suggested why this country had drawn people for millennia. The landscape seemed to invite exploration rather than resist it.
The Camel Rock
Following the gentle spur—then gentle saddle—eastward revealed what aerial photos had missed: a substantial rock outcrop rising under the trees. Long and wide, but of gentler height, the platform was guarded by a weathered taller structure. Viewed from certain angles, it resembled a resting camel—humped back, elongated neck, large holes piercing the formation like ancient windows.
We climbed under onto the platforms upper surfaces, where weather and water had carved pockets, curves and overhangs into the stone. On one wall, faint markings again suggested possible art, though weathering and staining made certainty impossible.
Ridge Walking
The return west crossed a small watercourse, whcih the map showed headed towards McCarrs Creek, then climbed onto the main ridge. Here the canopy opened to reveal a broad sandstone platform and views stretching west.
The Harvey Trig stood beside collapsed stone foundations—remnants of an earlier survey station. The platform, at 200 metres elevation, made a natural observation deck, though the afternoon's sunset was more subtle than spectacular.
Looking north west across the upper reaches of Ku-Ring-Gai Chase National Park
Golden Hour Discoveries
Rather than retrace our steps immediately, we wandered along the northwestern edge of the platform. More overhangs appeared beneath the trees, their undersides glowing gold in the afternoon light.
A narrow tunnel passed through one section of rock. Nearby, another formation resembled a weathered face emerging from the sandstone. But is the face that of an old man or a duck?
Painted Hands
Near the end of the walk, tucked beneath a sheltered overhang, we came across a series of hand stencils.
The hand stencils themselves appeared old. This country is rich with such work. Over them sat brighter red and yellow dot painting that looked far more recent. The newer paint may be intended as restoration, interpretation, or something else entirely. Without expertise in rock art authentication, we could only photograph what we found and wonder about the layers of human activity represented on this single rock face.
It felt like an appropriate final discovery for the afternoon — layered, uncertain, and unresolved.
Reflections
Driving home as dusk settled in, we reflected on how different these smaller walks feel from the longer expeditions that usually draw us further afield. No heavy packs. No major objective. No mighty summits or challenging canyons. Just an afternoon spent following curiosity through bushland surprisingly close to home. A quiet satisfaction. A joy even.
