B4 – Drains North of Coalcliff Station

Difficulty: awkward, only occasionally navigable.  Also worth taking care walking alongside Lawrence Hargrave Drive in this section.  The road is very narrow with only a minimal verge.

Summary: a series of minor waterways appearing as road and railway drains (30-40 minutes one way)

Directions: park at Stanwell Park Beach Reserve, walk down to the beach and then to the mouth of Stanwell Creek.  Cross the creek at some boulders and walk beside low cliffs for a short way until a small tributary runs into Stanwell Creek from between some impressive beach side houses (about 40m).  Turn left and ascend the steep Kallaroo Avenue.  Turn right at Lower Coast Road and then left at a small dirt track that leads up to Lawrence Hargrave Drive.  Follow the latter south towards Coalcliff. The following collection of minor waterways occur at regular intervals along this narrow section of road.

Point of disappearance: immediate in most instances.  These are generally narrow drains running beneath the road and railway lines.  It would be worth walking the rocky coast for below to see if any cascade off the coastal cliffs as waterfalls.  Possibly worth also walking the escarpment above in search of small creeklets and cascades.

B4 - B8
B3 – B8

B4a: an interesting, steep brick-lined drain on the western side of the road.  Very slippery in wet weather.  Leads up to a short section of natural creek, then to railway drains.

Aqueduct style brick shute
Aqueduct style brick shute
Creek line to railway drain
Creek line to railway drain
IMG_1971
Looking back down the awkward clamber required to escape the drain
Railway drain, not navigable
Railway drain, not navigable

B4b:  road drain, which becomes a short, noisy creek on the eastern side as it runs beside the southern end of a small section of open, grassed parkland.

Deep drain
Deep drain
View out to sea from the parkland
View out to sea from the parkland

B4c, B4d and B4e: another few railway and road drains, including one running beneath Coalcliff Station.

Railway drain
Railway drain
Road drain close to Coalcliff Station
Road drain close to Coalcliff Station

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