Hikers, rejoice! Western Sydney’s longest recreational walking trail, the Great West Walk, has been extended by another 80 kilometres, making it possible to walk from Parramatta to Katoomba.
The length of the Great West Walk now totals 140 kilometres, winding through some of Western Sydney’s most iconic urban landscapes, protected woodlands, public parklands, local river systems, Australia’s oldest architecture, and on into the Blue Mountains past dramatic escarpments, down undulating valleys, by rivers, waterfalls and cascades, historic buildings, manicured gardens, charming villages, and unequalled mountain vistas.
Members of The Walking Volunteers group, which mapped out the walk, will undertake an inaugural nine-day trek of the new 80-kilometre stretch of the Great West Walk from Katoomba to Emu Plains, finishing at the Yandhai Bridge crossing at the Nepean River, Penrith, on Wednesday 24 August 2022.
The NSW Minister for Infrastructure, Minister for Cities, and Minister for Active Transport, Rob Stokes, will join The Walking Volunteers on day four of their walk and officially launch the new Katoomba-Penrith section at 3pm, Friday 19 August at the Woodford Academy.
“Whether you walk 30 minutes or 30 kilometres along this incredible trail, projects like this offer immeasurable community benefits,” said Stokes.
“This is a great way for families across Greater Sydney to get out and be active, while leaving more money in hip pockets”.
According to the Walking Volunteers secretary, Bill Avery, the inaugural Great West Walk from Katoomba to Penrith is the fulfilment of a dream the Walking Volunteers have had for many years.
“This walking route is part of a 1,500-kilometre network of walking routes around Greater Sydney that The Walking Volunteers have proof-walked and mapped over the last eighteen years,” Avery said.
“Over 900,00 people have accessed these maps since 2019 when we made them available to freely download onto smartphones, tablets and PCs.
“We hope that our maps will encourage more people to visit and re-visit the Blue Mountains including the lesser-known sections that have so many reminders of our Indigenous and colonial history.”
