THE GIRRIWA LOOP WALKING TRAIL

Across Common Creek on the north-western side of the Dungog Common is steep country largely tree-covered. It is here that a walking trail circles around the highest point, Hungry Hill, passing through several distinct ecosystems. The main Girriwa Loop is 4.8 kilometres long and takes two to three hours to complete. Short-cutting across The Snip halves the distance. The trail has some steep sections but is not difficult for reasonably fit walkers.

The recommended start-point for walkers on the Girriwa Loop is just across Common Creek, a 100-metre walk down from the parking area at the entrance to the Common off Common Road, Marker pegs featuring the goanna logo are all along the route. Please follow a clock- wise direction. The route initially follows the creek upstream, then climbs into the hilly country. Wear sturdy footwear, carry water and snacks, and keep a sharp eye out for wildlife.

The Aboriginal word Dungog means ‘sparsely wooded hills’. The Girriwa Loop Walk steps back in time, enabling some sense of the way this Williams valley landscape was before European settlement. Here and there it is grassy but mostly it is a wander through scattered trees. A walk such as this the Gringai people might have loosely followed over thousands of years... gathering food and medicinal plants, hunting kangaroos, and perhaps congregating for ceremony. The Girriwa Loop follows a route that meanders and zigs and zags as the Gringai might have done. The Girriwa Loop is a walk on Gringai ground.

Hungry Hill and Girrawa Loop Virtual Tour

Take a virtual tour of Hungry Hill and the Girriwa Loop in these videos