Church Rock Heritage

Starting from the Flints car park off Tidbinbilla Reserve Road, Paddys River, this walk takes you on a historic circuit in the mixed eucalypt woodland of Tidbinbilla. Mainly focusing on the early life of Tidbinbilla, the journey lets you observe how life was back in the day. Near the toilets, you’ll come across some pine stumps. These were once big sturdy trees, planted by the early settlers to effectively break the wind. Next up is the Flints Homestead, where Sid and Annie Flint used to live. The Sheedy family also lived nearby, at their own homesite(1885-1890). At the time, Julia Sheedy was the only official woman landowner in the Valley. Besides the historic homesteads, there is a spire-like rock named Church Rock. It is believed to have had religious importance for the early Tidbinbilla community. Masses were held and priests would bring Catholic school children here to instruct them on religious matters. A pioneer of early Tidbinbilla, Mary Ann Green(1865-1911) would also bring her children for Sunday School tuition. You’ll probably run across some kangaroos and wallabies as you enjoy this stroll in nature. Keep in mind that the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve requires a pass, which can be acquired daily or annual. Let us begin by acknowledging the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we travel today, and pay our respects to their Elders past and present.

Downloads GPX PDF

Safer Bushwalks Tips on staying safe on track
Before you start any bushwalk ensure you;
• Tell someone you trust where you are going and what to do if you are overdue
• Have adequate equipment, supplies, skills & knowledge for the whole journey
• Consider the impact of weather forecasts, park/track closures & fire dangers
• Can respond to emergencies & call for help at any point
• Are healthy and fit enough for this journey
If not, change plans and stay safe. It is okay to delay and ask people for help.

Getting There Transport options and directions

Start	(-35.458682,148.919403)
Mode	Car
Directions	From Tuggeranong Parkway Turn on to Drakeford Drive then drive for 2 km At roundabout, take exit 3 onto Woodcock Drive and drive for another 2 km Turn right onto Jim Pike Avenue and drive for another 820 m Turn right onto Point Hut Road and drive for another 4.8 km Turn right onto Tidbinbilla Road and drive for another 10 km Turn left onto Tidbinbilla Reserve Road and drive for another 550 m Continue onto Tidbinbilla Reserve Road and drive for another 3 km Turn slight right onto Tidbinbilla Reserve Road and drive for another 550 m Turn left and drive for another 15 m

Track Notes Turn by turn instructions & maps

Getting started
From the western end of the Flints car park off Tidbinbilla Reserve Road(630 metres southwest of Historic Rock Valley Homestead), pass through the bollard and join the subtly formed trail that’s veering left. Pass by the signpost to your left as you start moving directly away from the paved road. Follow the dirt track as you pass by the toilets to your right to continue along Church Rock Heritage Circuit(counterclockwise). This is the direction of travel on the brochure.....

Turn map	Directions & comments
	Start. After 70 m pass the sign (8 m on your left). After another 40 m pass the BBQ (25 m on your left). After another 65 m continue straight. After another 15 m pass the toilet (15 m on your right).
	After another 490 m (from the Tidbinbilla Reserve Road) turn left (a vehicle track). After another 125 m continue straight. Keep left. After another 210 m come to the viewpoint (on your left). After another 285 m come to the viewpoint (on your right). After another 3 m (at the intersection of Tidbinbilla Reserve Road & Church Rock Heritage Loop) continue straight. Marked Crosswalk
	After another 335 m turn right.
	After another 160 m come to the end.

Terrain Know the Hills, grading & facilities

Church Rock Heritage

Grading

	Class 2/6 Easy track
Length	1.8 km
Time	1 h 15 min to 1 h 45 min

Quality of track	Clear and well formed track or trail (2/6)
Gradient	Gentle hills with occasional steps (2/6)
Signage	Clearly signposted (2/6)
Infrastructure	Generally useful facilities (such as fenced cliffs and seats) (1/6)
Experience Required	No experience required (2/6)
Weather	Weather generally has little impact on safety (2/6)

Some facilities on route

Toilet: There is one 190 m from the start.

Order of key facilities on route

Item	From Start	Name & link to notes
Toilet	190 m	[toilet]

Weather & Alerts Check forecasts & closures
Weather Forecast
- Tuggeranong Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed
  
  Thursday 24 April
  
  22°C
  Cloudy.
  20% chance of rain
  
  Partly cloudy. High chance of showers. The chance of a thunderstorm, becoming less likely this evening. Winds south to southeasterly 15 to 20 km/h becoming light in the late evening.
  
  Friday 25 April
  
  9°C → 23°C
  Partly cloudy.
  10% chance of rain
  
  Partly cloudy. Medium chance of showers, most likely in the morning and afternoon. Light winds becoming easterly 15 to 20 km/h in the early afternoon then becoming light in the late afternoon.
  
  Fire Danger Rating: No Rating
  
  UV Alert: Sun protection 9:30am to 2:10pm, UV Index predicted to reach 5 [Moderate]
  
  Saturday 26 April
  
  10°C → 21°C
  Shower or two.
  70% chance of rain
  0 → 6mm
  
  Partly cloudy. The chance of fog in the west in the early morning. Medium chance of showers, most likely in the late morning and afternoon. The chance of a thunderstorm. Light winds becoming northeasterly 15 to 20 km/h in the late afternoon then becoming light in the evening.
  
  Sunday 27 April
  
  11°C → 20°C
  Shower or two.
  60% chance of rain
  0 → 7mm
  
  Partly cloudy. High chance of showers, most likely in the afternoon and evening. The chance of a thunderstorm. Light winds becoming northeast to southeasterly 15 to 20 km/h during the afternoon then becoming light during the evening.
  
  Monday 28 April
  
  8°C → 21°C
  Partly cloudy.
  20% chance of rain
  
  Cloudy. High chance of showers. The chance of a thunderstorm. Light winds becoming southwesterly 15 to 25 km/h during the morning.
  
  Tuesday 29 April
  
  8°C → 20°C
  Possible shower.
  40% chance of rain
  0 → 1mm
  
  Partly cloudy. Medium chance of showers, most likely during the morning. Winds southwesterly 15 to 25 km/h turning southerly during the day.
  
  Wednesday 30 April
  
  7°C → 17°C
  Possible shower.
  40% chance of rain
  0 → 1mm
  
  Partly cloudy. Medium chance of showers. Winds southwesterly 15 to 20 km/h tending southeast to southwesterly during the day.
  
  Partly cloudy. Medium chance of showers. Winds southwesterly 15 to 20 km/h turning southerly 15 to 25 km/h during the morning.
  
  Forecast data thanks to © Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology
Alerts
- ACT Parks alerts
  When planning and before starting your trip please check ACT Parks Website for anything that may impact on your plans. It is also worth checking the Parks Facebook page for more timely information.

Weather Forecast

Alerts