Getting started
From the BBQs, this walk goes across the picnic area, keeping the road to the right. The walk passes the information board, to the left, and follows the paved path toward the nearby toilet block. The walk turns left just before the toilet block and follows the 'Nurrunga Picnic Area' arrow down the paved steps and along the bush track. The walk descends gently for a while with numerous sandstone steps, then meanders around the side of the hill, for some distance. Ignoring a bush track, to the left, and another soon after, to the right, the walk continues for some distance until reaching an intersection with a management trail, with a 'Flannel Flower Track' signpost pointing back to the 'Yaruga Picnic Area'.....

Toilet: There are 2 on route, on average they are 680 m apart with the largest gap of 1.2 km.

Rumbalara Reserve
Rumbalara Reserve lies just to the east of the Gosford CBD and is part of Gosford's Coastal Open Space System (COSS). There is an extensive set of well marked walking tracks within the reserve. Yaruga Picnic Area has free electric BBQs while both Yaruga and Nurrunga picnic areas have toilets, picnic tables, nearby lookouts and proximity to walking tracks. The picnic areas are accessed via Dolly Ave, Springfield, with the gate being locked at 8pm each evening. The Rumbalara Environmental Education Centre, at the end of Donnison St, Gosford, is one of several good access points to the walking tracks in the lower section of the reserve.

Yaruga Picnic Area
This picnic area is right beside Dolly Ave, within the Rumbalara Reserve, Gosford. The facilities include free electric BBQs, picnic tables, toilets and garbage bins. There are information boards with details of the walking tracks and other features of the reserve. There are a couple of lookout points at the edge of the picnic area with great views out across Gosford and the surrounding areas.

Flannel Flower
Actinotus helianthi, popularly known as the Sydney flannel flower, is frequently spotted by spring-time bushwalkers in the Sydney region. Generally growing up to 50 cm, the stem, branches and leaves of the plant are a pale grey in colour, covered in downy hair (rather like flannel in texture).

Rumbalara Reserve Flora and Fauna
The reserve is home to a wide range of flora and fauna. The vegetation types range from the relatively dry 'Coastal Narrabeen Ironbark Forest' to pockets of 'Coastal Warm Temperate Rainforest'. Commonly seen birds include Kookaburras, Eastern Rosellas and Magpies. Rarer birds such as the Glossy Black Cockatoo and Swift Parrot are sometimes sighted here as well. Sugar Gliders, Brush-tailed possums, Blue-tounged lizards and Tree snakes can be seen in the reserve if you are patient and lucky enough.

Sculptures in Rumbalara
There are four bronze figurative sculptures in the Rumbalara Reserve that were 'commissioned in the series "Salute to Famous Australians", which includes Captain Charles Sturt, Edward Eyre, and Sir Charles Kingsford Smith.' Matthew Flinders is the fourth in the series. They were 'commissioned by Sara Lee Kitchens (Australia) Pty Ltd and Gosford City Council for the State Bicentennial Celebrations 1987.'. Smith and Flinders are the most easily reached, at the Nurrunga picnic area.

• Gosford Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon
  Tuesday 29 April
  

  

  24°C
  Showers developing.
  80% chance of rain
  

  Partly cloudy. Patchy morning fog. High chance of showers, most likely during this afternoon and evening. The chance of a thunderstorm during this afternoon and evening. Light winds. Daytime maximum temperatures in the low to mid 20s.
  
  UV Alert: Sun protection 9:20am to 2:20pm, UV Index predicted to reach 5 [Moderate]

  Wednesday 30 April
  

  

  14°C → 21°C
  Showers increasing.
  90% chance of rain
  3 → 20mm

  Cloudy. High chance of showers. The chance of a thunderstorm. Light winds becoming south to southwesterly 15 to 25 km/h in the morning. Overnight temperatures falling to between 11 and 15 with daytime temperatures reaching between 17 and 20.

  Thursday 1 May
  

  

  13°C → 19°C
  Showers.
  95% chance of rain
  8 → 35mm

  Cloudy. High chance of showers. The chance of a thunderstorm along the coastal fringe. Winds south to southwesterly 15 to 25 km/h tending south to southeasterly 20 to 30 km/h during the day. Overnight temperatures falling to between 8 and 13 with daytime temperatures reaching between 15 and 19.

  Friday 2 May
  

  

  12°C → 20°C
  Showers.
  90% chance of rain
  1 → 15mm

  Partly cloudy. High chance of showers. Winds south to southeasterly 15 to 25 km/h becoming light during the evening. Overnight temperatures falling to between 8 and 12 with daytime temperatures reaching between 16 and 20.

  Saturday 3 May
  

  

  13°C → 22°C
  Shower or two.
  70% chance of rain
  0 → 9mm

  Shower or two.

  Sunday 4 May
  

  

  14°C → 23°C
  Shower or two.
  60% chance of rain
  0 → 4mm

  Shower or two.

  Monday 5 May
  

  

  15°C → 23°C
  Possible shower.
  40% chance of rain
  0 → 1mm

  Possible shower.

  Forecast data thanks to © Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology