Guildford, NSW
5.7 km (1.5 hrs )
★★☆☆☆

With restrictions in place on where you can travel in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19, I decided to get my exercise by visiting some places close to where I live. Using online maps, I soon found some green space to the west that looked promising and decided to explore the area in Guildford known as Waddangalli Woodland.

Waddangalli Woodland is one of the last remains of the Cumberland Shale Plains Woodland and was created from a series of small farms that once occupied this site. You can still see the remnants of some of the farms in the form of old fences and exotic trees. Together with the Campbell Hill Pioneer Reserve, this green space provides a haven for birdlife in the the heart of suburbia. If it were not for the incessant noise of the nearby traffic, you could almost imagine yourself out in the countryside, with the tall red gums and ironbarks bordering the narrow path that meanders through this patch of bushland. The nearby Campbell Hill Pioneer Reserve is a bit more civilised, with large green open spaces, picnic facilities and a mix of melaleuca near the creek and ironbarks at the eastern boundary.

The early morning walk was pleasant, especially since I had the place to myself, but it does lack the feel of being away from the city, with the constant hum of traffic. One hopes that the current crisis will ease and we can return to normality soon.