For further information contact the Campbelltown Visitor Information Centre.
15 Old Menangle Rd, Campbelltown
Ph: (02) 4645 4921

Freres Crossing entrance is at the end of Freres Road, Kentlyn, no vehicular entry is allowed, but walkers are welcome to wander down the fire trail to the Georges River.

A person of average health should be able to manage the walk down to the river, but the less healthy may need to take a few stops on the way up, as there is a hill to negotiate, but views along the river are worth stopping to admire.

The crossing was named after George Pierre Frere, who owned a property at Eckersley, but by 1913 all residents had been moved out of the area to make way for the military reserve.

In more recent years a concrete causeway has been built across the river, but this may only be accessed by emergency or military vehicles.

More experienced bush walkers can make their way along the river to The Basin Reserve (Keith Longhurst Reserve) and make this a circular day walk by leaving their vehicle on Georges River Road.

A 400m return walk takes walkers down to the Weir. Picnic facilites are also available at the reserve.

more info      online enquiry

Explore sustainable living options through a range of activities including festivals, markets, workshops, art, food, gardening and music. Tours are available for groups of 10 or more ($5 per person). Bookings essential.

Mrs. Elizabeth Macarthur-Onslow, a granddaughter of John Macarthur, gifted Macarthur Park to the people of Camden in 1905. The park is home to Camden's War Memorial and the Faithfull-Anderson Fountain which once stood, where the roundabout is now, at the intersection of John and Argyle St. The Park is well known for its Heritage Rose Garden. In 1905 Camden was a rural village and the land for the park was at the perimeter of residential blocks. The forethought used in donating the park has ensured the people of Camden can still enjoy the rural atmosphere of the past that the park engenders.

more info      online enquiry

Covering more than 400 hectares of parkland, Mount Annan is the native plant garden of the Botanic Gardens Trust, which is also responsible for the Sydney Royal Botanic Gardens and Mount Tomah Botanic Garden. Mount Annan features themed gardens with BBQ and picnic facilities, a café, bird watching shelters, kilometres of walking tracks, a plant nursery and gift shop, as well as interactive sculptures such as the Sundial of Human Involvement, the Federation Flower Maze and Jamie Durie’s Room with a View. An exclusive addition to the garden is the Wollemi Walk of Discovery. This world-first is home to exact genetic replicas of the ancient trees found in the secret gorge in Wollemi National Park. It is an important part of the Conservation Management Plan to conserve these amazingly rare and endangered trees.

Activities are run on weekends and include one day walks, overnight trips and social gatherings such as movie nights or dinners. Walks can vary in both distance and terrain and can cater for all levels of fitness.

more info      online enquiry

The main activity of the Macarthur Branch is the conservation and protection of our natural habitat. In addition it is involved in a comprehensive range of activities that are related to our appreciation of the bush and nature. These include a Lecture Series, Biodiversity Surveys and through NPA NSW an extensive bushwalking and camping program.

The Old Ford Track is one of the easier walks along the Georges River within the Campbelltown City Council region, and can be found at the end of Georges River Road at Kentlyn within the Keith Longhurst Reserve. Pass through the gate and follow the track, turn right at the junction and walk down the track to the river.

Walkers will notice that trees growing on the plateau at the start of the walk are quite short and scrubby, but as they walk further down into the gully the trees get taller, fighting each other to reach the light.

Council has placed information plaques along the walk and they are well worth stopping to read along the way, huge sandstone blocks have been dug into the track to form gutters to take water away, the gutters have been restored by Council within the last few years, but they are in need of repair once again, and a rock bench has been well placed for a rest on the walk back up the hill after viewing or a swim in the river.

The track was originally made so that coaches could access the village of Eckersley and beyond, but whether a coach ever did travel down is a question much discussed, but never resolved, and once residents of Eckersley were moved out of the village to allow the area to become part  of the Military Reserved the track was allowed to fall into disrepair.

Simmo's Beach is an ideal spot for a picnic for the whole family or a short walk, either on concrete paths, or bushland tracks. On hot summer days you will find local children swimming on the sandy beach formed by the river.

Longer walks along the river can be undertaken by experienced bush walkers, there are no paths or signage and the normal bush walking precautions should be adhered too. Access to the Holsworthy Military Reserve on the eastern side of the river is prohibited.

In general the bush land is in good repair with typical Hawkesbury Sandstone trees and flowers.