Googik Heritage walking track
Lake Innes Nature Reserve
Overview
Enjoy walking, hiking or cycling along Googik Heritage walking track in Lake Innes Nature Reserve while taking in some of the great sights of Port Macquarie.
- Where
- Lake Innes Nature Reserve in North Coast
- Distance
- 2km one-way
- Time suggested
- 30min - 1hr
- Grade
- Grade 3
- What to
bring - Sunscreen, drinking water, hat
- Please note
The walking opportunities in this park are suitable for experienced bushwalkers who are comfortable undertaking self-reliant hiking
There are few nicer ways to enjoy the sights that picturesque Port Macquarie has to offer than a hike or stroll along Googik Heritage walking track. Set in a pristine natural environment, the 2km walk starts at Lake Innes Nature Reserve on Lake Road and extends south all the way to St Columba Anglican School.
While making your way along this track, you’ll be keeping active as well as discovering some of the Port Macquarie area’s best-kept natural secrets.The track winds along gently undulating hills and, as well as the beautiful natural surroundings, allows you to see the local birdlife that call Lakes Innes Nature Reserve home, making it a lovely scenic journey for those who enjoy walking, cycling and birdwatching alike.
Take a virtual tour of Googik Heritage walking track captured with Google Street View Trekker.
Also see
-
Perch Hole picnic area
Perch Hole picnic area, beside Lake Innes, is an idyllic spot for a family celebration, a romantic picnic, or to get away from it all and enjoy some solitude in the middle of nature.
-
Innes Ruins
Innes Ruins at Innes Ruins Historic Site, near Port Macquarie, is closed until further notice due to the impacts of bushfires in October 2019.
-
Roto House
Step back in time and explore the rooms of Roto House, a beautifully preserved, late-Victorian building in Port Macquarie. If you're lucky you might spot a koala in the surrounding trees.
Map
Map legend
Local alerts
For the latest updates on fires, closures and other alerts in this area, see https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/things-to-do/walking-tracks/googik-heritage-walking-track/local-alerts
General enquiries
- National Parks Contact Centre
- 7am to 7pm daily
- 1300 072 757 (13000 PARKS) for the cost of a local call within Australia excluding mobiles
- parks.info@environment.nsw.gov.au
Park info
- in Lake Innes Nature Reserve in the North Coast region
Lake Innes Nature Reserve is always open but may have to close at times due to poor weather or fire danger.
Visitor info
All the practical information you need to know about Googik Heritage walking track.
Track grading
Features of this track
Distance
2km one-way
Time
30min - 1hr
Quality of markings
Clearly sign posted
Experience required
No experience required
Gradient
Gentle hills
Steps
No steps
Quality of path
Formed track, some obstacles
Getting there and parking
Get driving directions
Googik Heritage walking track is in the northern precinct of Lake Innes Nature Reserve. To get there:
- From Port Macquarie CBD, follow Lake Road for approximately 3km.
- The track starts on the left just before Chestnut Road
Alternatively, if beginning from St Columba Anglican School:
- From Port Macquarie CBD, head west on Gordon Street then continue on Oxley Highway.
- Turn left at the roundabout onto John Oxley Drive
- Turn left on Major Innes Drive
- Turn left into Braeroy Drive and then left again into Kyla Crescent
- The track starts on the left after approximately 150m
Parking
Parking is available in the surrounding streets at both ends of the walking track.
Best times to visit
There are lots of great things waiting for you in Lake Innes Nature Reserve. Here are some of the highlights.
Autumn
Go birdwatching or enjoy wildlife-spotting around the lake and fire trails.
Spring
Enjoy cycling or hiking along Googik heritage walk or get out on the water canoeing, kayaking or fishing.
Summer
Cool down when the weather is hot by swimming on lovely Lake Innes or enjoying a relaxed picnic by the lakeside. Take in the gorgeous displays of Christmas bell in bloom along the Christmas Bell Plains.
Winter
Take a guided tour of Innes Ruins and learn about the area's intriguing history.
Facilities
Drinking water
Drinking water is not available in this area, so it’s a good idea to bring your own.
Maps and downloads
Prohibited
Pets
Pets and domestic animals (other than certified assistance animals) are not permitted. Find out which regional parks allow dog walking and see the pets in parks policy for more information.
Smoking
NSW national parks are no smoking areas.
Learn more
Googik Heritage walking track is in Lake Innes Nature Reserve. Here are just some of the reasons why this park is special:
Early settlement history
Lake Innes Ruins is the remains of the elaborate estate built in the 1830s-40s by convicts and free labour for Major Archibald Clunes Innes, an entrepreneur and important figure in the settlement of Port Macquarie. Innes was convinced that Port Macquarie would become the main gateway to the coastal area around the Hastings River and to nearby New England, so the extensive complex was an ambitious creation by one of the most influential of the early European settlers in the area. Sadly, the Depression of the 1840s brought Innes to near insolvency, prompting the family to leave the estate by the 1850’s and move to Newcastle where Archibald Innes was appointed Magistrate. Today, its ruins serve as an educational reminder of the area's early settlement history, and are a testimony to the ambition and tenacity of the early settlers.
Fascinating wildlife and bird life
Numerous local birds and wildlife call the reserve home. On your visit to the park, you're likely to spot, koalas, kangaroos, possums and gliders, as well as various reptiles and amphibians. Among the birds you might spot on or around the lake are ospreys, ducks and black swans, so be sure to have your binoculars handy for a spot of bird watching. The reserve also contains extensive wetlands, including the Innes Swamp, which supports a number of sedges and rushes. On the edges of Lake Innes lie swaths of endangered salt marsh and on the eastern edge of the reserve, you can see the Christmas Bell Plains - a mosaic of coastal heath and swamp that are gorgeous when in bloom in summertime.
- Googik Heritage walking track Enjoy walking, hiking or cycling along Googik Heritage walking track in Lake Innes Nature Reserve while taking in some of the great sights of Port Macquarie.
- Perch Hole picnic area Perch Hole picnic area, beside Lake Innes, is an idyllic spot for a family celebration, a romantic picnic, or to get away from it all and enjoy some solitude in the middle of nature.
Get active
Lake Innes Nature Reserve provides opportunities for a number of fun recreational activities both on the land and lake. Enjoy fishing, swimming and kayaking in Lake Innes via Perch Hole picnic area. Go bushwalking and bird watching on the fire trails that run along the Christmas Bell Plains. Or, take a guided tour of the historic Innes Ruins and learn about Port Macquarie's early history.