The Ken Ausburn Track

Talk about nature on your doorstep!

This tidy little walk literally starts from the city; starting at arguably Wollongong’s busiest roundabouts on Robson Road and Northfields Ave – the hub of Wollongong Uni. The name of this walk – as the sign shows – was after the late Kenneth John Ausburn, the first head of the Department of Physics at the UOW.

Unfortunately I’ve been struck down with the flu, so my thoughts of taking this walk to Keira Summit did not eventuate – but I must say besides the immense discomfort, the rewards, of even part of this walk, are high.

Not for the unfit, this walk starts extremely steep. Starting behind houses and fenced off land this walk takes you straight up. Lucky the path has plenty of grip, as I’m sure you would slip otherwise in the wet – it’s steep! The path then leads to an impressive stairway, with well placed bench seats help for some comfort stops. Not far from the stairs takes you to the Herbert Flugelman “Winged Figure” a monument to Lawrence Hargreaves.

Despite the controversy this piece created back in 1988, I must admit up close it is spectacular…whether it was the late afternoon light, or the light-headedness of my flu after the many stairs…I was impressed. Besides the obvious size, the stainless steel with the greenery and magic blue sky, this was a truly angelic feature that really did complement the beautiful lookout.

I look forward to doing this walk to the Summit, I’m keen to see how it compares to Sublime Point in terms of stamina and fitness requirements… I’ll keep you posted, meanwhile I pop another paracetamol…

Check out the full photo album here.