1. Description

2. Local fauna

3. Traffic Regulations

4. References

Galston Gorge is a valley located in the Berowra Valley Regional Park in Sydney, Australia. It separates Galston from Hornsby Heights. It is intersected by Galston Road and the heritage-listed Tunks Creek bridge across Tunks Creek.^[1] A second concrete bridge, adjacent to Tunks Creek bridge, crosses Berowra Creek.^[2] The gorge itself is littered with walking tracks, waterfalls and lush Australian flora, and is a popular spot for hikers, cyclists and rock climbers.

Description

Care must be taken by commuters to drive carefully during wet weather for this heavy run-off can cause a car to slip into the guard rail. The entire length of the Gorge is enclosed by this guard rail on the Berowra Creek side of the road to stop a sliding car from falling down the steep slope.

From Galston to Hornsby Heights via the Gorge takes approximately 20–25 minutes whereas the same route via Boundary Road takes approximately 40–45 minutes, depending on traffic. During peak hour it can be as long as 1 hour and 20 minutes.

There are three designated car park spots for nearby bush walks close to the road at the foot of the valley as well as room beside the road between the two bridges where two or three cars could feasibly park. There are six hairpin turns in the gorge, the first and last of them are the most gentle, however the three in between are tight. Vehicles with turning circles of 11m or less can make the turn without the need to swing onto the other side of the road. Those drivers that require to use the other side of the road need to do this before the bend when there is no oncoming traffic or wait at the cusp of the bend until there is room for them to do so. Drivers can not assume they can use both lanes without first confirming safe passage. Inexperienced gorge drivers sometimes do neither of these and can become stuck between oncoming traffic and following vehicles, leading to a traffic jam until someone can reverse. This, coupled with the often narrow road precariously close to the rock beside the road - particularly going up to Galston side means the road has a fairly notorious reputation. Other than the hairpin turns, it is imperative that all vehicles remain within the drawn lines of their lane to prevent head-on accidents. There are, of course, other Sydney roads more difficult for driving than Galston Gorge, but there are fewer places in Sydney where there is such a large flow of cars during peak hour. There is a lack of suitable public transport for residents travelling from the Galston side of the gorge through to Hornsby as buses are too long to negotiate the hairpin turns. Therefore, residents of Sydney's mostly rural expanding north-west are forced to drive through the gorge or take other public transport options which add considerable time to the trip when travelling to North Shore or city business districts.

Local fauna

The Gorge is also home to many native birds, mammals and reptiles. Commuters must take extra care when driving at night for possums and other nocturnal animals due to low visibility and hair-pin bends.

Before 2000, a population of feral chickens lived in the bushland. This population was boosted from time to time by local residents, who would leave chickens from their semi-rural properties on the Galston side of the gorge at the bottom of the valley. Steps were taken by Hornsby Shire Council to eradicate this population, however the chickens seem to have bounced back and can often be seen wandering around in the three parking spaces available at the base of the gorge.

Traffic Regulations

There are regular occurrences of traffic incidents in Galston Gorge, most commonly caused by trucks becoming stuck at hair-pin bends, or at Tunks Creek Bridge. As of May 2018 over 100 over-length trucks have caused traffic blockages in Galston Gorge.^[3] The installation of new signage and infrared technology incurs a AUD$2,270 fine to any truck over 7.5 metres that attempts to enter Galston Gorge. ^[4][5] A roundabout was installed on the Galston side of the Gorge to give heavy vehicles a chance to turn around and avoid heavy fines.

Despite these laws, oversized trucks continue to travel through the valley. In February 2016, the new infrared scanning system alerted to an oversize truck, recorded by NSW Roads and Maritime Services as 15.2 metres long. During the vehicles removal, two additional over-sized trucks were stopped, escorted from Galston Gorge, and later fined.^[6] In June 2018 a truck crashed into Tunks Creek Bridge, damaging the heritage site and spilling diesel on the surrounding area. ^[7]

References

• South Korea – United States relations
• South Korea–Uruguay relations
• South Korea – Uruguay relations
• South Korea – US relations
• South Korea–U.S. relations
• South Korea – U.S. relations
• South Korea–US relations
• South Korea–Vietnam relations
• South Korea – Vietnam relations
• South Kortright, New York
• South Kosovska Mitrovica
• South Kroea
• South Kurdish
• South Kurdish language
• South Kurdufan
• South Kynouria
• South La Brea Avenue
• South Lafourche Leonard Miller Jr. Airport
• South La Jolla State Marine Conservation Area
• Southlake Boulevard
• Southlake Christian Academy
• South Lake High School
• South Lake-Lake Minneola Scenic Trail
• South Lakeland Council election, 1998
• South Lakeland Council election, 1999