Rouse Hill to Norwest walking trail (Sydney)
The walk between the suburbs of Rouse Hill and Norwest passes through various suburbs in the Hills District (North West) of Sydney. Both of these are the new suburbs and there is plenty of construction of new houses happening. I wanted to do a different walk and I did not want to travel very far that weekend. Honestly, the huge complaint that I have with myself is not knowing the different suburbs in Sydney. So I decided to do this walk.
If you love looking at huge houses and constructions, then this is a good walk and is a good path to get some weekly evening exercises. The walk does go through a man-made pond and it passes through some of the parks. Other than these, it is a walk on the streets of Rouse Hill and Norwest.
If you want to know about the coastal walks that Sydney offers, refer Sydney walks.
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Rouse Hill
Rouse Hill is a suburb that is about 43 kilometres from the Sydney Central Business District (CBD). It is in the Hills District. The area is noteworthy in Australian history as the site was used in the Irish rebellion known as Castle Hill Rebellion.
Central to Rouse Hill
Public transport
- It is a bit complicated to reach Rouse Hill from the Central train station.
- Take a train from Central to Chatswood/Epping. There are frequent trains between Central and Chatswood/Epping train station.
- Change at Chatswood/Epping to take a metro from Chatswood/Epping to Rouse Hill. There are frequent metros between Chatswood/Epping and Rouse Hill.
- The entire trip may take up to 60 minutes.
- More details and up-to-date information can be found on the NSW Transport website.
Norwest
Norwest is also a suburb in the Hills District which is around 35 kilometres from Sydney CBD. It is a very new suburb that acclaimed its suburb status only in the year 2018.
Norwest to Central
Public transport
- Take a metro from Norwest to Epping. There are frequent metros between Norwest and Epping train station.
- Change at Epping to take a train from Epping to Central. There are frequent metros between Epping and Central.
- The entire trip may take up to 50 to 55 minutes.
- More details and up-to-date information can be found on the NSW Transport website.
Walking details
The Rouse Hill to Norwest is a very easy walk. It is a flat walk in between the suburbs and makes it an ideal weekly walk to complete in 2 to 2.5 hours.
Logistics
- Distance: 10 kilometres.
- Time: 2.5 hours.
- Starting point: Rouse Hill.
- Finishing point: Norwest.
- Grade: Easy; the walk is very flat.
- Path: Rouse Hill –> Beaumont Hills –> Kellyville –> Norwest.
- This walk can be extended until Castle Hill. The walk from Rouse Hill to Castle Hill is around 23 kilometres.
Important Information
- Carry an opal card to pay for public transport. These days, the fares can be paid using debit and credit cards. However, Opal cards get you discounts on the fares.
- Wear sturdy and comfortable shoes. Even though this is an easy walk, it is still 10 kilometres walk.
- Carry sufficient water. I personally did not see any water points to refill my bottle. But since there were parks along the way, I would assume that there were water points to refill water bottles.
- Carry your lunch and snacks. If one needs to purchase snacks or lunch, a detour must be taken from the path.
- There may one or two toilet facilities, on the way, in the parks.
- Carry an extra pair of socks, just in case of blisters.
- The Rouse Hill shopping centre is one of the big shopping centres and is supposedly a must-see shopping centre in Sydney.
- Rouse Hill is also supposed to be famous for its restaurants.
- The walk can be done from the opposite direction, i.e. Norwest to Rouse Hill so one can finish at Rouse Hill and have a nice lunch at one of the restaurants.
Are Rouse Hill and Norwest safe?
Yes, Rouse Hill is very safe. It is a family-oriented suburb and hence one can walk around the suburbs alone. Norwest is safe too and I did not have any issues when I did this walk. However, like any other place, be cautious and trust your instincts, especially at nights.
Even though these suburbs are safe, if asked, I would not go alone. I would suggest either doing this walk with a meetup group or during the day in the morning specifically. This is because I am not too familiar with these suburbs and have done only this walk in both the suburbs.
Also, it is advisable to have a buddy while walking or trekking, just in case of unforeseeable or unexpected situations.
Meetup
A great way to connect with fellow walkers and hikers are through the Meetup platform. There are many groups that cater to different levels of hikers with various grades of walks. There are plenty of walking events that are scheduled and organised on a regular basis. All one needs to do is RSVP and go. This is a way to just tag along and enjoy a good walk by meeting new people. This is an awesome way to discover places and meet people when one is in a new city.
I went on this walk with a meetup group called as Aussie Explorers.
Gallery
Closing notes
Even though I did not enjoy this walk that much as it was walking in the suburban parks and roads, it is still a good long walk to see the new beautiful houses coming up. The Rouse Hill and Norwest walk do not provide any spectacular views or beautiful landscapes as it is a suburban walk. There is just one man-made lake when we started the walk at Rouse Hill.
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