The Walk: Follows an excellent, level, walkway/cycleway.
Distance: 3.75 km
Time: 45 minutes
Car parking: at Hyland Road near the Youth Centre.
Getting there: Route 830 runs along Greystanes Road from Cabramatta and Blacktown and passes near the end of Hyland Road. However this last service is very infrequent on weekends and public holidays.

Start by finding the short link walkway at the corner of Hyland Road. Follow this a few metres to the main Canal Reserve walkway and turn right. At this point the old canal bed emerges from a tunnel, the "Covered Way" (CRAG 2), through the shallow spur that descends from Prospect Hill's South Top on your right. The walkway/cycleway now takes to the canal bed.

As an alternative to walking alng the concrete walkway/cycleway you can take a rough track that runs parallel to it on the right.

The walkway/cycleway curves left until a long straight section heads north-east and parallel with a long level ridge of Prospect Hill. The cycleway has so far been passing through the Lower Prospect Canal Reserve, which was created in 2002. The canal had ceased being used for water supply in about 1995 and it was largely through a public campaign spearheaded by the Canal Reserve Action Group (CRAG) that the Reserve and its wakway/cycleway were created (ibid.).

The straight section of the walkway continues under two bridges and then makes a slight bend to the right. Just as it starts a tighter right turn, there is a junction. Turn left here to leave the canal reserve. Follow a winding path up to Silverthorne Drive in the relatively new suburb of Pemulwuy. The suburb is named after one of the principal leaders of resistance by the inhabitants of this area to British settlement of New South Wales. Their resistance followed British grants of land to former convicts around Prospect Hill in 1791. See the History section of this web site.

Turn right at Silverthorne Drive and follow the shared use walkway/cycleway alongside it. On the right is Grey Box Reserve an area of protected natural native bushland. Look across left over the new housing development of Nelson's Ridge to the eastern ridge of Prospect Hill. On the left you can make out the Moreton Bay fig tree standing on the crown of One Tree Hill. You can also see the ridge rising to the right up to the highest point, Greystanes Hill.

When you reach Watkin Tench Parade, cross over, then turn right and immediately sharp left. The walkway then curves through a wooded area and past some tennis courts to reach Driftway Drive.

Cross Driftway Drive and turn right to follow the walkway along its left side. You are now on some of the first land in Australia to be granted to time-expired convicts in 1791. Strips of land called driftways were left between blocks of land grants, either where there were natural obstacles to cultivation, such as creeks or ridge lines, or to allow the settlers to pass to and from their land (See quotation).

The walkway crosses Naoi Avenue, and then passes over the creek bed. Turn right over a bridge across a small lake to reach the roundabout where Driftway Drive meets Butu Wargun Drive.

This is end of the South Section of the Circular Walk.

Next Section of the Circular Walk

Or take the slightly shorter Short Cut Section straight to Andrew Campbell Reserve.