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Discover the Two Valley Trail: A Hidden Gem in Sydney
- Richard Bennett
- Aug 22, 2025
- 5 min read
Updated: Sep 1, 2025
Tucked in the heart of Sydney’s Inner West, the Two Valley Trail is one of the city’s best-kept secrets—and for me, it’s home turf. This 13 km trail winds its way from Bexley North Station to Tempe, following Wolli Creek and then the Cooks River. Along the way, it serves up rugged sandstone cliffs, lush bushland, market garden history, and a few local oddities you’ll want to keep an eye out for. It's a walk rich in community spirit, surprising nature, and layers of urban history.
Starting Point: Bexley North Station
If you're walking west to east (highly recommended), begin at Bexley North Station. Within minutes, you’ll find yourself immersed in the Wolli Creek Regional Park, leaving behind the suburbs and stepping into a surprisingly wild green corridor.
As you continue along the trail past Turrella, keep your ears open for a wildlife encounter that reminds me how different my life is now living in Sydney. Halfway along the track, between Bexley North and Turrella Reserve, you can hear the flutter and chatter of thousands of Grey-headed Flying-foxes. This part of the Wolli Creek valley is home to a nationally significant flying-fox camp, which began in the mid-2000s and now sees up to 20,000 bats roosting at certain times of year. They’re a permanent feature of the area, with numbers rising and falling depending on food availability across the region. These bats aren’t just a curious sight—they play a vital ecological role in pollinating native trees and dispersing seeds. Every March, locals gather at Turrella Reserve for the community-run Bat Watch Picnic, timing their evening snacks with the spectacular moment the bats take flight in their thousands at sunset. It’s a wild reminder of the biodiversity that still thrives right here in the inner west, and something we stand on our balcony watching most nights during summer.
Midpoint: Turrella Reserve & Nanny Goat Hill
As you approach Turrella Reserve, the walk opens into one of its most historically rich sections. This was once a thriving network of market gardens, largely run by Chinese migrants. You can still spot stone terraces, old bunds, and even drainage channels in the undergrowth.
Look out for the quirky concrete bath nestled in the bush—an unusual relic, likely used for irrigation or by workers washing up after a day in the gardens. It’s one of those strange but wonderful leftovers that makes this trail so unique.
From the reserve, take a detour up Nanny Goat Hill, a local favourite with a full 360° view stretching from the Cooks River to Botany Bay. In the late 1960s, the hill was almost flattened to provide landfill for Sydney Airport expansion—but the community rallied, and it was saved. As of 2024, the parklands around it have grown by another 4.7 hectares, bringing the vision of a continuous green ribbon from Bexley North to Wolli Creek closer to reality.
The Wolli Creek Preservation Society is a goldmine of stories like this, and their efforts have helped protect much of what you see today. Learn more here.
Recent Upgrade: Turrella Reserve Gets a Serious Glow-Up
Recently, NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service unveiled a major facelift at Turrella Reserve, bringing both charm and convenience to our local green space. The long-awaited upgrade includes:
A brand-new natural-play playground, featuring timber multi-play structures with a bridge and slide, swings, balancing logs, stepping stones, and a seesaw.
Outdoor exercise equipment added for anyone wanting to stay active amid the bush.
Clean, shaded covered picnic shelters with BBQ facilities—great for family days or group outings.
A new amenities block with two unisex toilets, a water fountain, and electric barbecues, all connected by accessible concrete paths.
Sensible additions like park benches, ibis-proof rubbish and recycling bins, surveillance infrastructure for safety, and new walking-track signage to guide visitors at the Turrella Creek entrance.
These thoughtful enhancements are more than just creature comforts—they transform Turrella Reserve into a welcoming, inclusive, and practical community hub. Whether you're bringing school groups, seniors, bushwalkers, or families, these upgrades make a real difference.
The footbridge over Wolli Creek at the reserve connects the northern side (Turrella side—Henderson Street, Reede Street, or Loftus Street side) through to the eastern bank near Earlwood or Undercliffe. This pedestrian bridge has a long history of being damaged by flooding, with older wooden structures replaced over time by stronger versions supported by gabions to prevent erosion.
Mid-Walk Curiosities: Rock Climbing & Relics
Near the reserve, you'll spot sandstone rock faces (and in fact our house is built into one) rising out of the valley walls. These are used by Sydney University’s rock climbing club as their local training site—an unusual blend of natural terrain and inner-city accessibility. It’s a reminder that this area is not just a walking track—it’s a space that’s used and loved in many different ways.
Final Stretch: Wolli Creek to Cooks River and Tempe
From Turrella, the trail meanders through Girrahween Park and onward, transitioning from bush to parkland as it follows the course of Wolli Creek to its junction with the Cooks River. The final stretch is flat, open, and dotted with public art, mangroves, birdlife, and riverside cycling paths. It’s a lovely way to wind down after the bushland section. There’s good coffee near Tempe Station if you time it right, although I would recommend a German beer at the Concordia Club opposite the station, which has been a regular haunt for our family due to the Germanic leanings of my in-laws!
Highlights at a Glance
Section | Highlights & History |
Bexley North | Entry point into Wolli Creek bushland |
Turrella Reserve | Former Chinese market gardens; site of local protest wins |
Concrete Bath | Eccentric remnant of the area’s agricultural past |
Nanny Goat Hill | Iconic lookout with panoramic views, saved from airport landfill plans |
Sandstone Rock Faces | Training site for Sydney Uni climbers |
Cooks River Path | Gentle riverside walking with parklands, wetlands, and public art |
🎒 Backpack Rating: 4 out of 5
A brilliant local walk with pockets of genuine bushland, quirky heritage touches, and an easy escape from the city grind. It loses a point only because planes from the airport can interrupt the birdsong—but hey, that’s the charm of urban hiking.
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