Water Dragon Way has been on my bushwalk bucket list for a while. But we favour doing walks that start and/or end with a playground. And have also been doing more of the shorter walks to minimise the whinging ;-). The challenge with this walk also was that I couldn’t find any info on whether it was suitable for young kids.
Well that all changed when the new playground on Goodin Road (at the top end of the Water Dragon Way) opened at the beginning of November!
And when I looked at the Council map for the walk in more detail, I realised Water Dragon Way ends at Otto Losco Reserve and that you could also go to John Curtin Reserve (which has a toilet), Charles Herbert Reserve or NBC Sports Club, either as a detour along the way or as your end point before heading back.
So I ‘tested’ out the walk with some other local mums from the Mums Walk and Talk Group Parramatta Area, picking up litter as we went. And it’s a lovely walk and yes, suitable for kids. But be warned there are the two road crossings, including across Churchill Drive, with no designated pedestrian crossing so please take care.
The walk is about 2.3kms one way – a little more if you go to Otto Losco Reserve or a little less if you walk to John Curtin Reserve or Charles Herbert Reserve. There’s a gentle incline going from the Northmead end (Moxhams Road) up towards the Winston Hills end (Goodin Road) but no steep climbs. You only notice the slope in a few sections.
Water Dragon Way track starts right next to the new Roger Gregory playground, to the left of the climbing play gym. We missed the entrance as there isn’t a sign marking the Water Dragon Way track but found it on the way back!
The path is fairly flat most of the way, though rocky and muddy in parts. Plus there are a few stairs and two road crossings.
While it’s easy enough to follow the track once on it, there are a few decision points (more so when in Moxham Park) and unfortunately no signage. Our general advice is to make sure you stay near the creek, on the eastern side of it. The track is also marked on Google Maps so you can easy work out which way to go!
Once you come to the stairs going down to the creek, you can either decide to cross it and walk up to John Curtin Reserve, where you’ll find a toilet, playground, community hall and BBQs with a picnic shelter.
Or you can continue along the track (on the eastern side of the creek) until you reach Moxhams Bridge. Otto Losco Reserve is only a short walk from there, either through the bush on the Pemulwuy Track or along Allambie Ave.
Once you had your pit stop, then you just need to head back the way you came. There are usually lots of birds in Moxham Park as well as wildflowers at the start of spring, so make sure you keep an eye and ear out for them.
We recommend allowing at least 2 hours as a round trip with young primary school kids – more if you plan to have lunch and a play at one of the playgrounds along the way.
And don’t be surprised if you don’t see any real water dragons along the way – we didn’t! But there is this cute sculpture at the new playground.
Finding Water Dragon Way
Water Dragon Way runs from Goodin Road in Winston Hills, down to Moxhams Road in Northmead. It’s a single track, not a loop. And you can start at either and then just need to turn around and head back the way you came once you get to the end or however far you and the kids are happy with!
Places of Interest Nearby
- Roger Gregory Playground – NEW playground
- NBC Sports Club – bistro and outdoor kids play area
- John Curtin Reserve – playground, toilets, sports field, BBQ, picnic shelter
- Charles Herbert Reserve – playground, basketball court
 bushwalk travelling along Northmead Gully, from Winston Hills to Northmead. There's playgrounds and NBC Sports Club to visit along the way.){kind=link}