Wallaroo circuit #16

Walk name & number:Wallaroo #16
Brief description: A 9km circuit along Gooromon Ponds Road, Southwell Road and then Wallaroo Road.
Geology & landscape:Deakin volcanics & Laidlaw volcanics 420MY
Date,day & time: Sunday 07 MAR 10 07:00
Weather: Fine
Walk map: NSW 25K topo map Hall
Start location:Corner Gooromon Ponds Road & Wallaroo Road.
Start location: 16 km NW of Canberra City.
Map Grid ref: 849069
GPS: UTM Zone 55H E, N

Locality map:
Walklog:This walk is included in the blog even though it is of a quite different nature to all other walks. It is a walk I try to do EVERY Sunday morning. I must have done it 30 times now, and never get bored with it. I usually walk alone. Just a short drive from home in the rural setting of Wallaroo, across the border in NSW. The circuit, roughly triangular in shape, splits very easily into three legs. First the sealed Gooromon Ponds Road, then the mostly unsealed Southwell Road and finally back along the sealed Wallaroo Road. Vehicular traffic is at a low level. There are panoramic vistas across north Canberra to the Brindabellas. The sky and light are always changing. I have walked in heatwaves and in hail storms. The properties along the way are mainly the classic 16ha block, long & narrow and with access to the road. There are sheep, goats, cattle & horses. A riding school & restaurant are along Gooromon Ponds Road. There are a few vinyards & olive groves and the Hall district wineries are nearby. The towers and guilded domes of the St Sava Free Serbian Orthodox Monastery on Wallaroo Road are visible from nearly every part of the circuit. The sound of its bells ringing to call the faithful are divine. I reflect in reverence at the small graveyard in the monastery grounds.
This walk is both a relaxation and a workout; I regularly pace myself by the uniform time method. From the fixed start I see how far I get in the course of exactly one hour. Timing and progress is aided by numerous reference points; especially useful are the yellow roadside markers every 1000m.
So, my average roll-along all day pace is 5km/h,but today for example I turned up the gear one notch and turned out 6km/h pace.
There is a big big difference between walking at 5km/h [pedestrian] and 6km/h [strident]!!
5km gets me to the gates of the property Arcturus, 6km gets me to the T-junction at Wallaroo x Southwell.
So depending on my mood these walks can vary a lot. I just love the changing landscape of the seasons. I invariably carry a litter bag and so make my contribution to cleaning up trash.