Galston Gorge

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Galston Gorge is part of the picturesque Berowra Valley Regional Park in Sydney, Australia and separates Galston from Hornsby Heights. It contains a narrow stretch of road with a one-way wooden bridge at its trough, whereby traffic must wait for cars already on the bridge before crossing. A second bridge immediately follows, and both bridges cross Tunks Creek.

There are 3 tiny car park spots for nearby bushwalks precariously close to the narrow road at the foot of the valley, and coupled with a number of difficult hairpin turns in close succession to each other and a rock cut very close to the road, particularly going up to Galston side, the road has a notorious reputation. There are, of course, other Sydney roads more difficult for driving than Galston Gorge, but there are fewer places in Sydney where there is such a large flow of cars during peak hour. There is a lack of suitable public transport for residents travelling from the Galston side of the gorge through to Hornsby as buses are too long to negotiate the hairpin turns. Therefore, residents of Sydney's mostly rural expanding north-west are forced to drive through the gorge or take other public transport options which add considerable time to the trip when travelling to North Shore or city business districts.

Some more dangerous drivers are known to race or speed quickly through the gorge. "Veterans" of the gorge also sometimes do not take kindly to newer, slower drivers holding them up through the double lined roads. Some drivers will even overtake, occasionally on hairpins, any driver they feel isn't moving fast enough. Tailgating is a particularly common practice on this road.

Before 2000, a population of feral chickens lived in the bushland. This population was boosted from time to time by local residents, who would leave chickens from their semi-rural properties on the Galston side of the gorge at the bottom of the valley. Foxes kept the number down. However, steps were taken by Hornsby Shire Council to eradicate this population.

The Gorge is also home to many native birds, mammals and reptiles.

[edit] The Backpacker murders

In April 1990, the bodies of James Gibson and Deborah Everest were found in Galston Gorge. It is suspected that convicted and notorious serial killer Ivan Millat is responsible for these murders, however no official charge has ever been made. Gibson and Everest, who were believed to be murdered on December 30 1989, are considered to have been the first people Millat ever murdered, and much controversy surrounds the police's supposed negligence. It is argued that had police investigated Gibson and Everest's deaths more thoroughly, the infamous backpacker murders could have been prevented.