Ladies' Track Route - Castle Hill

The Ladies' Track / Ladies' Route - Castle Hill
18 July 2021 & 24 July 2022
Leader: Luen Warneke

Castle Hill is Townsville's granite heartbeat. Most people know the road. Many know Goat Track. Fewer know the Ladies' Track. We first walked this historic route in July 2021 and returned again in July 2022, drawn back by its quiet charm and layered stories. Both mornings began early, 7 am, with the light just beginning to warm the western face of the hill.

A Track With a Story

The Ladies' Route, also known as the Western Water Tank Track, carries a whisper of wartime history. According to club lore, it earned its name during WWII as the discreet route used by "female friends" visiting soldiers stationed at the Pillar Boxes atop Castle Hill. Whether embroidered by time or strictly accurate, the story fits the character of the track. It feels like a side door into history.

The route begins on the western side near the water tank, linking from the Erythrina Track and climbing steadily along the ridge toward the Scramble Track. From there, it contours beneath the cliffs and below Jenkinson's Post Lookout before joining the Pill Box Walk.

Overgrown and Elusive

The track was un-signposted and partly reclaimed by vegetation. In places, it disappeared into grass and regrowth. In others, the earthworks re-emerged clearly, revealing its former structure. We found remnants of stone steps - signs that this was once a deliberately formed path, not simply a goat line scratched into the hillside.

Golden morning light caught the dry grasses and the granite slabs. The route ascends gently rather than directly attacking the slope, which makes it surprisingly pleasant. Passing through Guinea grass as tall as our heads, K-pop trees, and chilli plants. There are no brutally steep pitches - just steady contouring and gradual climbing.

From certain sections, the views west stretch across Townsville's suburbs toward the ranges. Turn slightly, and Cleveland Bay opens out blue and wide. It is a perspective of Castle Hill that feels slightly removed from the usual tourist vantage points.

As we approached the Pillar Boxes, the wartime connection became more tangible. Concrete structures sit quietly among the rocks, overlooking the harbour they were built to defend. It is difficult not to imagine soldiers scanning the coastline during the early 1940s, watching for threats that never arrived.

The idea that visitors once slipped off this side track to meet them adds a human dimension to the military history. Two winter mornings, one historic route, and a reminder that even well-known landmarks still hold secrets if you step slightly off the obvious line.

- Luen