All posts by Wendy Cairns

After 2 full days of rain prior to the walk, we were a bit concerned that the inclement weather might continue into the Saturday. As it turned out, it was a beautiful morning with clear blue sky and temperature in the low 20’s.

In total there were 10 walkers most of whom had made the 2 hour trip up from Sydney. Janet, Di and John had planned to camp at Megalong Valley Farm but decided on an AirBnb when we hit the rain Thursday afternoon. Smart move.  The walk coincided with a wine tasting at Dryridge Winery which is in the Megalong Valley just by the 6ft Track Route.

We slightly cheated by starting the walk by the Winery which is 2kms along the route. Despite that we ended up doing 12kms in total.

The track starts by crossing some fields with sweeping views of the Megalong Valley and then descends towards the Cox’s river. The track is clearly defined and meanders down along a ridge to the left of the Cox’s. Although we could hear the river it did not come into view until 55 minutes into the walk. The terrain down to the Cox’s was through bush which afforded a little shade from the sun. We expected the river to be higher because of the rain but nevertheless it was running at a good flow.

There were views towards Kananagra from Ron’s Roost which is a bench seat in the shade about 40 minutes into the walk and which was ideal for a drink stop. 

We continued to walk down to the river and along it until Bowtell’s Suspension Bridge came into view. The original Bowtell’s Bridge was built in 1991 and was named after Corporal Bob Bowtell an engineer who died during the Vietnam war on Jan 11 1966. It is a 100m suspension bridge enabling walkers doing the full 6ft Track (42kms) to cross the Cox’s when the river is flowing hard. The new bridge which is a U Shaped configuration capable of supporting 5 people was opened on 13 September 2024. 

We all decided to cross the bridge to get views from the other side before returning along the Cox’s to find shelter for morning tea along the bank.

The walk returned on the same route with Di leading and John plodding at the rear. Many wonderful birds were seen and or heard on the route including a Black Cockatoo.

The walk up was a steady 350m up from the river which we did in 1.45 hrs owing to the higher temperature (which we estimated at 25c) and instead of returning to the start of the walk we entered the Dryridge Winery just off the track.

The winery has sweeping views of the Megalong Valley and is very popular for wine tasting with their ploughmans, cheese and charcuterie boards.  It made a very nice change and everyone felt that it was a great way to finish the walk. 

This section of the 6ft Track is probably the most scenic and is a nice way to experience one of Australia’s landmark walking tracks.

Our thanks to everyone who did the walk and we hope that everyone enjoyed it

Best Regards

John & Di 

Spending the weekend away in Blackheath provided a large number of members the opportunity to not only complete some of the wonderful range of walks available in the area but also to socialise with club members. After a convivial meal at a local hotel on the Friday evening, a good night’s sleep in our delightful accommodation and breakfast the next morning, several walks of differing levels of difficulty set off (see individual walk reports below). The self-catered dinner was excellent and generous in proportion. We took the opportunity to thank our out-going social committee for their many years of hard work and finished the evening with the performance of a number of skits.

Sunday morning was a later start with BBQ bacon and eggs before people packed up and headed off in various directions, a few to walk, many to visit the rhododendron gardens etc before heading back to Sydney.

GLOW WORM TUNNEL

The drive from Blackheath to the start of the track took 1.5 hours and turned out to be the most hazardous part of the day. Trucks from the nearby sand mining area were travelling at a speed requiring evasive action by our driver on more than one occasion. However, once we got there, the walk was an easy 6km and the glow worm display impressive. The 6 walkers enjoyed the beautiful weather and lunch at the rock fall. Fortunately, the drive home was less eventful.

WALK TO LOOKOUT TOWARDS BALD HEAD

4 walkers decided to make an easier day of it, and so opted for the walk from Hat Hill Road out to the lookout across to Bald Head, about 7km return. In the event, the track around and over the hill sections was irregular enough to make it more of a moderate walk, so we took our time. The weather was very clear and fine, and a bit windy on the exposed bits. There are beautiful views all the way out, either side of the ridge. Quite a few wildflowers were out, with the attendant native bees, butterflies and so on. We had an early lunch at the lookout , and then backtracked to our start. It’s a nice quiet track, with only one other group encountered the whole day.

BLACKHEATH FIGURE 8 WALK

The morning walk saw 8 walkers make their way to Pope’s Glen, Horseshoe falls, Govett’s Leap, Barrow Lookout and the Braeside track. After a lunch enjoyed in the sun, 7 walkers continued on to Clifftop , Centennial Glen, Colliers Causeway and Porter’s Pass. Total distance: 15 km. Fabulous weather and views.

086 EVANS LOOKOUT, HORSE TRACK, BLUE GUM FOREST AND PERRY’S LOOKDOWN

Starting at Evans Lookout, 6 walkers were able to view where we hoped to get down to, steel their nerves, and set off down the recently re-opened Horse Track. The track has had many steps built, making it less treacherous than previously to navigate, but the elevation drop still makes it steep. Reaching the bottom of the valley, we made our way along a pleasant track beside the river until we reached Junction Rock where we had morning tea. After that, the track became much more undulating. We stopped at the base of the Perry’s Lookdown track for lunch, and diverted to explore the river nearby and the Blue Gum Forest. Perry’s Lookdown has not got any easier, but we all made it to the top where we were delighted to find our “uber”driver waiting to transport us back to base. A challenging but satisfying day.

PULIP ROCK TO GOVETT’S LEAP

It was a delight to find the track into Pulpit Rock open again after a lengthy closure. The viewing platforms have had new railings installed and the very lowest platform is no longer accessible. 4 walkers enjoyed the still magnificent views and took advantage of the gorgeous weather to walk on to Govett’s Leap. The wildflowers were abundant and various.

A bright sunny morning but with a touch of winter chill saw 7 walkers gather at Mangrove Mountain to tackle a walk which, at 25 klms, is much longer than our usual walks. After driving as far down Dubbo Gully Rd as possible ( a locked gate preventing further progress), we set off downhill on good fire trail. After 2 klm, we took the left fork at the Y junction and crossed a long bridge over Mangrove Creek.

At the 4klm mark, we stopped to explore the historic cemetery, finding graves dating back to the 1850’s, including one for a former convict.

A short time later, another Y junction marked the started of the Dubbo Gully Loop. We took the left hand track, doing the loop clockwise. The trail loosely follows Mangrove Creek and has remnants of historic embankments and culverts visible at the side. We paused here for morning tea, above the creek.

After passing through a low, swampy area, the track started to climb gradually, but it was a sustained incline.

Just after the half way mark, we encountered the Ten Mile Hollow camp ground, equipped with a toilet, table and bench seats and fire pits. Turning right onto the Old Great North Rd, it was about 1 klm to reach Clares Bridge, constructed in 1830 and named for the overseer of construction. There is no decking on the bridge, but the support structures are impressive and made a good spot for lunch.

After lunch, there was a little more uphill and then started downhill, which was a little steeper than the long ascent. We stopped to admire a good view looking down on our earlier pathway. A lyrebird was spotted on the way, a nice surprise after hearing (but not seeing)several earlier in the day among a lot of other birdsong. We had also seen Purple Swamp-hens and a brown cuckoo dove.

Having completed the loop, we retraced our steps back to the cars, a very welcome sight for some of us. It had been a long walk, but with excellent weather and good spirits maintained, the walk was completed in good time. Drinks at the Mangrove Mountain Memorial Club were appreciated.

Well done all!

16 walkers met at Hawthorne light rail station for the start of our walk.  The Greenway is a mixed cycle and walkway in the inner west. For a Saturday morning it was not as busy as feared

As the walk along the Greenway is only short we had ample time to stop and admire the commissioned art installations, parks, industrial heritage, tunnels and bridges. 

Arriving at Cooks River we ran into a Coffee cart- long awaited by some. Morning tea was had in a picnic shelter and then we retraced our steps back to the Dulwich Hill light rail back to Hawthorne

Most of us elected to walk further north along the canal to the Bay Run where we had lunch

By the time we returned to Hawthorne we had clocked up about 11kms

Chris.

After the high temperatures and humidity of the week, the overcast day and cooler temperatures were welcomed by the 11 walkers who set out to discover this new walk for the club in the Royal National Park.

After meeting at the end of the Forest Path on Sir Bertram Stevens Drive and car shuffling to the Fig Tree Flat picnic area, we learned that Lady Carrington Drive was built in the 1860’s, and then set off along the road. The road is broad and flat, though stoney underfoot. We soon encountered Gibraltar Rock, a sandstone formation which overhands a section of original cobblestone road surface, and later came to Jersey Springs where 2 water troughs were installed to water horses on the drive. The troughs are still filled by the same springs as when they were built.

Without an obvious place for morning tea, we stopped on the road and managed to avoid being skittled by bike riders.

Along the next section of road, a pair of lyrebirds were observed just above us on the sandstone cliffs. Continuing on, we turned on to the track to Palona Cave, a 1 klm undulating bush track to reach the limestone cave and Palona Brook Falls just beyond. After spending a little time exploring the cave and admiring the falls, we returned to the main road and back-tracked a little to the Palona Brook Picnic area for lunch. There was a magnificent Turpentine tree nearby.

After lunch we continued along Lady Carrington Drive . Upon reaching the intersection with The Forest Path, we turned right and followed the track unto a wonderland dominated by Cabbage Leaf Palms and ferns. The track follows a long curve in the river, but is mostly high above the water. Arriving back at the cars, we undid the car shuffle and repaired to the Audley Dance Hall for refreshments.

A few leeches were encountered, but otherwise all finished the day in good shape. It was a thoroughly worthwhile day.