A hiking blog with pretty pictures.
The walk to Bonnum Pic in Nattai National Park is a real classic, with attractive rocky terrain and valley and cliff views in all directions.
The high quality walk to Bonnum Pic in Nattai National Park is relatively unknown, and I hadn’t heard of it until just a week before I did it. The valley and cliff views are excellent, and once you get to the cliff line the walking experience is very enjoyable, walking over rocky outcrops and eventually navigating a rocky ridge.
Continue reading “Bonnum Pic Route, Nattai National Park NSW”
An adventurous walk along the Nattai River in Nattai National Park to the exposed summit of Russells Needle.
The walk to Russells Needle was one of the more challenging walks I’ve done in Australia. The views and sense of achievement from reaching the summit are worth the effort, however I found the Nattai River and Rocky Waterholes Creek to be the highlight of the walk. There are also excellent views at Needle lookout on the route down to the river, which you could visit for a much shorter day out. Definitely recommended for experienced walkers.
Continue reading “Russells Needle Route, Nattai National Park NSW”
Mount Solitary via Kedumba Valley is a good work out with varied scenery as you descend into the valley then climb to The Col for views.
My first time to climb Mount Solitary from Kings Tableland to the east. Although not quite as good as going via the Golden Stairs and Ruined Castle, variety is welcome, and it was a good workout. You cross Kedumba Creek at a nice spot, and with a good change in elevation there’s lots of variety of forest and vegetation generally.
Continue reading “Mount Solitary via Kedumba Valley, Blue Mountains NSW”
Visit atmospheric Dimmocks Creek and a series of old lookouts over Bundanoon Creek on unmaintained tracks with optional bush bashing.
The ‘lost lookouts’ at Bundanoon in the NSW Southern Highlands are a series of old lookouts that used to be accessed on maintained tracks. My route took me firstly down to the atmospheric Dimmocks Creek, then later on an indistinct but marked track for a while to the first two lookouts with nice views of cliffs and Bundanoon Creek.
After that the route is no longer marked and the track almost entirely disappeared, so I spent 2-3 hours (return) bush bashing to visit two more official lookouts and one informal vantage point. I also enjoyed the mushrooms in autumn.
Continue reading “Bundanoon Lost Lookouts & Dimmocks Creek, Morton National Park NSW”
Five excellent lookouts over the Grose Valley on this shortish and lesser known walk over Wongarra Hill in the Blue Mountains.
I’m still discovering new and accessible lookouts in the Blue Mountains, especially on the edge of the Grose Valley. The five (!) vantage points on this relatively easy walk are all excellent, offering unique views of some impressive cliff and valley scenery. I thought views of Mt Banks would be the highlight, but the views west were, not only because they were enhanced by excellent light by time we reached those spots, but because of up close views of three chunky protruding sections of cliffs.
Continue reading “Wongarra Hill & Mirrorball Arch Lookouts, Blue Mountains NSW”
Korean mountain & valley scenery at its very best on this challenging circuit along Dinosaur Ridge and down Cheonbuldong Valley, in Seoraksan National Park.
Our first time in Seoraksan National Park was one of our enduring hiking highlights. This time we did what is supposedly the best and hardest walk in the park—Dinosaur Ridge 공룡능선—so named for the jagged peaks along its spine (looking like a Stegosaurus I guess). It was bound to be a classic walk with stupendous scenery lifted right out of a Daoist painting, especially in Autumn / Fall, whatever the conditions…
Continue reading “Dinosaur Ridge 공룡능선 Circuit, Seoraksan 설악산, South Korea”
Erskine Creek in the Lower Blue Mountains near Glenbrook is very picturesque, and accessible from the plateau on the pleasant and easygoing Jack Evans Track. There are cliffs lining the creek, rock platforms, boulders big and small, sandy beaches, various big swimming holes, and in spring, lots of wildflowers. And you might have it all to yourself. There are also excellent views of Erskine Creek from the Jack Evans Track, and from Pisgah Rock, which is were I climbed out to.
Continue reading “Jack Evans Track – Erskine Creek – Pisgah Rock Circuit, Blue Mountains NSW”
An easygoing walk through spectacular rock pagodas & atmospheric canyons in the Lost City area of Gardens of Stone Conservation Area.
Over the years I’d seen photos of rock pagodas in Gardens of Stone National Park, but didn’t know much about how to access these areas. In 2022 NSW added Gardens of Stone State Conservation Area to the mix, and within this boundary is the amazing Lost City. This must be one of the most concentrated areas of pagodas, and a newly constructed track takes you on an easygoing 6km greatest-hits tour. Apart from the rock pagodas there is a very atmospheric canyon network to walk through.
Continue reading “Lost City walking track, Gardens of Stone State Conservation Area NSW”
A short climb to Booroomba Rocks in Namadgi National Park provides excellent views of surrounding mountains, cliffs, and a rocky plateau at 1350m of elevation.
The relatively short climb to Booroomba Rocks delivers excellent views from a rocky plateau at roughly 1350m of elevation. The walk up through sometimes boulder strewn woodland is also pleasant. We encountered eucalypts we’d not seen before, and in early winter a number of impressive mushrooms.
Continue reading “Booroomba Rocks Track, Namadgi National Park ACT”
Uniquely spectacular scenery on the Bungonia Gorge Red Track, passing scenic pools, a giant boulder field & towering cliffs on either side of this enormous slot canyon.
I first visited Bungonia National Park a few years ago, walking two of the easy tracks on the plateau and visiting various impressive viewpoints. From one of them you get a clear view of Bungonia Gorge, but on that day I didn’t have time to visit. I’m kind of happy I waited to do the Bungonia Gorge Red Track together with my wife Sophia, because it ended up being one our more challenging walks. The scenery is uniquely spectacular, with scenic pools, towering cliffs, and giant boulders in the slot canyon, as well as grass trees, maidenhair ferns and a pleasant stretch of river. Continue reading “Bungonia Gorge Red Track, Bungonia National Park NSW”
