A hiking blog with pretty pictures.
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”
A very picturesque and sometimes secluded circuit walk along Kangaroo Creek in Sydney’s Royal National Park. There are many swimming pools if you like a dip.
I didn’t expect to find a secluded walk in the Royal National Park, one of Australia’s busiest. But Kangaroo Creek, at least for part of its length, offers just that. A couple of rope swings were evidence that people do visit sometimes, but the navigation on this very picturesque walk is a bit tricky, which will keep away all but the knowledgeable or committed.
Further along the creek you get to larger swimming pools visited by people coming from the other direction, so your seclusion is over by then. But it is still very attractive for the whole length, and the return route I took, though less picturesque, was full of interesting plant and bird life.
Continue reading “Kangaroo Creek Circuit, Royal National Park, Sydney”
Fabulous mountain views from Mount Howitt (1742m), Mount Magdala & Crosscut Saw in the Victorian Alps, with a night at Vallejo Gantner Hut.
The Victorian Alps have some of the mainland’s best mountain scenery, and the collection of peaks around Mount Howitt (1742m) are one of the area’s highlights. There are rugged peaks and cliffs, views for miles, and beautiful, atmospheric snow gum woodlands. We visited Mount Howitt, Mount Howitt West Peak, Mount Magdala (1725m) and Crosscut Saw (1708m), staying one night in comfortable Vallejo Gantner Hut for our first Australian overnighter.
Continue reading “Mount Howitt, Mount Magdala & Crosscut Saw, Victorian Alps”
A pleasant walk through bush with rocky outcrops and clearings to excellent views at Ahearns Lookout in Nattai National Park.
Ahearns Lookout is an alternative walk to the Starlights Trail, in Nattai National Park south-west of Sydney. There are excellent views from the precipitous cliff edge over the Nattai River Valley. Along the way there are rocky outcrops and clearings, plus occasional broken views through the trees. Well worth the only moderate effort. Continue reading “Ahearns Lookout Track, Nattai National Park NSW”
Follow a faint bush track along Burra Korain Ridge in the Blue Mountains, for excellent views of the Grose Valley from Burra Korain Head.
The sometimes indistinct track along Burra Korain Ridge takes you to Burra Korain Head for excellent views of the Grose Valley. There are roughly three vantage points to get views in all directions, so spend a bit of time exploring the head when you are there.
Continue reading “Burra Korain Ridge Track, Blue Mountains NSW”Discover an ancient landscape of large rock pagodas and hidden valleys on this walk to Goochs Crater on Newnes Plateau in the Blue Mountains.
Goochs Crater and surrounds on the Newnes Plateau is a very interesting area full of large rock pagodas and hidden valleys. It’s technically in the Blue Mountains but looks a lot like the typical terrain of neighbouring Gardens of Stone National Park. Depending on road conditions and whether you have a 4wd, some of the walk in will be on fire trails and perhaps less interesting. But the excellent and ancient looking landforms at the turnaround point will be worth it.
Continue reading “Goochs Crater Route, Newnes Plateau, Blue Mountains NSW”
A straightforward walk to Ikara Head in the Blue Mountains, with excellent views of the Grose Valley, and nice wildflowers in season.
The walk to Ikara Head is a lesser known track in the Blue Mountains near Mt Victoria, with excellent views of the Grose Valley from the turnaround point, and open views for much of the way. There were also nice wildflowers when we walked in early summer.
A pleasant walk to Bald Head in the Blue Mountains with views along the way, and excellent views of the Grose Valley at the turn around point.
The route to Bald Head passes through open country and woodland to excellent views up and down the Grose Valley. We did the walk in early October and there were plenty of wildflowers blooming, including waratahs. Continue reading “Bald Head via Hat Hill Canyon Exit Track, Blue Mountains NSW”
A straightforward Blue Mountains walk along Burramoko Ridge to Hanging Rock with spectacular cliff & valley views at the turnaround point.
The walk along a fire trail on the mostly flat Burramoko Ridge provides access to some of the best views of the Upper Blue Mountains. These views over the cliff lined Grose Valley include a great angle on the uniquely shaped Hanging Rock. You can jump across a small gap to access the rock if you like, although there’s plenty of exposure within metres so best leave this for a calm day. Definitely a good views to effort ratio, the main downside being a not too interesting walk along a fire trail to get to these views. Continue reading “Hanging Rock via Burramoko Ridge, Blue Mountains, Blackheath NSW”
