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”
Two walks in one in Guula Ngulla National Park, to Baldy Billy Peak for good views, and down to a secluded stretch of the Wollondilly River.
Two walks in one here, on my first visit to the recently established Guula Ngulla National Park. The name means Koala Country, and there is a population in the park, but also emus, which is the closest to Sydney I’ve seen them. There are good views over the Wollondilly River from the short ascent to Baldy Billy Peak. After returning to the main track, you descend steeply into a valley to emerge at a pleasant stretch of the Wollondilly River.
Continue reading “Baldy Billy Peak & Wollondilly River, Guula Ngulla National Park 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”
Expansive views are available from the summit of Mt Jellore (834m) in Nattai National Park, and you’ll enjoy mixed vegetation along the way.
There are expansive views available from the summit of Mt Jellore (834m) over Nattai National Park and beyond to the Greater Blue Mountains. Although the views are good I probably enjoyed some of the vegetation along the way more, especially Jellore Creek. Nevertheless, the summit is quite prominent, so you feel like you are on a real (though small) mountain, which is not common in these parts.
Continue reading “Mt Jellore Summit, Nattai National Park NSW”
Countless spectacular rock pagodas at Lost City West in Gardens of Stone, a little known alternative to the popular Lost City Walking Track.
This walk takes in countless spectacular and ancient looking rock pagodas for little effort, and you probably won’t see a single person all day. For sure the varied and tracked circuit between Lost City North and South is a must-do. But on that walk you’ll be joined by many others, which can detract somewhat from that sense of having discovered, well, a lost city. This alternative to Lost City West doesn’t take you down into the valley, and requires some (easy) off-track walking, but the pay-off is having the place all to yourself.
Continue reading “Lost City West Viewpoints, Gardens of Stone Conservation Area 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”
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”
A shortish and lesser known walk to Lions Head on the Kings Tableland, in the Blue Mountains, with great valley views for much of the way.
This walk on the western edge of the Kings Tableland south of Wentworth Falls Village follows an unmarked track to Lions Head, with good views of the Jamieson and Kedumba Valleys for much of the way. Views from Lions head include some pretty impressive cliffs seen through the trees. We walked in late autumn and saw heaps of very interesting mushrooms, so I recommend this timing.
Continue reading “Lions Head Track, Blue Mountains National Park NSW”
Fairly remote walking on your way to Mount Cloudmaker (1164m), in Kanangra-Boyd National Park, with great views along the way.
This challenging day-walk to the summit of Mount Cloudmaker (1164m) offers a remote walking experience and excellent views. Most of the views are early on in the walk, but for a sense of adventure and to bag some peaks you’ll want to continue on to Mount Cloudmaker.
Continue reading “Mount Cloudmaker from Kanangra Walls, Kanangra-Boyd National Park, NSW”
