treks – Underdown

Why are they called blue, for a start?

Rayleigh scattering – the elastic

scattering of light particles, put simply. It is common with many such mountain ranges, that they look blue from a distance.

ACCESS

The Blue Mountains are in New South Wales, Australia. They are accessible from Sydney by a two hour train ride to a heritage location, but we took a two and a half day drive from Adelaide. Coaches also travel here and you can hire a car.

2. ACCOMMODATION

We stayed in Blackheath Glen Tourist Park. This had great facilities and wide sites for vans, as well as being near Pope’s Glen track to Glovett’s Leap, but we were told that the neighboring Katoomba Tourist Park was equally good, and ran shuttles to major attractions.

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There are a multitude of accommodation options in the area and good access to all the necessities – supermarkets, bakeries, sweet shops, swimming pools, liquor, churches and more.

3. STUNNING VIEWS AND TRAILS

Climb the 250 million year old rock strata. Under the canopy of gum leaves seen from above, there is a rain forest below, with many waterfalls.

Online maps available before we got there were too limited. Even visiting tourist shops en route proved fruitless. We had to wait to stop in at the national parks centre in the region, but they were marvelous at providing maps, suggestions and advice. There are 48 walks on the ‘selection of bushwalks in the Blue Mountains’ sheet. Great detail is here, concerning grade, time, distance and features to be experienced. This was invaluable in planning our outdoor adventures.

4. VERTICAL CHALLENGES

Reported to have the steepest train ride in the world it is really more like a show ride and these days travels very slowly compared with what carried people 20 or 100 years ago.

Then there is the Cableway or the Skyway, with viewing floors and up to 360 degree views.

Or just descend the stairway to the Three Sisters or Pulpit Rock and feel suspended over more than time.

5. HISTORY

Around 1900 the population of this coal mining area was 4000! However, it was very popular as a holiday destination and in Summer the numbers would swell to 30 000 people. The sewage system was unable to cope at these times and it was not uncommon for Katoomba Falls to be dis-coloured with refuse. Erk.

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People ride here, walk here, drive here and arrive by the bus loads. It’s easy to see why.

At one lookout a man had his drone travel the 2km gap as he watched the view below on a smart phone. Unfortunately the echo could be heard across the canyon as we travelled to different lookouts, beyond where we could see it.

Take a hat, good walking shoes and water. You may need a coat if the clouds are hanging low, but they can blow away quickly, too.

Safe Travels!

Once called Edith Falls, Leliyn has returned to the name given it by the original owners, the Jawoyn people. It is connected to Nitmiluk Gorge (Katherine Gorge) and you can do the walk from one to the other. We didn’t, however ( I think it is 62 km – Jatbula Trail).

Arriving from Litchfield, there was a variety of walks but we took the loop walk which takes about two hours (2.6 km) and is uphill from the kiosk and downhill from the top plunge pool and falls. I would call it easy, having done it in thongs (rubber-soled footwear), while it was 38C, but it has been described as challenging, so maybe check out more informed trekking information. The tracks are well-marked with benches for rests along the way. The views are pretty special, even at the end of the dry season.

The rocks at the top falls are slippery, so be careful, but refreshing on a hot day. The water from the falls was ‘harder’ than at Wangi Falls (Litchfield National Park) despite being a quarter of the drop. I saw many people jump in, but if you can’t see the bottom, that could result in a broken leg or hypothermia if the water is very cold. Don’t swim alone for this reason and check the conditions at the kiosk .

The main pool and falls at the bottom can be enjoyed by the whole family, but it does get deep so encourage poor swimmers to stay close to the edge. It was amazing to swim within steep sandstone gorge walls, with paperbark and pandanus at the fringes.

There is a popular campsite, with regular facilities and in the peak season it is first in first served. Peak is after the wet – March to September, when the falls flow thick and fast but trekking could be discouraged. The park is under joint management between the government and the traditional owners. Make sure someone knows that you are on a trek, and the kiosk is a good place to record this.

Take a hat and plenty of water, first aid kit for walkers and suitable walking shoes.

Tag: treks

5 Things you’ll love about the Blue Mountains.

Leliyn