Report by: Jane Munro
Leader and photographer: Hans Staub
The first sunny Sunday for ages saw twelve Mudgee Bushwalkers out of bed early and on the road to the Blue Mountains at 7.30am sharp. The weather prediction was for some rain, but the skies stayed clear all the way and we gathered for morning tea at Govetts Leap car park in warm sunshine. The place was already thronging with other folk who had similar plans to us.
After plenty of refreshments we set off along the track and were soon making one of those typical Blue Mountains descents, down countless steps which for many of us seem to be more difficult on the way down than on the way back up. As virtually all our Blue Mountains walks begin with steps, I’m thinking next time I will try doing some warm-up exercises before I get going.
As always, the reward for our efforts came fairly quickly as we reached one of the several vantage points along the track where we could take in the view out over the Grose Valley. Always breathtaking and uplifting, no matter how often I see it!
The track was undulating as we made our way along the cliff edge towards Evans Lookout, so our muscles were put to the test and the deceptively short distance (2.7km each way) still gave us a very energetic workout. The sun streaming in from the east warmed us up and the dense heathland protected us from the fairly strong winds, as we passed through the forest of banksias, casuarinas and stunted mallee scrub.
Our first rest stop was just past Govetts Leap Brook, about 1km from our starting point. Here a beautiful, crystal clear creek carved through the sandstone and spilled out over the rim, cascading to the valley below as a delicate, sparkling waterfall. From Barrow Lookout we enjoyed expansive valley views, and the sight of the hanging swamps on the cliff wall opposite. The sheer cliff face here is covered with a green “swamp” of water-loving plants feeding off the seepage coming out of the rocks.
At this point several of our number separated from the main group. This group explored the Braeside Track before making the return walk back to Govetts Leap. The rest of us pressed on to Evans Lookout. The wildflowers were lovely, and the honeyeaters were out and about enjoying the feast of nectar they provided. We saw several kinds of native orchids, including pink and white Caladenias and the beautiful azure blue Sun Orchid. There were numerous kinds and colours of grevilleas in pinks, reds and yellows, masses of vibrant egg-and-bacon plant, purple native iris, ecologically endangered Isopogon “drumsticks” and even waratahs!
This was the first time I had seen waratahs flowering in the bush and I was delighted. Sadly we could see that those which had bloomed next to the track had been souvenired by thoughtless walkers, but in a few locations we were treated to the sight of their vibrant red blooms on plants growing further back from the track. There was also a sighting of a brown snake which Hans photographed.
We ate lunch at Evans Lookout, and some walkers remained here to be picked up by Joby who drove around from Govetts Leap. The rest of us returned the way we had come. All of us joined forces back at Govetts Leap car park and shared the details of our day’s highlights. Then it was back to Mudgee, via the Ellie-Cats café at Dargan. Thanks to our leader Hans for a very enjoyable day, on a date very well chosen to get the most of the wildflowers and the spring weather.