Wanderings

From:

With Swag and Billy:
A Guide to Walking Trips
in Tourist Districts of New South Wales
by H. J. Tompkins

Second Edition. Sydney 1910.

Visit the original at Project Gutenberg Australia: https://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks13/1301331h.html#ch-2-6-1

*No. 1.—Wentworth Falls to Picton (or Camden), viâ Cox’s River and Burragorang Valley.

Distance, about 60 miles.

Estimated cost as low as 20s. Thus: 1st class return, Wentworth Falls, 10s 2d.; accommodation en route, 14s. 11d.= 25s. 1d. 2nd class return, Wentworth Falls, 5s. 1d.; accommodation en route, 14s. 11d.= 20s.

The 4.55 p.m. on Friday reaches Wentworth Falls at 7.8 p.m. Wilson’s Hotel is the most convenient.

First Day.

Wentworth Falls to Cox’s River, 23 miles. A day-break start is advised—breakfast and lunch on track. Leaving the hotel follow the Great Western road for about a mile as if going to Sydney. A finger-post here indicates the way across King’s tableland and past the Queen Victoria Consumptive Homes. To a stranger the track is bad for water, and a supply should be got at Wentworth Falls. McMahon’s, Cox’s River, has to be reached for tea. A post-card should be addressed to Mr. Thomas McMahon, Cox’s River, viâ Burragorang, a few days in advance, mentioning the number he may expect. As the McMahon homestead is round a bend a short distance up stream, it is necessary to cross the Cox twice, or to follow the bend round to get to it; but before doing either, make inquiry at the farm-house on the right just before reaching the river.

Second Day.

McMahon’s to Pippin’s accommodation house, Burragorang, distance 15 miles. An easy day, and an early start is not necessary. The highway crosses and recrosses Cox’s River several times in a few miles. This gets monotonous and can be avoided by taking the bridle track, on west side, used in times of flood. With ordinary care no difficulty will arise, and the main road is rejoined just below the junction of Cox and Wollondilly. A dip in the Wollondilly at Fitzpatrick’s Crossing will be appreciated while the billy is being boiled for lunch. Pippin’s accommodation house should be reached by 5 p.m. Shortly after crossing Wollondilly bridge, and about 2 miles from Pippin’s is a weathered sandstone boulder containing a curious specimen of aboriginal art, known locally as the “red hands.” Do not miss it. Mr. McMahon will direct more fully. If time be limited, accommodation can be obtained at Dunn’s first night, instead of at McMahon’s and the Oaks reached on the evening of the second day.

(Weeping Rock, Wentworth Falls)

Third Day.

Burragorang to Picton: distance, 22 or 23 miles. Make an early start, though the new road up the mountain is an easy grade. If the destination be Camden, keep right on to The Oaks; if Picton, turn to the right opposite the public school by the road side. If Monday be a holiday, there is usually a late train to Sydney. If otherwise, you must stay at Picton until next morning, in which case expenses will be increased to that extent. This is an ideal walk—out of the beaten tourist routes. For a considerable part it is bush-track, and quite unsuitable for vehicular traffic. Until the confluence of Cox, Wollondilly, and Warragamba is passed the only travellers likely to be encountered are horsemen. Rugged mountain scenery is varied by fertile agricultural lands limited in area, and the view from Wentworth Falls end overlooking Cox’s River and Burragorang Valley is probably unsurpassed on the whole mountain range. The view from the Jumpback is very fine, and is familiar to many who make the trip from The Oaks, but it is not so stupendous as the view from the other end. (See “Notes from Diary,” Part III.)

TEN-DAY TRIP.

No.1.—Katoomba to Mittagong (or Bowral), viâ Kanimbla Valley, Black Mountain, Jenolan Caves, Ginkin, Shooters’ Hill, Wombeyan Caves, and Wollondilly River.

Distance, about 156 miles.

Estimated cost as low as 55s 10d. Thus: 2nd week-end return to Bell, 6s. 10d (1st, 13s. 8d.); accommodation, &c., Jenolan, one day, 14s.; accommodation, &c., Wombeyan, one day, 10s.; expenses en route, 25s.= 55s. 10d.

First and Second Days

Provision for fifteen or sixteen meals should be made; do not stock to this extent at Sydney, as supplies are obtainable at Whalan’s 2½ miles from the Caves, and elsewhere en route. You must also have your sleeping-bag and mosquito-net, as there is little or no accommodation available between Jenolan and Wombeyan. Mittagong, Bowral, and Bell are distant from Sydney 78, 81, and 82 miles respectively; hence if you take a week-end return to Bell—6s. 10d.—it is available for return from either Mittagong or Bowral. You may leave Sydney on Friday evening, so as to be in readiness to take the track from Katoomba early Saturday morning; but this does not materially assist you. Katoomba to Jenolan—32 to 34 miles—should at most only occupy a day-and-a-half. Therefore, if you take the 7.52 a.m. on Saturday, you get under way from Katoomba at 11 o’clock, and can easily cut out the 10 miles to Cox’s River crossing by nightfall, and arrive at Jenolan for tea next evening.

(For further details as to this part of the journey see Six-day Trip “Jenolan Caves, returning viâ Tarana or Mount Victoria.”)

(Crossing the Dividing Range Near Jenolan Caves, in a Snowstorm.)

Third Day

will be spent at Jenolan Caves. There will be two daylight inspections, and, if desired, a night inspection. Accommodation at the Caves should be secured before leaving Sydney—the charge is 10s. per day.

Fourth Day

An early start should be made so that the long steep ascent of the mountain may be in the freshness of the morning. Later you leave the Oberon-road, turning to the left for Ginkin (9 miles), and passing Shooters’ Hill (17 miles) during the afternoon, pitch your camp at any suitable place.

Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Days.

During the next three days you enjoy the stilly solitudes of the great Australian bush, and in rapturous enjoyment of the radical change in the manner of living, you thread your way through the fragrant forest, “dipping tired feet in some cool flowing brook.” Here and there you happen on the home of the “hardy pioneer”—the man on the land. But he does not appear to be prosperous in these parts; mostly crude and unlovely in his habitation, yet, as far as can be judged, not dissatisfied that the number of his days shall be accomplished far from the rush and turmoil of the crowd. It is, perhaps, according to the eternal fitness of things that he resolutely refuses to pay homage to the spirit of the forest. You are shocked to hear your picturesque valleys and mountains characterised as “hungry,” and to be assured with some emphasis that a square mile of such country would not fatten a bandicoot. It all depends on the point of view. However, passing several small settlements you should reach Wombeyan-Taralga road about noon on the seventh day (fourth from Jenolan), and turning to your left make Wombeyan Caves for tea.

Eighth Day

You will spend in an inspection of the Caves, and the accommodation dispensed by Mr. Caretaker Chalker will sorely tempt you to withdraw, or at least to modify, the hard things you have said about civilised customs.

Ninth and Tenth Days.

These days will be occupied in the journey from Wombeyan to Bowral, or Mittagong, of which detailed description is unnecessary here (vide Mittagong to Mittagong, viâ Wombeyan and Goulburn—Five-day Trip, trip details and notes.)

It will be sufficient to say that an early start should be made, and that the first day’s journey should bring you just past Bullio homestead—perhaps as far as the tunnel. After the considerable experience you have had in camping out, it is hardly likely that you will make inquiry about accommodation en route. On the evening of the tenth day you will reach your destination, be it Bowral or Mittagong, in time to have a shower and straighten yourself out for tea. On the morrow the train will land you at Sydney at 9 o’clock.