All this for some trees
The Blue Mountains National Park features some of the most spectacular scenery in all of Australia. Given its close proximity to Sydney you would think this magnificent park would be swarming with dedicated tree huggers, weekend romantics, family adventurers and suburban escapists. But on a recent weekend we were determined to get away from the crowds, dive deep into the secrets of the national park and visit one of the true gems of the area – a very specific grove of special trees. But what an effort it took and what a great weekend!
The Sydney Blue Gum is an uncommon eucalyptus tree found in some hard to reach places in New South Wales. It features a tall straight trunk up to 65 metres high, graceful sentinels standing together in shady groves. Their most famous location is – wait for it – Blue Gum Forest which is in the bottom of the Grose Valley in the heart of this remote wilderness area.
We’ve had a long standing goal of visiting these magnificent trees but given their remote location the logistics of such a venture was somewhat daunting for our extended family of eight. But with a bit of effort it turned into a challenging but rewarding weekend backpacking trip.
The trip started from Govett’s Leap, the dramatic lookout near the town of Blackheath that provides panoramic views of the Grose Valley from the edge of the escarpment. Somewhere down the valley, along the creek and around the corner far below us was Blue Gum Forest and our goal for the weekend.
With full packs and strong backs we followed the trail along the cliff top to Barrow Lookout which gave us unique views of Bridal Veil Falls and Horseshoe Falls. Recent rains in the area meant these falls were unusually full and they provided a spectacular foreground to the vast spaces of the valley below us.
From Evans Lookout we started our descent into the valley via the aptly named Grand Canyon, a deep and narrow canyon which provided one of only a few entry/exit points to the valley. This was a steep climb down into the valley, following Greaves Creek with its almost continuous waterfalls that reminded me of a childhood slinky going down the family stairs.
But this was a very difficult technical climb down, clinging to cables on the steep terrain, sometimes using all fours to navigate over boulders, down huge steps or across slippery surfaces. There were a few falls – and laughs – amongst us but we were all thankful we were descending rather than the alternative.
After a picnic lunch on the sunny rocks of the creek we followed the path further down Rodriguez Pass and along the banks of Greaves Creek which had doubled in size due to other water joining it from other directions. Eventually it flattened out in the bottom of the valley and we stared up at the beautiful escarpment walls all around us as we made our way downstream.
We crossed the creek many times, sometimes spotting large orange yabbies, or fresh water crayfish, that flourished in these shaded waters. After another couple of hours of walking amongst the trees, up and around the bluffs, along the picturesque creek and below the bird life of the valley we reached our camp for the night – Acacia Flat. And finally, that relief we were all looking forward to, taking off the heavy packs for the night and setting up camp.
The combination of a beautiful setting surrounded by tall trees, a crackling fire and greatly appreciated red wine made for a great evening and a good sleep in our remote setting. Morning time brought us heavy dew, blue skies and sore shoulders but we were ready for our side trip to Blue Gum Forest and the goal for our weekend.
These tall smooth gums, like a dense forest of huge power poles with thick foliage on top, had withstood centuries of fire, chainsaws and violent storms. It was great fun to walk amongst them and explore the nearby wide rocky creek that ran through them. We had accomplished our main goal for the weekend but we had one big problem ahead of us – we needed to climb back out of this deep valley.
The journey the next day was a cruel mixture of stunning scenery and back-breaking climbing, marked by dogged determination and broken with frequent stops, water and chocolates. We walked up a steep shaded canyon with a beautiful little creek bouncing down it; all around us were rocks and fallen trees covered in a carpet of green moss, lichen and vines. Mushrooms, toadstools and a dazzling array of fungus sprouted up everywhere while we crossed back and forth across the creek, sometimes jumping from slippery rock to wobbly rock.
At the foot of the 200 metre high escarpment we crossed the creek at the base of the majestic Bridal Veil Falls, full of water and flowing dramatically off the cliff high above. As the water fell it got caught in the breeze of the canyon and created a fine mist on everything nearby. The stunning views of this waterfall made the climb out all worthwhile.
The walk up the escarpment wall was mainly a series of steep steps carved in the sandstone with weary travellers having to negotiate wet slimy smooth stones while sometimes being protected by a rickety hand rail. It was the final lung busting, thigh burning, shoulder breaking challenge before we reached the top of the escarpment and our patiently parked cars. But to those of us who made up the caboose there were cold beers and a cheery greeting from the mountain goats amongst us.
The Blue Mountains hold many surprises for those who are willing to venture off the bitumen and we are always amazed by our experiences in this area. Our weekend expedition to the Blue Gum Forest was a chance for the extended family, both experienced and novice backpackers, to enjoy this beautiful setting and spend some great time together. Let’s do it all again next weekend!