I had suggested to Bob, that we visit the Carawatha Ridge again. On a previous walk, we had entered Victoria Brook via this ridge, and it seemed quite scenic. I was keen to see what looked like good views from the end of the range – overlooking the junction of Victoria Creek and Victoria Brook.
This turned out to be a very pleasant walk.
Due to a barrier on the median of the highway, it was easiest for Bob to park at the Mt Boyce Picnic Area. With care, we then crossed the highway, and started walking out along the Carawatha Ridge Fire Trail. This provides access to electricity transmission line pylons. Early on we spotted this Robin –
Then we followed along a rough track for a bit, then an untracked, but fairly open ridge. It was nice walking, but it a was a bit early in the season for orchids to be out.
As we approached the vantage point above the junction, the views started.
We stopped for a break at a very good lookout –
It was too difficult to climb up onto this block –
As well as the views of the gorge and cliffs, there was a lot of Mistletoe in flower –
This attracted some honeyeaters.
Yellow-faced Honeyeater
Eastern Spinebill
White-naped Honeyeater
Yellow-faced Honeyeater
For the walk out, we went a different route at first. We followed a system of rock ledges on the south side of Victoria Brook, and crossed three small creeks. We were heading to a rocky ridge that overlooked the creek.
The ridge proved to be very interesting, but did not off great views into the serpentinious section of Victoria Brook that I had been hoping for.
We found a nice place to stop for lunch. Then we walked back up the ridge.
It was a pleasant talk back to the highway.
Old Railway Formation
Bob had suggested that we also visit the old railway formation between Blackheath and Mt Victoria. I had heard of proposals to convert this into a rail trail, but had never visited it. But it looked easy to access from Mt Boyce.
We first visited this direction marker monument at Mt Boyce –
Then we descended down a railway access road, past a gate with a hole in the fence through to the old railway easement.
This took us down to the original railway formation which would date back to around 1868.
We then followed it to the west.
The old railway formation is at a very good gradient, and it would make a great rail trail for cycling.
We could look down at the present rail way deviation, constructed in 1898 when the line was duplicated between Blackheath and Mt Victoria.
The old railway formation provides grea view looking into the Kanimbla Valley and off their nearby cliffs.
The formation ends , not far past this cutting. The original formation has been washed out. I am not sure for how far.
Looking down at some of the railway assets, I have noticed recently that most of these have been recently painted with large numbers –
This has been done to assets such as these between Emu Plains and at least as far west as Mt Victoria. The numbers match up with the distance of the asset from Central Station – but in miles rather than kilometres. Why miles?
Back at Mt Boyce, we visited this old obelisk –
It is very hard to read the inscriptions. But, thanks to Bob for finding these links to Archdeacon Boyce – see here and here.
Also of interest at Mt Boyce is this Aboriginal scar tree –
The tree was moved to this site, when the the highway was widened. Then enclosure is sympathetic to the old heritage picnic shelter at Mt Boyce in design.
Historic Horse Troughs
No visit to the Blue Mountain would be complete without visiting a heritage horse trough. On this visit we saw two!
On the way up the mountains, we visited this one at Lawson. It lies a short way down Honour Avenue –
And later, on the way down the mountains, we stopped off for a short break at Warrimoo. We visited Ardill Park, near the RFS, and this is the site of a “Bills” Horse Trough –
