Wendy was keen on a daywalk on the weekend. I had been in the bush close to the Mt Hay Road two days before, which had been nice, and had suggested another walk in that area – this time near The Fortress. Wendy had not visited Dr Darks Cave, so that was once place we should go to.
Lower Arethusa Canyon from a side ridge of The Fortress
We headed out the Mt Hay Road and parked at the Fortress Car Park and set off along the fire road. At the first junction, we took the left branch and walked out to a nice lookout overlooking the upper section of Govett Gorge. This lookout offers great views, but it not as good as another on the next headland to the west as that one allows views right into the lower part of Arethusa Canyon.
Medusa Falls
After taking a few photos, our intention was to backtrack a bit and then walk down the track to Dr Darks Cave. But at the lookout we found a rough pad that seemed to be heading down that way. Perhaps this would be a shortcut? We took it. It did lead down and then along a ledge, and then seemed to peter out. we kept of traversing a bit and soon joined the proper track to the cave. The descent down to the creek was easy and we soon found ourselves on the ledge that led to Dr Darks Cave.
I went to school in the mountains and can remember Eric Dark as the area school doctor. He examined all my cohort in primary school and then later conducted hearing and vision tests on the students when I was in high school. I remember him as a kindy old man. I can also remember one of my high school teachers telling the class about Dr Dark’s history as a pioneer rock climber in the Blue Mountains. It was only later, when I started bushwalking and climbing that I learned a bit more about Eric Dark. As well as climbing, he was a bushwalker and had at one time accompanied the great Labor Party leader Dr Herbert Evatt on a walk to Blue Gum Forest. Dark had convinced Evatt that the forest would be a peaceful place to camp out for a few days to get away from the hurly burly and stress of politics.
On one bushwalk in 1937, it seems he found a cave near The Fortress that he later used as private family retreat. The cave was set up with some sleeping and cooking equipment. The cave remains much the same today, except for a log book being added. Visitors should respect this place and leave all things intact.
Not far past the cave, and on the same level, is a nice ledge that takes you out to the massive cliffs above Govett Gorge. A spectacular place! I think this ledge is called “Houris Kitchen”. Back in the 1970’s I can remember reading a Kameruka Bushwalking Club trip report, of a walk led by Ted Hartley. They went to two places – Cut Throat Canyon and Houri’s Kitchen. The trip started from Wentworth Falls and ended at Leura. No grid references were given, but it looks like Cut Throat Canyon is either the canyon in Ashcroft Ravine or nearby in Wentworth Ck. They then climbed out and headed west. They later traversed a ledge with spectacular views which was called Houri’s Kitchen. Back then I always thought it was the same place as the ledge near Dr Dark’s Cave. Unfortunately Ted Hartley passed away many years ago, so I cannot ask him to confirm this. But a few years ago at a KBC reunion, people were taking about Ted and his life. During WWII, he was a conscientious objector – and he did spend a period in jail for his beliefs. But he was hiding out in various places before being caught, and on one of those, he apparently met someone in cave near The Fortress, and they had a long discussion about things. This sounds like it could have been Dr Dark. So the name may come from Eric Dark? On this walk, I had a look for any possible traverse ledges – and Houri’s Kitchen could be the one at west end of the gully that Dr Dark’s cave is in (or it could be the ledge to the east – which also looks like it could be traversed). My memory is a little hazy about all this. I may have got the idea of Houri’s Kitchen being a traverse ledge from talking to Ted Hartley, and Ted may not have been able to recall its exact location.
After visiting the ledge and taking more photos, we headed back to Dr Darks Cave and then followed the track back to the fire road. We walked back to the junction and this took took the right hand branch.
A short way along, this turns into a track and not far along that we left stand headed out through heath to a nice vantage point overlooking Lovett Gorge. There are no big rock platforms, but the low heath does not obscure the views and it is the best place to look into lower Arethusa Canyon.
On the ridge nearby is a nice and quite strange rock formation formed from ironstone bands in the sandstone. According to Bob Crombie, these are weathered Liesegang Rings. This was a good place to stop for lunch.
After lunch, we rejoined the main track and continued all the way along to The Fortress. Here are more great views – but this time looking down the lower part of Lovett Gorge to The Grose Valley. Perrys Lookdown, Mt Banks and Lockleys Pylon are also impressive from here.
It was time to head back to Wendy’s car. We reluctantly left The Fortess and walked back.
More photos from the walk are online here on my website.
That woman in pink must have been scared for her life!
Still the place looks awesome. Love the photos.
How long did this walk take? Looks really interesting
About a half day
I went there in the weekend but unfortunately couldn’t find the cave. We walked all the way to the edge but couldn’t see any track heading along or down to the cave.