Around a month earlier, Bob and myself had walked the western section of Bruce’s Walk between Medlow Bath and Wentworth Falls. We were now keen to visit the eastern section between Wentworth Falls and Lawson.
Lawson Cave Falls
Like the western section, this walk involves a mixture of track and fire road walking. and also some more road walking to get to the start from the station and also back to the station at the end. This part is probably about the same standard as the western section – both in length, difficulty and walking time. All the track sections were on good tracks on both sections – not hard to follow. The eastern section does have four ladders however – but they are short and not dangerous.
The first part was walking from Wentworth Falls Station to the end of Lawson View Road.
But before this, we checked out an old grave that Bob had read about very close to Wentworth Falls Station. It is the last resting place of James Fergusson who died at age 22 after being hit by lightning in 1859.
It was easy to pick up the start of the walking track, which we followed for a short distance, and then it went back onto a fire road. It soon became a walking track again as it descends into Burgess Glen in Blue Mountains Creek. Modern topographic maps call this place Auburn Glen. Burgess was a railway engineer who worked on the transmission like that Bruce’s Walk follows.
Just before the creek crossing is a sandstone overhang with the sign “Shelter Cave”. It has a couple of wooden seats (one of which used to be a table).
It is interesting where the track crosses the creek. Immediately downstream is a small waterfall and the creek flows down a small waterfall into a section of low canyon. Perhaps worth exploring in warmer weather and taking a rope?
On the east side of the creek the track climbs up by traversing ledges and then ascending at natural breaks in the cliff lines. At the top is the end of another fire road. The track then descends again rapidly through nice forest to Podgers Glen (named after another railway engineer).
On the descent, we had to negotiate a few short ladders.
Podgers Glen is perhaps the most interesting part of the walk, as a short way upstream, on a rough side track, lies the attractive Lawson Cave Falls (about 5 minutes walk up the right hand (western) branch of the creek. For more information non these falls see page 4 of The Bushwalker or this alternate source. The waterfall is quite attractive and well worth the visit. Despite the very severe drought, there was some flow over them. Probably because the creek is fed by number of hanging swamps which store water and then slowly release it.
Near the waterfall was a small cave – that had an old fire place. But I think the waterfall gets it name from the large overhang right next the creek where the waterfall is.
We then returned to the main track and started walking up out of the valley. At one point a side track branches off. Bob explored this a short way. It probably goes to a shelter cave in the left hand branch of the creek.
At the top of the hill, is another fire road terminus and the track descended immediately to Claires Glen. This is named after Claire Wilson (nee Kent) – wife of the then Blue Mountains Shire President. This was a much smaller valley than the previous two, and we missed the side track down to “The Vines” and two more shelter caves.
We then climbed up to reach Kent St (possibly also named after Claire Wilson? – as her maiden name was Kent). We then had to follow the fire road here for about 1 km. Part way out we stopped for lunch where we had a nice view of Mt Hay.
The last section of Bruces Walk then leaves the fire road from a branch close to the nest creek and only goes a short distance on the other side before reaching another fire road. we followed this east to arrive at the park near Dantes Glen and Fairy Falls. From there it is a short walk to Lawson Station.
More photos of this walk are online here.