2 Geckos Travelling Australia: Thurs, 18th Sept, 2014 Megalong Valley (Blue Moutains sightseeing)

11 degrees this morning and the sun is shining but it is taken forever to warm up. Got my gloves on to use the computer. After breakfast headed up the mountain to explore the lookouts. First one at top of our climb out of the Valley was Paul Harris Lookout (named after a Rotary chap or something) at Blackheath – overlooking the Megalong Valley below. Didn’t stay long as it was freezing. We are at 1100m above sea level.

Heading to Katoomba passed all these old cars having a day out. Glad they are rugged up. Love the last one – look like gangsters.

Headed into Katoomba via the Blue Mountains Scenic Drive to Cahills Lookout. Great walk (350m) down to amazing views. The ridge in the middle is Narrow Neck and splits the Jamison Valley (below the 3 sisters) and Megalong Valley.

Looking to where we are camped in Megalong Valley. Our caravan is down there somewhere.

The little hill in the middle has the Ruined Castle (that we saw from Katoomba). Mount Solitary on the left and Narrow Neck before us and round to the right.

Awesome looking down – glad we have railings to hang onto.

Looking to the other lookout on the right and ridge that leads to Hargraves Lookout.

View from the other lookout around from the first one. Looking down on Megalong Valley again – the dirt road is the “6 foot track” – created so tourists back in the 1900s could get to Jenolan Caves – will have to check it out.

My photos don’t do justice to the depth and steepness of the ridges.

Made a cuppa and sat in the park near the lookout and enjoyed the peace and tranquillity with a variety of birds singing.

Next one round is Narrow Neck Lookout. There is a road down there going out onto the ridge so will check that out later. We are just creeping our way around the cliff edge looking towards Mt Solitary and Ruined Castle overlooking Jamison Valley.

At Hilda’s Lookout the view was not so good – the trees have grown. They had a notice about the Phantom Falls. It is an occasional beautiful sight. For them to appear the weather conditions have to be exactly right and there needs to be a lot of moisture in the air. Overnight there needs to be a clear sky and no wind.

When we came in 2003 and the 3 Sisters were covered in fog and when we came to Cahill’s Lookout, the mist was just rolling over Narrow Neck into Megalong Valley. This board says it flows the other way!! I even had the photo with me below.

Landslide Lookout was amazing. Looking back to Narrow Neck.

You can see the bus where we were at Narrow Neck Lookout.

Walked down the ridge to the cliff face then along it to a pinnacle. Windy and cold but fantastic. The rock formations were amazing.

We walked to that point – no handrails either!!

Looking back to Ruined Castle and the end of Narrow Neck – that is where to Golden Stairs are that go down to the valley floor.

Lovely flowers and dead trees everywhere. With the wind that is blowing we can’t work out why all the dead stuff hasn’t blown away.

Amazing rock formations from the wind and rain.

Mount Solitary

Windy Steve with Narrow Neck behind him

Looking back to Landslide Lookout

We could see the top of one of the 3 Sisters if we peered around the next point.

More great rock formations and caves

Cylcorama Point just opposite the Landslide Lookout – in its day would have been a good view – now the trees are too high. Old site with stairs not in use as they come straight up from the road on a corner – not safe now.

Further along is Eagle Hawk Lookout. Not wheelchair friendly here. Great views though across to the 3 Sisters and Echo Point.

Called into Scenic World to find out about the train ride. Found this steam clock. Wonderful except when the steam sprayed all over us as it tooted 12 times for 12 o’clock. The clock is driven by a miniature, live steam, 2 cylinder engine. Steam produced in the Scenic World workshop travels underground for 70 metres at 15PSI. Every 10 minutes the steam engine winds the clock by pulling the miniature coal skips up the railway incline, preceded by a double toot of the smallest whistle.

The 4 Big Facts about Scenic World (a sign out front) are :

52 degrees - The Scenic Railway is the steepest in the world,

270 metres – The Scenic Skyway is the highest cable car in Australia,

84 people – The Scenic Cableway is the biggest cable car in Australia,

2.4 kms – The Scenic Walkway is the longest boardwalk in the Southern Hemisphere.

Sounds great and at $35 very reasonable. Will come back tomorrow so we can have the full day. The lady warned us though there would be 300 Chinese on tour from 11 to 2!!!

Round to Echo Point. All the streets near it are parking ticket monitored. We found a spot and made lunch. Then put our money in the meter for an hour - $3.80 per hour!!

There are so many old entrances to areas. Great to see the heritage and amazed at what they achieved without the machinery of today.

Lots of informative maps everywhere. Lots more walks and lookouts to do too!!!

How is this tree staying up!

Lovely walk and Blue Mountain gum.

Finally to the entrance to the Three Sisters Lookout.

The First Sister – there is a walkway across to it called the Honeymoon Bridge. View of it from the Three Sisters Lookout.

But to get to it we have to go down stairs – which means we will have to come back up them again – how we hate stairs!! The stairs are part of The Giant Stairway (900 steps) which goes to the Jamison Valley below – miners would climb these to get to Katoomba for a good night out – singing as they went. How they got back down again with a belly full of grog I don’t know. It is very steep and Steve struggled with his glasses. He gave up half way down to the Bridge – should have taken them off maybe.

I kept going – Honeymoon Bridge from the next turn in the steps.

Looking back to Echo Point and the sheer cliff face from the Bridge.

The cave on the First Sister and the top of it.

Majestic views.

Across I go.

Then back up the stairs again. At this junction the 900 stairs continue down to the Valley below to join the Federal Pass that you can follow around the valley and back up other tracks.

On top of the world at the Three Sisters Lookout.

The Blue Mountain Gums grow so straight and tall.

The Three Sisters with Mount Solitary in the background.

A better close up of Ruined Castle and the end of Narrow Neck Ridge – just a bunch of rocks but there was a mine there and an aerial cable that brought the shale over to the Katoomba mine to go up the steep railway.

More pretty wild flowers. So many dead looking trees as they come out of winter it is lovely to see some colour.

Steve found another bird to hang with. A Currawong - they have such a beautiful song.

Down the road to Silver Mist Reserve – would have been a popular picnic spot before the Katoomba area was expanded. You can do the cliff walk along from Echo Point to Leura Cascades – will check it out next time.

We followed the walk to the next lookout and could see a waterfall so zoomed on it.

Looking back to the last lookout, looks like a cave underneath it.

Heading back via the Cliff Drive again but turned off to drive the road over Narrow Neck. We had seen graders there yesterday and they had fixed the first bit but it was good – just a few pot holes and as we were going along thinking we were the only one here or should we be here, a bus comes towards us. So on we went.

Amazing views as we travel over this narrow ridge. Would be freaky if the Phantom Waterfall happened! Narrow Neck Peninsula extends 14kms south of the Blue Mountain Ridge. It forms a major divide which continues south over Wild Dog Mountains. Narrow Neck is a cliff walled plateau which varies in width from 150m to 4 kms. (we reckon it was narrower than that in some places). The plateau rises from 800m to 1060m

View back over Megalong Valley.

Looking back to Cahills Lookout.

And the other way to Landslide Lookout and the point we walked out onto. Brave things we are!!!

End of Narrow Neck on the right, then Ruined Castle and then Mount Solitary on the left.

Got to the end of the driveable road – the next bit past the gate is for walkers and mountain bikers.

We walked down the track a bit – not bad but it is rated hard so I am sure it would get worse further on. It takes you down the Golden Stairs (800m) to the valley below and the Federal Pass that wanders around everywhere. Hikers can go across to the Ruined Castle (4.2km 4-5 hr return) and further on to Mount Solitary.

Found a few of these old signs around. Most a new flash ones with times, kms, difficulty level etc.

Good info on all the walks available. Steve said when we come back again!!! Yeah as if.

More pretty wild flowers.

On the map Steve is pointing to where we are camped in Megalong Valley.

Left Katoomba and back on the main road saw a sign “Explorers Tree”. Blaxland, Wentworth & Lawson carved their initials in it during their 1813 crossing of the Blue Mountains. It is on the edge of the main road so pulled for a look. It was hit by a 4WD so covered in bunting while they try and stabilise there area under it.

In 1903 the top of the tree was removed as it was dead and was kept at the Hydro Majestic Hotel in Medlow Bath until a fire destroyed it in the hotel in 1922.

Further down the road from the Explorers Tree we found the “Six Foot Track”. It was constructed in 1884 as a direct horse route from Katoomba to the Jenolan Caves and was generally well used until 1915. It was officially reopened in 1984 for hikers by the Crown Lands Office. It involves an average 3 day trip. Wandered down it for a bit then back up so the calves can whinge some more!!

The historic Hydro Majestic Hotel is being refurbish – though it has been for years apparently – lots of problems as it is Heritage listed. Hope it is finished next time we are through – might have a go at the Casino there!!

Steve found another big gas meter out the front.

Back to Blackheath and turned into the road to Evan’s Lookout. Will do the Cliff Top Walk next time so we can enjoy the Grand Canyon more. Loved this side as you are closer to the escarpments.

More old huts and stonework steps.

Just love the view here.

A land slide down into the valley on the right.

The Grand Canyon is a historic walking track as it was the first track to be built in the Blue Mountains in 1907. There are over 1200 stairs, steps, stepping stones. Will think about doing this one!! The new sign says it is a 3-4 hour with many steep sections and creek crossings.

Further round from the Lookout you can wander onto the flat rocks here at the Valley View Lookout, covered in graffiti carved into the stone. People walk further down onto the point – but not us. Knees were wobbling as I got closer to the edge – I like to have my handrails.

Steve found “Will you marry me” carved in the rock.

Looking down the valley to the Blue Gum Forest with Anvil Rock at the end to the left.

And more stairs, because we love them so much.

Back onto Shipley Road heading back to our camp area but instead of turning down into Megalong Valley Road we follow Shipley Road to the end to see Hargraves Lookout. We look back over the valley again to the Hydro Majestic Hotel at Medlow Bath.(the big white area to the left - good to have as a reference point)