November (5-8) 2019 report
Venue
Blue Mountains - Leura
Participants
Ron, Chris, Richard, Helen, Colin, Natalie, Peter, Yvonne
The start
We all met about 11.00am at Kipplaw for morning tea of tea/coffee and cake
Points of Interest
Tuesday
Pat and Tina (managers of Kipplaw) invited the 8 of us to an afternoon of Melbourne Cup fun. Tina had prepared loads of great snacks, there were a couple of horse sweeps and lots of chatter with four other guests. We watched the race on the TV in this beautifully decorated rental home. (Arcadia on Carrington)
Back to Kipplaw for a BBQ and salad dinner.
Wednesday
At 8.30 we all wandered to the station, admiring the gardens and shop windows on the way. We caught the 9.18 train to Falconbridge and then walked the Sassafras Gully track to Springwood. Medium? No, rather hard in spots, particularly the “stairs” at the end. We noted great Turpentine trees that reached to the top of the light. We stopped for a lunch stop half way, finally making it to Springwood after 4 ½ hours. A tiring day but enjoyable. (Details below)
This is not only one of the best walks in the Lower Mountains, it’s also one of the quietest. You start from Faulconbridge railway station and follow Sassafras Creek through eucalypts and rainforest all the way to where the Wiggins Track branches off, heading back up to Springwood. From there, it’s an easy walk back through the streets to Springwood station.
Our Christmas dinner was a feast with chicken, salad, spuds followed by pudding and ice cream.
Bellbirds at Sassafras Gully
Grade: Medium
Time: 3 hours, plus train travel time
Distance: 6.6 kilometres one way
Ascent/descent: 260 metres descent, 195 metres ascent
Weather: Suitable for all conditions, beautiful after light rain
Closest public transport: The track starts 350 metres from Faulconbridge railway station and finishes at Springwood railway station
Thursday
Six of us (2 went shopping) caught the 9.18 train to Wentworth Falls and enjoyed morning tea with scones, jam and cream. Yum! We then walked to the Lake, going first to the weir and then around the park area. We read about indigenous life in the area and also about the damming of the wetland area to supply much needed water to the growing towns. The gale force winds made our walk a little difficult!
In the afternoon the girls went shopping in Katoomba and then Leura while the men walked to Gordon Falls. Colin took another track.
We added a couple of pizzas to our leftover supplies for dinner this night. Apple pies finished off the meal.
The finish
Friday
After breakfast and a general clean up we all left by 8.30ish and headed back into Sydney
Distance walked
- Sassafras Gully over 11 Km from house to house
-Wentworth Lake about 5 Km
Venue
Blue Mountains - Leura
Participants
Ron, Chris, Richard, Helen, Colin, Natalie, Peter, Yvonne
The start
We all met about 11.00am at Kipplaw for morning tea of tea/coffee and cake
Points of Interest
Tuesday
Pat and Tina (managers of Kipplaw) invited the 8 of us to an afternoon of Melbourne Cup fun. Tina had prepared loads of great snacks, there were a couple of horse sweeps and lots of chatter with four other guests. We watched the race on the TV in this beautifully decorated rental home. (Arcadia on Carrington)
Back to Kipplaw for a BBQ and salad dinner.
Wednesday
At 8.30 we all wandered to the station, admiring the gardens and shop windows on the way. We caught the 9.18 train to Falconbridge and then walked the Sassafras Gully track to Springwood. Medium? No, rather hard in spots, particularly the “stairs” at the end. We noted great Turpentine trees that reached to the top of the light. We stopped for a lunch stop half way, finally making it to Springwood after 4 ½ hours. A tiring day but enjoyable. (Details below)
This is not only one of the best walks in the Lower Mountains, it’s also one of the quietest. You start from Faulconbridge railway station and follow Sassafras Creek through eucalypts and rainforest all the way to where the Wiggins Track branches off, heading back up to Springwood. From there, it’s an easy walk back through the streets to Springwood station.
Our Christmas dinner was a feast with chicken, salad, spuds followed by pudding and ice cream.
Bellbirds at Sassafras Gully
Grade: Medium
Time: 3 hours, plus train travel time
Distance: 6.6 kilometres one way
Ascent/descent: 260 metres descent, 195 metres ascent
Weather: Suitable for all conditions, beautiful after light rain
Closest public transport: The track starts 350 metres from Faulconbridge railway station and finishes at Springwood railway station
Thursday
Six of us (2 went shopping) caught the 9.18 train to Wentworth Falls and enjoyed morning tea with scones, jam and cream. Yum! We then walked to the Lake, going first to the weir and then around the park area. We read about indigenous life in the area and also about the damming of the wetland area to supply much needed water to the growing towns. The gale force winds made our walk a little difficult!
In the afternoon the girls went shopping in Katoomba and then Leura while the men walked to Gordon Falls. Colin took another track.
We added a couple of pizzas to our leftover supplies for dinner this night. Apple pies finished off the meal.
The finish
Friday
After breakfast and a general clean up we all left by 8.30ish and headed back into Sydney
Distance walked
- Sassafras Gully over 11 Km from house to house
-Wentworth Lake about 5 Km