Thursday 3 August 2023
Photos courtesy of Donna F and Karen G – Walk report KarenG. Walk Leaders: Ed and Karen G.
A group of 14, accommodated in 3 cars, drove 80 kilometres to participate in this walk led by Ed and Karen. After a brief stop at the Mount Bushwalker car park, where there is a modern pit toilet, we set off to walk to our destination; a large bench with views over the escarpment. The views take in both ‘The Castle’ and ‘Pigeon House’, both well-known landmarks. We didn’t walk far before stopping briefly for morning tea as many of us were feeling more than a bit peckish.
A number of our group had not been on this well-known wildflower track since before the bushfires and were surprised to see the magnificent boardwalks that have been built by NSW National Parks to protect the fragile ecosystem.
It was still obvious along much of the boardwalk that the fires had destroyed a lot of foliage. However, we were also heartened to see lots of signs of recovery with not just wattle, but also banksias and eucalypts.
The walk was able to accommodate a range of fitness levels. As well as the mostly board-walk track, it also offered a side track down to Gaolhouse Pass. Gaolhouse Pass is a glorious, shady hideaway. The Pass is bounded on two sides by giant rock faces and in between is populated by ferns and mossy ground cover.
Nine of the party elected to go down to the Pass and the remainder of our group walked on to our lunch spot, giving them more time to enjoy the stunning views. We were mostly lucky with the weather. It was a fine, warm day, though the wind picked up just as the Pass group re-joined the others for lunch. Given the high, exposed position, such gusts of wind are to be expected.
It was a slower walk back. We arrived back at the car park a tired but happy group. The 8km return walk – with its magnificent views across Morton National Park, was well worth the drive.