FAIRY BOWER AND COX’S CAVE TRACKS, MT VICTORIA BLUE MOUNTAINS NSW AUSTRALIA
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| A Howell photograph circa 1920 |
The walking tracks on the western side of Mt
Victoria have a fascination all of their own. They were mainly constructed in
the nineteenth century and retain lots of their original construction features.
The many sandstone steps are especially evocative of the era. Surviving period photographs
show people dressed in what seems to us to be unsuitable clothing and when you
stand where they stood you can’t help thinking about those distant times.
The Mt Piddington picnic area is easily accessed by Mt Piddington road from the
Great Western Highway, though this is in fact quite a dangerous corner. The
same is true of the access road into the Fairy
Bower picnic area from the highway, which ought to be approached travelling
south, i.e. upon leaving the town towards Blackheath rather than entering it.
It is a quiet and pleasant spot, even though it is right next to the railway
line.
There has been a transfer of the name “Fairy Bower” from its original location
(now often called the Grotto) to the
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| 19th C photo of Fairy Bower |
valley which leads down from the Fairy Bower picnic area. Both the track which leads down this valley
and the track descending from Mt Piddington are actually sections of the real Fairy
Bower track. Only the correct location is used here and the associated video.
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| Fairy Bower Howell photo 1920's |
To be kind, Fairy Bower has seen better days.
Not
much water flows over its little waterfall and perhaps the most interesting
feature of the place is the overhanging rock shelter, one of many in the area.
In
fact, an interesting book called “Sandstone
Caves of Mt Victoria” by Erik Halbert & Ross Ellis has been written on
the subject. You can order a copy here.
The round walk via Cox’s Cave (complete with a scary looking ladder up to the
entrance) includes a section with great views of the cliffs and the Kanimbla Valley
below. Cox’s Cave will be the subject of a later blog.
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| The White Lady Dec. 2013 |
Two unusual examples of graffiti (in the broadest
sense) are to be found on prominent rocks on the left as you go up the valley
towards the Fairy Bower picnic area (the Odd
Couple and the White Lady). Keith
Painter, in his excellent book “Great
Walks at Mount Victoria” tells of his efforts to identify the artists and
subjects of these two “works of art”. You can order a copy of this book here.
This part of the track appears in old photos and references as “Easy Way Home”.
It isn’t, if you left your car at Mt Piddington!
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| The "Easy Way Home" Howell photo |
My video of the walk may be found here.
https://johnsbluemountainsblog.blogspot.com/2013/12/links-to-all-blog-entries-and-relevant.html All Blue Mountains blogs and videos
All New England and other Geology blogs and videos
Limestone Caves of NSW
Song Studies. Bible studies based on hymns and songs
Shoalhaven District Geology
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| The Corner, Cox's Cave track |
