WATER NYMPH’S DELL WENTWORTH FALLS
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If you’re travelling by train, then this is a pleasant round
walk you can do from Wentworth Falls
station. It’s on the opposite side of the line from the shops and actually
closer than the better known walks on the Jamison Valley side. If travelling by
car, then turn at the traffic lights, go past the shops and over the railway
line. Take the first to the right (Railway Parade) and park in the commuter car
park. My video on the walk (here) describes the route from the railway
bridge.
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| Mountaineer Tourist Guide 1927 |
You can, of course, commence at the other end of the track, but it’s
more difficult to describe how to get there. Incidentally, if it’s a clear day,
you can see the high rise buildings in central Sydney from the bridge.
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| Railway Tourist Guide 1938 |
Just who gave the name “Water
Nymph’s Dell” to this attractive rainforest gully and when, I don’t know.
The earliest reference I’ve come across (using Trove) is from the Nepean
Times (Penrith) for Saturday 25th August 1888, page 4. You can download the
whole story here if you wish. The gist of it is that a committee of
local residents is requesting that Water Nymph’s Dell be set apart as a reserve
“as it is one of the most beautiful dells
on the mountains”. This did indeed happen and the area remains a reserve to
this day, though not part of the Blue Mountains National Park.
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Track conditions vary from excellent to poor. There are some fine
examples of nineteenth century stone steps, especially on the ascent up the
other side of the valley. There is a solitary picnic table under an overhang
which I’m sure was there when I visited the place as a boy 60 years ago. The
central feature of the dell is a small waterfall and associated pool, which,
while not exactly suitable for swimming, looks like it ought to be able to
entertain small children (under close supervision, of course).
We are lucky to have this place in as good condition as it is. Over the
years it has suffered from neglect, threats from loggers, invasion by weeds and
leaky sewer pipes. The Water Nymph's Dell Bushcare Group has done a fantastic job of rehabilitation
and protection.
As I was gathering
this information, I came across many accounts of tourist visits to the area,
but none more interesting than one in the Clarence and Richmond Examiner (Grafton) for 19th
November 1901, page 2.
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How I would have loved to have known the mountains as
they were then! Somehow, the growth of population and the management of the
reserves by local and state government authorities (excellent though it is) can
never be the same as it was in those far off days when everything was fresh and
exciting and the local people through their Reserve Trusts were directly
involved in developing, maintaining and promoting the sights in their immediate
area. Read this article in the Examiner
in full here. Yes, there are ferruginous stalactites there today, much
like the ones at Fairy Falls, Lawson.
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