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Showing posts with label Three Sisters. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Three Sisters. Show all posts

Friday, 7 November 2014

THE GIANT STAIRWAY KATOOMBA, BLUE MOUNTAINS NSW AUSTRALIA

THE GIANT STAIRWAY KATOOMBA, BLUE MOUNTAINS NSW AUSTRALIA

Ranger McKay - first construction phase
This popular walking track leads from the cliff-top near the Three Sisters to the Dardanelles Pass at the base of the cliffs below. It was conceived by Ranger Jim McKay, an employee of the Katoomba Council, which approved the construction of the track in July 1916. By this time the Grand Stairway at Wentworth Falls, Furber Steps at Katoomba Falls and the descent to the bottom of Govett’s Leap at Blackheath had all been in use for a few years.

                   Moss Vale High Students 1972

McKay’s proposal to chip
out flights of steps in the cliff face, linked by ladders where necessary, was thought by many to be ridiculous, if not impossible, though the construction of the other three descents showed that it probably could be done, given enough time and effort. McKay and his assistants made good progress, but the middle of the First World War was not the best of times and Council called a halt in August 1918.
It was not until early in 1932 that work resumed, again under the direction of Ranger McKay. They had done such a good job in the earlier construction period that the Stairway was completed in time for the official opening by the Premier of NSW (the Hon. BSB Stevens) in October of that year. See my Blog on Echo Point and the Three Sisters here for information about that event.

Since that day, the stairway has gone through the usual stages of disrepair and renovation common to all Blue Mountains tracks. At present (November 2014) it is in excellent condition but it will always be a challenge to keep it that way.
There is a lot of information in print and on line about this great tourist attraction. Keith Painter’s booklet “The Giant Stairway” (Mountain Mist Books, 2005) may be ordered here. The Blue Mountains Local Studies series is an excellent on line publication. You will find an article on the Giant Stairway here. Of videos, there is no end. I’ll confine myself to just two – my own (here) and an unusual one of a running descent, which makes me glad that I am not that sort of fanatic (here).
McKay's Lookout Leura 2013

It seems as if the workers who constructed these Blue Mountains masterpieces have had scant recognition. Underpaid and overworked, they were clearly people who loved what they did. Their monuments are the sculptured cliffs and outcrops they left for our benefit. Jim McKay’s name is remembered in two places today. The first is the line at the bottom of the plaque at the top of the Giant Stairway, which looks like an afterthought. The second is the neglected lookout between Leura Cascades and the old Kiosk, just off Cliff Drive. I think he deserves more than that.
 The photograph opposite is from the Northern Star (Lismore), 28th September 1932. The associated text reads: "A party of  aldermen and officials making an inspection of the stairway while in the course of construction.The successful completion of this work has provided a connecting line with the famous Federal Pass midway between Katoomba Falls and Leura Falls.This stairway should prove the most popular attraction on the Blue Mountains. It will be officially opened by the Premier of N.S.W., Mr Stevens, on October 1, 1932."
Leura Forest picnic area

It has indeed become one of the most popular attractions on the Blue Mountains. What would the writer think of Scenic World, I wonder?


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Saturday, 26 April 2014

CASTLE HEAD WALK, NARROW NECK KATOOMBA, BLUE MOUNTAINS NSW AUSTRALIA

CASTLE HEAD WALK, NARROW NECK KATOOMBA, BLUE MOUNTAINS NSW AUSTRALIA
If you stand at Echo Point and look across to the Ruined Castle, Castle Head is the point of land immediately behind it. What appears to be a solid tableland is in reality a narrow projection of land into the valley. Near its end it’s only a few metres across, making it an exciting place to stand. Like most such places it is only dangerous if you do silly things.
To get to this spot looks difficult. It’s not. Take the road to Narrow Neck from Cliff Drive, Katoomba. You’ll find the turnoff (Glenraphael Drive, an unsealed road) on the left as you drive around past Scenic World. It’s the only left hand turn along here.
The road descends to the first Narrow Neck before rising again onto the higher ground beyond. There is a car park at the track turnoff to the Golden Stairs, and another at the locked gate across the road shortly after. (There is a steep concrete section of road between the two, constructed to overcome severe erosion problems on the steep hill.)
From the locked gate on, you walk. The track to Castle Head turns off on the left about 15 minutes after you start walking. It’s marked by two round posts, the left one has “Castle Head” written on it in pencil or charcoal. (The track is not shown on the map opposite.) From here you are on a narrow foot pad through the bush, which soon comes to the cliff edge and then follows it to a Trig station (surveyors mark) and finally to the end of the headland.
Hikers on the Ruined Castle
The views along here are amazing in all directions. You can see the 1931 landslide, Katoomba Falls, Echo Point, the Three Sisters, Sublime Point and across to Kings Tableland. Below, looking east, is the Ruined Castle itself (which is the origin of the name Castle Head), behind which is Mt Solitary with the track to the summit easily visible. To the right of this is the gorge of Cedar Creek with Lake Burragorang beyond. (This is the water backed up by Warragamba Dam). A continuous vista of cliffs and valleys leads around to the continuation of the Narrow Neck peninsula. If it’s been raining, you will see a waterfall coming over the cliffs opposite.                                                              
The distant view of Katoomba Falls
Yellow-tailed black cockatoos

This is a popular abseiling spot and there are quite a few YouTube videos about this. The link to one of these is here. My video of the walk is here and a Bushwalking NSW link is here.
It is about a 2 hour return walk from the locked gate, one that you will always remember. Happy hiking! 

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Friday, 28 March 2014

SUBLIME POINT, LEURA NSW AUSTRALIA

Rear view of the Three Sisters
While the Sublime Point Lookout doesn’t attract the crowds of many other Blue Mountains lookouts, it still has much to offer.
Sublime Point seems to have first come to public notice (at least, under the present name) around 1890-95. Mr WH Copeland, a Katoomba businessman, found a way into the Jamison Valley from the Point (Copeland Pass). This way into the valley is used today by rock climbers, who have developed many routes on the imposing cliffs in the area.

The path and picnic facilities probably date from the 1950’s and resemble those at Cahill’s Lookout, which dates from the same period.   One unexpected feature is the tap at the end of the path, several hundred metres from the parking  
Distant view of the Katoomba skyline
area, which also has one. The provision of a shelter shed and picnic tables near the lookout is very welcome, though it is quite a way to carry your picnic gear from the car.
You will need to follow your road maps carefully to find the way out to Sublime Point. Basically, the route is the same as for Fairmont Resort and the Leura Golf Course, where Sublime Point Road actually commences.
The area has seen many cases of lost bushwalkers and a number of fatal climbing accidents. It came to prominence in September 2013 when the body of a missing guest from Fairmont was discovered wedged in a tree part way down the cliff on the western side of Sublime Point.
An article in the Sydney Morning Herald about the discovery of the body may be found here.
Gary Tweddle disappeared from Fairmont in the early hours of July 16th 2013. There is a memorial plaque to Gary along a track which branches off to the right about half way between the car park and the picnic area. This track leads around the cliff top to Golf Links Lookout, if you succeed in following it through the scrub and across people’s backyards.
My video on Sublime Point will be found here. 

From a 1905 Katoomba guide book.


Distant view of Mt Gibraltar, Bowral

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Thursday, 30 January 2014

ECHO POINT AND THE THREE SISTERS KATOOMBA

ECHO POINT AND THE THREE SISTERS KATOOMBA


The Three Sisters around 1900
A million photographs have been taken and a million words written about these two famous places, which are linked by the most heavily used path in the Blue Mountains. Rather than repeat a lot of this information, I’ll pick out a few details and expand on them.
The first mention of Echo Point I have been able to find is in the Sydney Morning Herald of 31st August 1891, which mentions the intention of the reserve trustees to construct fences in the most dangerous places around the cliffs at “Echo Point”. I suspect that the locality came to prominence when the Chief Justice of NSW, Sir Frederick Darley, built his country residence (Lillianfels) nearby in 1889. Land sales along Lurline St took place the same year so there must have been a road of some sort to the vicinity.

Prior to this, the tourism emphasis was on Katoomba Falls. The presence of the coal mine there would have meant that there was road access, especially as quite a village already existed near the present day Katoomba Falls Reserve.

Echo Point today is by far the most visited spot in the Blue Mountains. The lookouts there have been through many stages of development since 1891 and the principle feature that tourists are drawn to is, of course, the famous Three Sisters.

One reference in particular throws light on the early history of this spot, which was usually seen from afar and was often mentioned by visitors to the cliff line around Katoomba Falls (though the Orphan Rock which was much closer drew even more attention). This is a fascinating document from a journal called “The Australasian Sketcher with Pen and Pencil” (Melbourne, Vic) for Saturday 5th June 1880. You can download the article here.                                                                                                                           
The critical words are these “Continuing to the eastward, the Triasaxa point is the next object of interest. It is commonly called "The Three Sisters" and from the distance has a remarkable resemblance to a cathedral”. “Tria Saxa” basically means “three stones”, though who gave this name or when I cannot say; most likely it would have appeared on a map and was given by some classically educated mapmaker. It was easy for “Three Sisters” to displace it and was last heard of more than a century ago.

One of the significant events which occurred here was the opening of the Giant Stairway in 1932, for which occasion the path connecting Echo Point and the Three Sisters was vastly improved. The lookout at the top of the Stairway already existed and was commonly called “Three Sisters Lookout”, though its correct name is “Lady Game Lookout”. The plaque on the archway just before the lookout reads as follows: “Three Sisters Giant Stairway Officially Opened by Hon. B.S.B. Stevens, M.L.A. Premier of N.S.W. 1st October 1932”. At the bottom of the plaque (in smaller writing) is a second inscription reading “Steps Cut by Ranger McKay”. We’ll consider the second inscription in a later article.                                                                                                                  
Official party. Photo courtesy of Blue Mountains City Library
1932 was an exciting year in NSW politics. The Great Depression was making life difficult for almost everyone. The Sydney Harbour Bridge was completed early in 1932 and newspaper speculation was rife as to who would officially open it. One says the new Governor General Sir Isaac Isaacs, another the NSW Minister for Works, Mr Davidson. In the end, the opening was scheduled for Saturday 19th March. Both the aforementioned gentlemen were indeed present. The Governor of NSW, Sir Philip Game, unveiled a commemorative plaque and the bridge was declared open by the Premier of NSW, the Hon. JT Lang. He was about to cut the ribbon when an extraordinary thing happened. A man on horseback (Captain Francis Edward de Groot) rode up and slashed the ribbon with his sword, declaring “I officially declare this bridge open in the name of the decent people of New South Wales”. Now there is a lot more to this story, of course, but it highlights the huge differences of opinion between the Labor Party of Premier Jack Lang and the right wing sentiments of “The New Guard”, to which de Groot belonged. For a good account of the bridge opening see here.

John and Sue at the beginning of the Three Sisters path 2013
By the time of the opening, the financial crisis in NSW was worsening and the Premier declared that his government would refuse to pay the interest or make repayments on foreign loans. The Federal Government (headed up by Prime Minister Joseph Lyons) declared that this was illegal. Matters came to a head on 14th May, 1932, when after repeated refusals by Mr Lang to change his mind, the Governor of NSW, Sir Philip Game, dismissed the NSW government and appointed Mr Bertram Stevens, leader of the opposition United Australia Party, as Premier. This was followed by an election on 11th June, at which Lang was soundly defeated.

Meanwhile, back in Katoomba, preparations were going ahead to open the Giant Stairway. Sir Philip Game was being mentioned as a likely candidate, but in the end the Katoomba Council played it safe and went with the new Premier, Mr Stevens. So what was supposed to be on the vacant part of the plaque? I’m guessing that it would have referred to the Governor opening the Stairway and the lookout being named after his wife (which it still is). One day we may know. There is an account of the opening here.

Sir Philip Game held on for another two years as Governor. For some members of the community, he was fair game. For others, the game was well and truly up.

My video of the walk may be found here.  

The Three Sisters from Echo Point 1958

Additional information added November 22nd, 2015
I've come across a slightly earlier reference to the Three Sisters than the one above. It's from the "Sydney Mail and New South Wales Advertiser" for Saturday 29th May 1890 (page 988). You may read it all here. The article is essentially the same as the one quoted above (from “The Australasian Sketcher with Pen and Pencil”); however it also includes a delightful sketch of scenery, including the Three Sisters, making this the earliest illustration I've yet found of this landmark. The illustration may be in the later reference as well, but a brief search failed to find it. Here it is for your enjoyment.


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Friday, 24 January 2014

PRINCE HENRY CLIFF WALK: KATOOMBA CASCADES TO ECHO POINT

PRINCE HENRY CLIFF WALK: 
KATOOMBA CASCADES TO ECHO POINT

Cliff View Lookout
The Prince Henry Cliff Walk was named for Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, third son of King George V. He neither saw the track nor opened it, but was “in the right place at the right time” (so to speak). He was visiting Australia in 1934 when the first stage of the track was opened. It was a popular thing in those days to name places after royalty and the Duke happened to be the chosen one this time. You can see a photograph of the Duke at Katoomba Station by clicking here.

When he returned to Australia in 1945 to serve as Governor-General he was well received; by this time he was the brother of the king, George VI. The royal family had become very popular during  the war because of their support for the people of England who suffered so much, particularly during the Blitz.

Sphinx Rock
Sydney Morning Herald
The section of the Walk from Katoomba Falls to Leura Cascades was opened at Echo Point by the Minister for Local Government, Mr ES Spooner. It is one of a number of enterprising tourist paths opened around the same time – the Orphan Rock ascent, the Giant Stairway and the Projecting Platform at Echo Point being the others. Coupled with the new floodlighting, the Cliff Drive and the development of the Scenic Railway, this must have been a boom time for Katoomba!

Before the track was developed there were already a number of popular spots along the route: the Katoomba Cascades, Cliff View Lookout, The Sphinx rock, Lady Darley Lookout and Echo Point. Now it was possible to get a bus to either end and walk between the two in less than hour. Lots of people do this every day, just as they have been doing for the past 80 years. You have lots of options when it comes to returning to your starting point. I decided to follow the road and rejoin the walk at the Skyway terminal near Cliff View Lookout. 

Callicoma (black wattle)

The area before the Cliff Walk was constructed
My video of the walk is here. 

The area in 1952 (much the same today)


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Sunday, 8 September 2013

GORDON FALLS LOOKOUT AND ELYSIAN ROCK, LEURA BLUE MOUNTAINS NEW SOUTH WALES AUSTRALIA

GORDON FALLS LOOKOUT AND ELYSIAN ROCK, LEURA BLUE MOUNTAINS NEW SOUTH WALES AUSTRALIA

See the blog entry on Gordon Falls Reserve, which gives details of the origin of the reserve and also my You Tube videos on the area.For a good read, go to Trove (trove.nla.gov.au) and look up the story printed in “The Blue Mountain Echo” (NSW: 1909 - 1928) for Friday 18 April 1919. The author must have walked down to or close to the site of the present lookout to have been able to see the waterfall. The Lookout is easily reached from the parking area. Before getting even that far, you will pass an old painted sign on the left, on which the faint words “Fairy Dell” can just be discerned. The sign has gone now (June 2021).
This could refer to “Fairy Glen”, accessed by a track now out of use leading from the Lookout track. See the sample page from “Mountain Mist Books” here on how to locate this old track. On the other hand, the map shows Fairy Dell below the cliff line. Another good read from “The Blue Mountain Echo” from September 1913 shows how Alderman Lindeman was thinking about the pass in the valley below which now bears his name. See here .

Gordon Falls Lookout is a good place to view the Three Sisters from the “other side”, which looks decidedly unusual for those who only know the Echo Point aspect. You can view both the upper and lower falls by craning your neck a bit. 
The lower fall
The upper fall
The Prince Henry Cliff Walk commences at Gordon Falls, and the first lookout encountered is at Elysian Rock. The track (August 2013) was closed beyond this point because of bushfire damage, but reopened several years ago. You can return to the parking area via the steps up to Olympian Parade. 

Until the construction of the Prince Henry Cliff Walk in the 1930’s, the three rock lookouts (Elysian, Olympian and Tarpeian) each had separate access tracks, which remain to this day. It is to be hoped that the Cliff Walk track which links them will be reopened soon. (It was, about 18 months later, after reconstruction of the Buttenshaw Bridge).
The Elysian Fields or Elysium is, in Greek mythology, a place of perfect happiness prepared by the gods for the worthy dead. No doubt this is where the Rock derives its name, which is a cut above all the Fairy Dells and Fairy Glens in the Blue Mountains.

My video of this walk will be found here. 

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