BLUE MOUNTAINS - MY TOP 5 PHOTOGRAPHIC ADVENTURES
Grose Valley from Govetts Leap Lookout
The Blue Mountains
· The Blue Mountains is located immediately to the west of Sydney. Being easily accessible, it is a great place to escape and enjoy the outdoors. There are many hikes, rocks climbs, mountain bike trails and for the photographer, a variety of places to capture scenic landscape images.
· I have made many trips to the Blue Mountains for hiking, mountain biking and photography. Below, is a summary of my five favourite photographic adventures.
Narrow Neck Plateau
· Why – Stunning ridge top views into the Megalong and Jamison Valleys.
· Located just on the edge of Katoomba, Narrow Neck Plateau is a 10km walk/mountain bike ride. It has majestic views into the Jamison (east) and Megalong (west) valleys. For camping, there is a great camp spot on the end which has 270-degree views that will take your breath away.
· There are many photo spots on both the eastern and western sides of the plateau, with steep drops into the valleys below. Caution advised as there are some serious drops/overhangs off the plateau.
Grose Valley
· Why – a range of ridge top views into the Grose Valley and some great hiking.
· Located just outside of Blackheath, the Grose Valley is a rugged valley on the northern side of the mountains. There are many walks in and around the valley, with an established camping area at Acacia Flats on the Grose River, just next to the Blue Gum Forest at the bottom of the valley.
· There are several access points along the ridge tops. These include Evans Lookout (which descends through the Grand Canyon), Govetts Lookout (which descends pass Bridal Veil falls), Perry’s Lookdown (a brutal descent), Lockley Pylon and Pierces Pass (which approaches from the northern side off the Bells Line of road). Walks into the valley can be done as either out and back walks or can be joined into a circuit.
· My favourite walk is to descend at either Govetts or Evans Lookouts and then ascend via Perry’s Lookdown. Wonderful photographic spots at Govetts Lookout, Evans Lookout, the Grand Canyon, Bridal Veil falls and at Anvil and Pulpit rocks on the return from Perry’s Lookdown to Blackheath.
Wentworth Falls
· Why – Waterfalls
· This area has many stunning waterfalls including Wentworth Falls. There are a few trails in the area that you can take that will showcase these falls.
· My pick is to start at the Conservation Hut and take the Valley of the Waters track down to Sylvia Falls, then join the National Pass trail across to the bottom of Wentworth falls, climb up to the top of the waterfall and then return to Conservation Hut via either the Overcliff or Shortcut tracks. This is a 5km circuit that will take about 3 hours. Note, tracks can be closed due to rockfalls and flood damage , so you need to check trail status before you leave home.
Sylvia Falls
Mount Wilson
· Why – Autumn colours
· Mount Wilson is the pick of the mountains for autumn colours. There is no shortage of photo opportunities here in the autumn but be prepared for crowds. To avoid the crowds, start early.
Mount Willson
Six Foot Track
· Why – A great hike. Varied terrain with some nice shots around the Coxs River and in the Jenolan Caves area.
· The Six-Foot track is a 46km track that winds between Katoomba and the Jenolan Caves. It is a relatively hard three-day hike, with camp spots at the Coxs River (there is also a private lodge here) and Black Range. The track covers several different terrains including rainforest, heath, and woodland as it traverses across the Megalong Valley into the Kanangra-Boyd National Park (if starting from Katoomba).
· It is a one-way track, so transport needs to be arranged to either the start or finish (depending on which way you are approaching the track).
