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newcastle ramblers bushwalking club newsletter - Confederation of ...

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On setting up camp at the beautiful ‘Washpools’ we set<br />

<strong>of</strong>f up the eastern ridge behind the campsite to get a<br />

feel for the area and views <strong>of</strong> the Wingen Maid which<br />

we planned to climb the next day. The steep sandstone<br />

cliff lines <strong>of</strong> this prominent ridgeline in the distance were<br />

impressive. The rest <strong>of</strong> the group arrived after our return<br />

to camp and we settled in for a quite night around<br />

the camp fire.<br />

We retraced our route, with some delays in locating<br />

the pass through the cliff line, in much the same time<br />

frame.<br />

This weekend was also the first night <strong>of</strong> the extended<br />

trips <strong>of</strong> Kevin and Marise, and Lynne and Lindsay who<br />

separately were <strong>of</strong>f to points north in the Northern Territory<br />

and Queensland.<br />

On Saturday we drove from our campsite on Middlebrook<br />

to the next valley where we parked our vehicles<br />

next to Dry Creek at the base <strong>of</strong> the prominent and most<br />

likely looking ridge leading to the top <strong>of</strong> the ‘Maid’. We<br />

had checked in the day before with the property owner<br />

and had received plenty <strong>of</strong> directions to reach the top<br />

as well as some very interesting information <strong>of</strong> the geology<br />

and Aboriginal history <strong>of</strong> the area.<br />

We were able to follow a faint track which kept to the<br />

steep narrow ridge line through ‘Tiger Pear’ weed on<br />

the lower levels before it ascended through open forest<br />

and later rain forest in the shelter <strong>of</strong> the cliff lines.<br />

As we approached the cliff lines the track swung to the<br />

left (north) for several hundred metres before winding<br />

through a number <strong>of</strong> clefts and passes to the top – too<br />

easy.<br />

Top view from Wingen Maid north west along<br />

Dry Creek towards Mt Tinaroo<br />

Back in camp we enjoyed a beautiful evening and another<br />

campfire. We were joined by two young French<br />

girls traveling in Australia and later Neil showed us his<br />

tattoo.<br />

The next day (Sunday) we drove a short distance further<br />

up Middlebrook to the locked gate near a quarry<br />

and commenced our walk through farm land to the end<br />

<strong>of</strong> the track in undisturbed rainforest. We passed an<br />

abandoned farmhouse and several other reminders <strong>of</strong><br />

an earlier farming land use.<br />

After morning tea near the end <strong>of</strong> the track we climbed<br />

350m to the east on the Skyline Fire Trail to a saddle.<br />

At this point we had a choice <strong>of</strong> either walking (climbing)<br />

north up onto the Liverpool Range plateau some<br />

250 metres higher or walking south along the ridge to<br />

the prominent basalt outcrop named ‘Rocky Downfall<br />

Mountain’. We chose the latter and were delighted with<br />

the beautiful alpine vegetation along the way and the<br />

superb views in all directions.<br />

A rest stop along the Wingen Maid ridgeline<br />

We found ourselves in open forest grassland and headed<br />

east to the top <strong>of</strong> a prominent knoll for great views<br />

in all directions. The route to the lookout <strong>of</strong> the ‘Maid’<br />

& a trig station lay to the south along a narrow rocky<br />

ridgeline with patches <strong>of</strong> thick scrub here and there. We<br />

stuck to the eastern side <strong>of</strong> the ridge and reached the<br />

trig and our lunch spot soon after. All up the climb <strong>of</strong><br />

350m took about 2.5 hours over a distance <strong>of</strong> 3.5km.<br />

The Wingen Maid in the distance, and to the south east,<br />

looked small and we were certainly a lot higher than<br />

we had been the day before. There was a slight cool<br />

breeze blowing as we stopped for lunch – but what a<br />

superb location!<br />

We retraced our route and were back at the cars by<br />

3.30pm, giving us plenty <strong>of</strong> time to return to camp, pack<br />

dry tents, and head for home.<br />

Bob Clifton.<br />

*******************<br />

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