newcastle ramblers bushwalking club newsletter - Confederation of ...
newcastle ramblers bushwalking club newsletter - Confederation of ...
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 />
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