Mt Wilson Mt Irvine Bushwalking Group Volume 24 Issue 4 April 2014 BLUE GUM FOREST – PERRYS TO GOVETTS TOPIC the magical aura which exists OUR MARCH among those majestic Blue Gums. WALK (The full Herald article is BLUE GUM FOREST – reproduced in Andy PERRYS LOOKDOWN to Macqueen’s marvellous book GOVETTS LEAP LOOKOUT Back from the Brink - Blue Friday 21 st March 2014 Gum Forest and the Grose th Wilderness , an absolute ‘must On Saturday 24 October read’ for anyone interested in 1931the Sydney Morning Herald carried a story titled The Blue the history and preservation of Gum Forest – Plea for its this area.) Protection , it read in part: “In the Today’s planned venue heart of the Grose Valley, in the attracted a good roll up with shadow of Mt King George, Autumn in the Bush twenty-three gathering at where Govett’s Leap Creek joins Govetts Leap Lookout. We the Grose, there is a wondrous watched the morning sun forest of tall trees, cathedral-like in its burning through the light haze to illuminate splendour. Mountain mists rise from it in early the surrounding cliffs and glanced, perhaps morning, later a blue haze invests its noble askance, at the bottom of Govetts Leap Falls aisles, and in the evening, when the setting sun from which we will climb later in the day. Our is reflected from an overtowering cliff-face, primary goal for the day was hidden behind sunbeams filter through the trees in shafts of the ridge running down from the base of Pulpit dancing gold.” Rock. This article, along with several others, was We welcomed Bruce and Lorraine Delprado part of a campaign to buy out a lease of forty friends of Stephen List and Rosie Walsh, acres of the forest held by Clarrie Hungerford Philip and Jane Beeby who have not been able and to have the area declared a reserve. to join us for some time and their son Thankfully a sum of about $20,000 in today’s Nicholas, and Steve Woolfenden and his son values was raised, at the height of the Great Mitchell who were joining us for the first time. Depression, in loans and donations and the Using her amazing mental program for car reserve was created; it was proclaimed in the shuffles Libby quickly had a seat allocated to nd September NSW Government Gazette of 2 everyone and we set off on the drive to Perrys 1932. Lookdown. Eccleston Du Faur named this And thus, almost eighty-two years later, we feature for Samuel Augustus Perry (1793- will have the privilege today of experiencing 1854) who was Deputy Surveyor General to 2 Mt Wilson Mt Irvine Bushwalking Group Thomas Mitchell from 1829 to around 1849. fossicking of the hordes of bees, floating down The name appears on Du Faur’s 1878 map. from the canopy; an enchanting effect. At Perrys Lookdown we look across to the These Mountain Blue Gums (Eucalyptus stunning sight of Mount Banks sitting atop deanei) were named for Henry Deane in Banks Wall, the glowing sandstone cliffs recognition of his detailed studies of the divided into three layers by horizontal lines of Eucalyptus genus; Deane was the Chief vegetation somehow clinging to ledges in the Engineer in charge of design and construction cliff-faces. Wisps of mist hang in the valley of the Wolgan Valley Railway in 1906-07. highlighted against the background of the Prior to that he was the Chief Engineer for green/grey talus slopes; brighter green fingers Railway Construction to the NSW reach down the slopes where deeper gullies Government. Deane had a close association shelter elongated pockets of rainforest. with Joseph Henry Maiden, Director of the We drop down past Monument Lookout where Royal Botanic Gardens from 1896 to 1924, there is a memorial to four young lads aged through a deep mutual interest in the between 13 and 18 who perished in this Eucalyptus genus. vicinity attempting to escape a bushfire in Making our way back toward the ‘Big Tree’ it November 1957. We then descend Dockers is noted that some of the smooth trunks of the Head via Dockers ‘Ladder’ past an impressive blue gums carry the distinctive meandering sandstone spire and emerge onto Dockers scalloped tracks of Australia’s largest land Buttress. Judge Earnest Brougham Docker slug, the Red Triangle Slug, where it has been (1843-1923) was a keen and obviously a grazing on fine algae on the bark. These slugs skilled explorer; he found the pass between tend to be only seen on rainy days in the bush. Govetts Creek and Perrys Lookdown in 1875. There are also starburst-like grey patterns on The five-petalled pinkish/mauve flowers of the some trunks, their origin unknown to this Hairy Fan Flower (Scaevola ramosissima) writer. From my usual position at the rear of appear at intervals to decorate the track as we the group the magnitude of the forest is put move deeper into the valley. Soon we are at into perspective by the minute figures moving the edge of the Blue Gum Forest. The whole ahead through the majestic blue gums. atmosphere of the area changes; smooth Though the area around the ‘Big Tree’ today straight columns, some pure white others a appears as pristine forest, a sketch map by soft greenish/grey, soar above a ground cover Andy Macqueen included in his of lush ferns and long grasses. High above, the aforementioned book shows otherwise. The rather sparse branches of these forest giants sites of two camps of the Royal Engineers in form an open canopy. Emanating from those 1859 during the survey and construction of the lofty crowns is a soft rhythmic hum; bees, Engineers Track are shown along with Du obviously in their thousands, collecting pollen Faur’s Lower Camp established in 1875 to from the blossom on high. accommodate up to thirty paying visitors. Ben We arrive at a crossroad of tracks beside the Carver, a Richmond farmer, held a lease over venerable old ‘Big Tree’ and move deeper into forty acres in this area between 1875 and 1884 the forest to pause for morning tea where a and built a hut and stockyards, this lease large log provides ample seating. transferred to the Hordern family from 1884 until 1969; it became known as The Hordern What a pleasure, indeed a privilege it is, to Pavilion. Clarrie Hungerford’s lease was on relax in this cathedral of Mother Nature and the eastern side of the Grose. There were also let the atmosphere soak into your being. As we stockyards at Acacia Flat. One can now see sit here, what is first thought to be very light Mother Nature is slowly reclaiming that which sprinkles of a rain shower, are noticed. It is she lost. As Horace wrote in 20 BC: “Though actually a shower of downy filaments from the you drive away nature with a pitchfork, she eucalypt blossom, disturbed by the industrious always returns.” 3 Mt Wilson Mt Irvine Bushwalking Group We now follow the track toward Acacia Flat, Agent; he was also a BMSC Councillor from the hum of the bees subsides, replaced by the 1917 to 1919. This track initially ran from The musical tinkle of the Bell Miners. The view Fernery below Evans Lookout along Greaves through the trees to our left, across Govetts and Govetts Creeks and Govetts Leap Brook Creek, reveals the spectacular parapets of Du to the base of Govetts Leap Falls. The track up Faur Head and Lockley Pylon. A little further the cliff-face to join the pass to Govetts Leap on the view along Govetts Creek leads the eye Lookout was built by, would you believe, John to the eastern elevation of Pulpit Rock and Cliff; started in January 1899 it was completed adjacent sheer cliff-faces; a magnificent sight. in April 1900. The track rises and falls as it follows the creek We cross Govetts Leap Brook for the first of and we come across a Diamond Python several times at a wide sandstone platform on crossing our path. It appears completely the edge of which Stephen List notices what unfazed by our presence and very slowly appeared to be a fossil of a bivalve mollusc; it slides off into undergrowth while we crowd was the classic fan shape and the hinge detail around observing and taking photographs. was quite evident. There are wonderful swirl Although not venomous they can apparently pools here and a series of small cascades flow inflict a very painful bite; this one appears to over and between the rock platforms. have no intention of inflicting pain on anyone. The track now leads us into lush enclosed The spectacle of Griffith Taylor Wall comes rainforest which overarches the creek. There is into view as we look upstream along the a continuous display of delightful cameo creekline and across to the left the cliffs below scenes of tiny waterfalls, limpid pools, moss Fortress Hill loom. The waters of Fortress and lichen encrusted boulders, water purling Creek can be seen tumbling over the cliff edge over pebble beds and tumbling over rock high above and we see them emerge from ledges and between boulders; this is an below thick undergrowth a little further on to enchanted place. add their flow to Govetts Creek. The track The thunder is not quite so distant now and now leads us down to the creek edge and we light rain begins to fall. A slight pause awhile to take in the beauty of the inconvenience but as they say every cloud has scene.