Mt Wilson Mt Irvine Bushwalking Group Volume 30 Issue 11 November 2020

MINNEHAHA FALLS & THE ROUND WALK TOPIC In the land of the Dacotahs OUR Where the Falls of Flash and gleam among the OCTOBER oak-trees Laugh and leap into the valley WALK With the Arrow-maker dwelt MINNEHAHA FALLS at his dark-eyed daughter NORTH KATOOMBA and And named her from REIDS PLATEAU plus THE the river ROUND WALK near From the waterfall he named KATOOMBA FALLS her Friday 16th October 2020 Minnehaha – Laughing Water” Today we will embark on two Well you may wonder, dear short walks; one to the north, the reader, how a waterfall in other to the south of Katoomba Spring in the Bush North Katoomba takes the Township. name of the wife of Hiawatha - the legendry American Indian The walks are touched by brave of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s 1855 legendary lovers on two different continents, poem Song of Hiawatha. Continue then to by a NSW Premier and Australian Prime wonder as you further peruse the page, for the Minister, an American photographer and an creek that provides the ‘laughing water’ which airship tragedy. So join us dear readers as we plunges over these falls takes its name from explore these two venues, each of a very the Yosemite tribe of American Indians. Not different character but both having a special only has this name been displaced halfway charm. around the world but the word itself is a We last walked to Minnehaha Falls in 2014 corruption of Yo Semitee, the name of a brave and I ask for your forbearance if I re-use the chief of a Miwok clan of American Indians; introduction that I wrote back then. I sat his children and eventually the whole tribe staring at the screen trying to come up with a became known as the Yo Semitees. The creek different approach but my mind remained as and waterfall are not alone in being identified blank as that screen so, to save time, and strain with American Indians; a large area of North on my grey matter, I shall dive in and copy Katoomba is known as Yosemite, indeed prior that text; hope you don’t mind revisiting it. to 1946 it was called Yosemite Valley. “Only once his pace slackened Why was it, one ponders, that this cluster of Only once he paused or halted features in North Katoomba took on names Paused to purchase heads of arrows associated with American Indians? What was Of the ancient Arrow-maker it that influenced the adoption of these names? Was it the influence of someone with a love of 2 Mt Wilson Mt Irvine Bushwalking Group that culture or perhaps an admirer of the prominent along the track sporting its small bravery and determination displayed by those white bell-shaped flowers hanging, in the tribes? Was it the influence of someone with a main, on one side of the stems, the delicate love of Longfellow’s writing and the flowers contrasting with the short sharp- characters of Song of Hiawatha? pointed foliage. Small-leaved Boronia (Boronia microphylla) also adorns the It transpires that a large part of North trackside, their abundant flowers in various Katoomba, from the late 1800s, was owned by stages of development; from closed buds to the “Assets Realisation and General Finance fully open four-pointed pink stars. Along this Company Ltd”, an American company; the section of track I note but one lone Purple Flag Yosemite Park Estate was subdivided in 1910. (Patersonia sp) holding aloft a single Another whimsical idealistic notion shattered. conspicuous three-petalled purple flower Sixteen walkers gather at the Minnehaha competing with this line up of plants of the Reserve at the end of Minni-ha-ha Road (there heath. are four or five different spellings on various We then reach a vantage point where a rather maps and signs); there is a light cloud cover special view of the full drop of Minnehaha present but showers do not appear to be Falls is to be had. The waters of Yosemite threatening. We welcome Jane Milojevic, Creek emerge from behind some creek side Anne Rodrigue’s sister, who is joining us for shrubbery and drop a short distance to a rock the first time. We also welcome back David ledge. They then leap off the edge of this Howell; a long time member who has not been ledge and drop freely as a silver ribbon to a with us for some time and our grand-daughter lower cliff edge. Here they cascade over the Rahni is joining us once again. Freda Moxom rock face until a final free drop to form a kindly agrees to act as whip today. To the white circle of disturbed water on the surface rhythmic call of a multitude of cicadas we set of the deep green pool at the base of the falls; off toward the falls. a truly remarkable sight. The track leads us across a natural sandstone The track now descends via steps hewn into sluice carrying the shallow waters of Yosemite the cliff face and as it twists and turns there Creek; care is taken to test for slipperiness of are glimpses back to sections of the falls. We the waterworn smooth surface. The track then come across an area where a rock fall, since leads us above the creek line and the soothing our last visit, has obliterated part of the sound of cascading water blends with the original steps. Near the base of the steps the chorus of the cicadas’ song. We pass a couple track swings back toward the falls and cuts in of sidetracks leading down to the creek; we under the cliff face. Here ironstone bands form will explore them on our return. intricate patterns on the smooth ochre Presently, across the gully, there is a fine stand sandstone walls. And suddenly we are beside of young Blue Mountains Ash (Eucalyptus the pool at the base of the falls. oreades), their straight smooth white trunks all Here each walker chooses a spot around the of a similar size, indicating the whole stand is deep green pool to take in the beauty of this regrowth after a bushfire. idyllic spot and pause for morning tea. Slices Closer at hand the trackside is decorated with of Libby's Bushwalker Cake, again supplied the Dog Rose or River Rose (Bauera by Michael Ihm’s wife Beth are distributed; rubioides) their plethora of soft pendulous many thanks Beth for the delicious pink flowers bowing shyly. The Rush Lily or contribution. Vanilla Plant (Sowerbaea juncea) is also Now we begin the ninety vertical metres climb present offering an early display of clusters of out. Back on more level terrain we take a lilac flowers with prominent yellow stamens couple of diversions to small cascades on the held aloft atop tall thin stems. One of the creek, one of which consists of five drops into Beard-heaths (Leucopogon setiger) is 3 Mt Wilson Mt Irvine Bushwalking Group a shallow pool. Here there are examples of the Following lunch we check out the various Grevillia acanthifolia ssp acanthifolia, its pink lookout points on Reids Plateau to Katoomba to red flowers are carried above horizontal Falls and Witches Leap before we head off stems giving them a brush-like appearance; down the zig zagging Falls track which leads the unopened pinkish grey buds are also very into cool rainforest terrain, a contrast to part attractive. one of our walk. This track leads us to the bottom of Witches Leap. Soon we are back at the cars to complete part one of the walk. We now make our way across Here we pause to take in the view of the ‘leap’ to Katoomba Park near the Katoomba Falls and pareidolia once again sets in with Rahni. Kiosk to continue with part two. She points out the image of a witch in the rock face over which Witches Leap leaps. Even I By now the sky has cleared just in time for the could see this one, when it was pointed out. expansive views soon to be on offer. We make There were a pair of deeply hooded eyebrows our way past the old wishing well and down to with sunken dark eyes, a quite prominent nose, the four-way junction where we continue a scowling mouth and jutting chin; our straight ahead and climb the few steps to pareidolia expert Simon was very impressed. Reids Plateau. The word plateau usually refers to ‘a tabular surface of high elevation, often of We continue on and cross the waters below considerable extent.’ This area is tabular and Witches Leap and soon arrive at some cast of high elevation but it is certainly not of iron pipes running beside the track. The date considerable extent. Perhaps this is why it has of manufacture, 1909, was cast into each been known previously as Reids Platform and length of pipe along with the manufacturer’s Reids Point. Nonetheless it was named after name, G & C Hoskins, indicating they were the Free Trade Party’s George Reid, Premier made in Lithgow. of NSW from 1894 to 1899 and Prime Soon we arrive at a tee intersection where the Minister of in 1904 / 1905. left hand track heads down toward Furber Here on Reids Plateau we decide to pause for Steps and Federal Pass; we continue straight lunch. We enjoy magnificent views stretching ahead on the Round Walk. from the Three Sisters along Kedumba Walls We begin the climb back up out of the valley below Kings Tableland, across the vast and take the short detour on the left. We climb expanse of the Jamison Valley to Mount the foot-worn steps cut into the sandstone to Solitary, the Ruined Castle, Narrow Neck reach a feature which gives us the connection Plateau and beyond, Castle Head, Malaita to our second pair of legendary lovers, Juliets Point and back to Orphan Rock. A superb Balcony. This long narrow eyrie was named vista enhanced by the cotton wool clouds from the tragic characters in Shakespeare’s scudding across an azure blue sky. play, Romeo and Juliet. (One could be A little aside: David Howell asked Rahni what excused for wondering why, but that applies to she thought the lone rock formation nearby many feature and place names bestowed in the might be called. Think of someone all by Blue Mountains during the late 1800s and themself, someone with no parents, he early 1900s, including the next lookout we prompted. ‘Depressed’ was Rahni’s logical will visit; cultural cringe perhaps.) We take in reply. I will never be able to view Orphan the spectacular view of virtually the full drop Rock again without thinking of it as Depressed of Katoomba Falls, which is on offer from Rock. here, and continue our climb. Orphan Rock by the way has been closed to We reach the short sidetrack on the right walkers since about 1958 due to unstable which leads us to Vanimans Lookout where rocks, but that did not stop the two people we another impressive view of Katoomba Falls saw near its summit as we were having lunch. and Jamison Valley is to be had. 4 Mt Wilson Mt Irvine Bushwalking Group Vaniman was an American opera singer, end of the Springwood bypass into photographer and adventurer who was also Moorecourt Avenue, then left at the tee talented in aeronautics and engineering. He intersection into Boomerang Road which developed a reputation for taking spectacular swings to the right and becomes Bednal Road panoramic photographs. The Oceanic then right into Perry Avenue. Those wishing Steamship Company noted his talents and to car share from Mt Wilson meet at St employed him to take photos in Australasia in George’s Church for an 8.30am departure order to promote tourism to the area. Thus, he For those wishing to come on the second walk and his wife Ida toured and of the day we will take a short drive across to Australia from 1902 to 1904; in Australia he Picnic Point Reserve south of the highway. used a balloon to take panoramas of Sydney, Cross the highway back at the lights, go under other capital cities and rural areas. the railway and immediately turn right into Back in America he and an associate were Macquarie Rd, left into Homedale Street and funded by the Goodyear Tyre and Rubber left into Valley Road, keep to the right of the Company of Akron, Ohio to construct an centre island as indicated and you are at the airship which he called Akron. After a Reserve. successful trial flight in late 1911 Vaniman Bring morning tea, lunch and plenty of water. and four crew members took off on 2 July 1912 and the Akron immediately crashed in a Contact Helen and John Cardy on 9871 ball of flames killing all on board; thus ending 3661 or on mobile 0400 444 966. the very adventurous forty five year life of Chester Melvin Vaniman. FUTURE WALKS th We now take the short climb up to the Prince FRIDAY 4 DECEMBER – NB: First Henry Cliff Walk (cultural cringe again; the Friday in December, only 2 weeks after our November walk. Tessellated Pavements at Mt Prince visited Katoomba Railway Station for a th full 20 minutes in 1934) and take the short Irvine followed by our Christmas / belated 30 walk back to the cars at Katoomba Park. Anniversary get together at the Mt Wilson Village Hall. So ends another very nice day in these mountains. Two walks in very different BUSH CARE terrains, both full of impressive views and interesting features in very pleasant weather. Bush Care is held on the second Friday of Even the weather gods are looking after us, for each month from 9am to Noon. Any help, as we drive up Katoomba Street the heavens even for a short time, would be appreciated. open up and it buckets down. Friday 13th November – Queens Avenue, John Cardy opposite Windy Ridge th OUR NOVEMBER WALK Friday 11 December – Queens Avenue, opposite Windy Ridge FRIDAY 20th NOVEMBER 2020 Mt Wilson contact Alice Simpson 0414 425 Open Forest, Caves, Creeks and Rainforest 511 or 4756 2110 Birdwood Gully and the Magdala Track at Council contact Tracy Abbas 0428 777 141 Springwood

Another double header. Birdwood Gully is a first for this group. Each of these walks is relatively short and easy. Meet in Perry Avenue just off Bednal Road in Springwood at 10.00am. Turn off the Great Western Highway at the lights at the western