Sassafras Gully 25-10-2020
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Route: Faulconbridge Station, Great Western Highway, Sit Henry Parade, Victory Track, Clarinda Falls, Glenbrook Creek, Perch Ponds, Kings Link Track, Bunyan Lookout, Bullants Track, Bullants Lookout, Glenbrook Creek, Florabella Pass, Pippas Pass, Blaxland Station
Date: 25/10/2020
From: Faulconbridge
Parking: N/A
Start Point: Faulconbridge Station
Finish Point: Blaxland Station
Region: Blue Mountains
Route length: 9.7 miles (15.6km)
Time taken: 05:50
Average speed: 1.7mph
Ascent: 498m
Descent: 710m
Points of Interest: Sassafras Gully, Perch Ponds, Bunyan Lookout
Sassafras Gully is a long, lush rainforest valley located in the lower Blue Mountains. It is accessible from a number of the small-town train stations which line to route up to the high towns of Katoomba and Blackheath. The presence of the train line means you can concoct one-way hikes from town to town, as I did one grey Sunday day.
I chose this hike primarily because the weather forecast wasn't great - unlike many of the trails in the Blue Mountains, it's very light on views (none at all if you religiously stick to the gully). My intent was to complete a one-way hike between Faulconbridge and Blaxland, following the Victory Track along the gully before emerging onto some higher ground later in the day. While I managed to achieve what I set out to do, it was far more challenging than I anticipated, as you will see later on.
After leaving the train at Faulconbridge station, it was already looking a little greyer and wetter than I had hoped for. No problem though, I'd be in the rainforest most of the day so should stay relatively dry. The Victory Track starts just off the Great Western Highway where an unassuming path heads off into the bush. A printed sign was attached the main track sign warning of the changed conditions of the path due to storm damage - this became increasingly evident as the walk progressed.
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| The Victory Track starts just from Sir Henrys Parade, just off the Great Western Highway |
Almost immediately the Victory Track begins to descend, away from the hustle and bustle of the Great Western Highway. The track is more formally known as the ‘Sir Henry Parkes Victory Track'. Parkes was a politician, considered to be the ‘Father of Federation’ for Australia, although he died five years before Australia’s federation. Parkes would sometimes write under the pseudonym ‘Faulconbridge’ (his mothers maiden name) for the Sydney Morning Herald and other papers and Faulconbridge (the township) was named after his mother when Parkes purchased 600 acres in 1877.
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| The Victory Track |
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| Some of the constructed steps on the Victory Track |
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| The Victory Track |
The vegetation becomes denser and there are numerous overhangs. The path is easy to follow but does have some rocky sections. After crossing a small creek, I reached a sign pointing the way to Clarinda Falls.
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| The Victory Track |
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| Sassafras Gully |
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| Sassafras Creek |
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| Victory Track in Sassafras Gully |
Clarinda Falls is a small waterfall on Sassafras Creek where the water cascades over a vertical wall, into a sandy pool below. The falls are named after the first wife of Sir Henry Parkes.
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| Clarinda Falls |
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| The pool at Clarinda Falls |
Beyond the falls, the track descends further, following the creek through the valley. Along the way, I passed through the Victory Track camping area, one of several small bush campsites that are dotted along the route. After the campground the path continues, now passing several locations where trees had fallen across the track or whole swathes of the hillside had slumped into the creek as a result of summer storms.
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| Sassafras Creek |
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| Following the Victory Track through Sassafras Gully |
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| Sassafras Creek |
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| One of several large landslips in Sassafras Gully |
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| Another area where a landslide has opened up the hillside |
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| Sassafras Creek |
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| Victory Track camping area |
As the walk continues the number of fallen trees increases, many of them across the path. They make it a little slower going than the initial path from the station but the path is still easy to follow. After a few kilometres, I reached the junction of Sassafras Creek and Glenbrook Creek. The two creeks have formed a beautiful swimming hole that, on a hot day, would be the perfect place to cool off. As it was, the rain had started to fall lightly as I was exploring the creeks and, before long, I had put my waterproof on - the thought of cooling off far from my mind.
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| Some fallen trees across the track |
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| Glenbrook Creek |
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| Glenbrook Creek |
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| Glenbrook Creek |
I blundered on, looking for a safe way across the swift-flowing creek, which I eventually found by hopping over a few large boulders, snarled up among the fallen trees. On the opposite side of the creek, I was on the lookout for another path that climbs the hillside - the Kings Link Track. After reaching the bend in the river, it was apparent I had strayed too far, so backtracked in search of an elusive cairn that is supposed to mark the bottom.
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| Glenbrook Creek |
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| An old iron ladder |
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| Glenbrook Creek |
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| Glenbrook Creek |
After failing to find the cairn, and not really wanting to cross the creek again, I was determined to find the path by starting the climb up the hillside. The map noted that the path does a few switchbacks so it should appear somewhere up the hill. After bashing through the shrubs and scrabbling up the hill, I eventually caught a glimpse of it, hidden among the ferns. I should note that the path is key to negotiating the rock outcrops above so an off-path route was out of the question.
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| Climbing the Kings LinkTrack |
With the rain falling heavily I came across a large overhang of rock, creating a dry shelter for me to take a break. I had neglected to put waterproof trousers on so my lower half was thoroughly soaked by now. I made a quick change, removing my soggy trousers and putting on my waterproofs instead - better than nothing and something I should have done earlier.
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| Lookout along the Kings Link Track |
In higher spirits, I pressed on, climbing Kings Link up the valley side until the path reaches the base of the rocks I mentioned earlier. It weaves an intricate path through the cliffs, at one point squeezing through a narrow crack to emerge on a flat sandstone platform. It is for this reason I say that the path is essential, otherwise finding a route through the cliffs would be incredibly challenging.
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| Looking down the Kings Link Track |
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| The track squeezes through the rocks |
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| The top of the Kings Link |
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| Kings Link |
The Kings Link Track leads to Bunyan Lookout though the views were hidden in the swirling clouds. Fortunately, I had managed to negotiate the trickiest part of the hike unscathed. From the lookout, a well-trodden path leads through the trees to the Lost World Trail junction (an optional extra on a sunny day). The Lookout Trail continues to another junction where I turned east onto the Bullants Track.
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| Bunyan Lookout |
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| Bunyan Lookout |
The Bullants Track follows the crest of a broad ridge, heading through the bush for nearly 4km. All the while, the rain was falling heavily and, by the time I reached the end of the ridge, I was pretty much soaked through. A vague track descends steeply off the end of the ridge to Glenbrook Creek (the same creek I crossed earlier). Once again, crossing the creek was a little tricky due to the weather and the fallen trees. On the opposite bank is a path that climbs steeply back up the other side of the valley, often using small steps carved into the rock.
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| The Bullants Track |
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| Bullants Lookout |
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| Beginning a steep descent back to Glenbrook Creek |
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| Following the track down to Glenbrook Creek |
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| Glenbrook Creek |
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| Glenbrook Creek |
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| Carved steps leading up the rocks |
Once the climb levelled off, I joined the path heading into Pippas Pass, a lush rainforest gully that was putting on a fine show in the rain. Sadly, my thoughts were on reaching the train station as soon as possible so I could get out of the rain. The path emerges from the gully onto a residential road in Blaxland, behind the Great Western Highway. From here it was a simple matter of following the highway to Blaxland Station.
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| Bullants ridge |
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| Pippas Pass |
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| Pippas Pass |
I made it back to the station wet and pleases to be boarding a train back to Sydney. While the Victory Track is a pleasant stroll, the final part of the walk was pretty challenging due to the rain and the difficult nature of Glenbrook Creek. I think on a warm, sunny day things would have been a little easier so it gives me an excuse to get back and explore more of the lower Blue Mountains.
Amazing read! Do you have any photos of the campground near Glenbrook Creek right before crossing for kings link?
ReplyDeleteAll trails says there is one.
I may do, but I don't remeber there being anything formal in that location. It had been pretty trashed by the floods when I visited and probably moreso now.
DeleteThe campsite is Martins Ponds campground.
Delete