Goulds Circuit (Febar Tor & Macha Tor) - Warrumbungle National Park

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Route: Pincham Car Park, Grand High Tops Track, Spirey Creek, Goulds Circuit, Febar Tor, Macha Tor Track, Macha Tor, Grand High Tops Track, Camp Pincham, Pincham Car Park

Date: 19/08/2023
From: Camp Pincham

Parking: Pincham Car Park
Start Point: Pincham Car Park
Finish Point: Pincham Car Park
Region: Warrumbungle National Park

Route length: 7.5km
Time taken: 02:56
Average speed: 4.0km/h
Ascent: 343m
Descent: 340m

Points of Interest: Febar Tor, Macha Tor

Warrumbungle National Park is a geological wonderland of rock domes, towers and spires formed by a long-extinct volcano. The Warrumbungle Mountains, after which the park is named, have a rich Aboriginal history that stretches back at least 5,000 years. The name ‘Warrumbungle’ comes from the Gamilaraay language of the Kamilaroi people and is believed to mean ‘Crooked mountains’.

The entire area was once an enormous shield volcano, some 50km wide and 1km high. Millions of years of erosion have worn away the softer rocks, leaving behind the weird and wonderful dykes, plugs, and domes of trachyte. These are best explored on one of the country's best day hikes, The Grand High Tops, however, we'd be undertaking one of the shorter hikes today; Goulds Circuit, which promises superb views of the Warrumbungle Mountains from the lookouts at Febar Tor and Macha Tor.

Located some 6-7 hours northwest of Sydney, getting to Warrumbungle National Park is no mean feat but it is well worth the effort. Not only is the scenery spectacular but the national park is Australia's only Dark Sky Park (for now), promising amazing views during both the day and the night (if you are lucky to get clear skies). We stayed for a few nights at the excellent Camp Blackman hoping to see the stars.

Goulds Circuit begins from a car park close to Camp Pincham, a basic campsite named after Alfred Pincham who gave up his lease on the Warrumbungle land in 1952 with the National Park taking ownership of the management in 1967. The track is signposted from the car park and follows the first section of the Grand High Tops hike alongside Spirey Creek. Given its growing popularity, the High Tops Track is very well maintained.

The Grand High Tops Track starts at the car park and has recently had some love and attention from the NPS

There is a memorial to Alfred Pincham at the beginning of the trail

The Grand High Tops Track

Mata Hill

First Kookaburra of the day

A very dry Spirey Creek

After around 1km the path splits at a footbridge - this is the point where the two halves of the Grand High Tops circuit converge at Spirey Creek. The left branch leads towards Goulds Circuit, located 300m further on and marked by a signpost.

The Goulds Circuit turn off

Once you have left the Grand High Tops Track, Goulds Circuit begins in earnest by climbing alongside a small, dry creek. Using a combination of steps and switchbacks, it makes its way around the back of a large volcanic dome called Cethlenn before arriving at a junction. Here, it's a short detour to Febar Tor which involves a little bit of boulder hopping to get to the top.

Below Cethlenn

Climbing to Febar Tor

Perched on the side of the hill, the large boulders that form Febar Tor have a beautiful view, particularly westwards towards the peaks and domes of Dows High Tops. However, the more famous Belougery Spire and the Breadknife are somewhat hidden behind a large Eucalyptus tree that stands beside the lookout. They can be seen as you leave the lookout and step out onto a flat, open patch.

Needle Mountain (with the mast) and an unnamed pyramid

Bluff Mountain, Airmid Dome and Mount Exmouth

Bluff Mountain

Dows High Tops

Mount Exmouth - the tallest of the Warrumbungle Mountains

Balor Peak and Bluff Pyramid

The Grand High Tops

Belougery Spire, Crater Bluff and The Breadknife make up the Grand High Tops

The Breadknife and Ruarden Tor

After leaving Febar Tor, we continued Goulds Circuit. At first, the path descends, making its way through a wonderful wooded area that was rife with blooming wattle, the famous yellow flowering shrub that is native to Australia and dominates the dry, westward slopes of the mountains. After another short while hiking through the bush, we reached the base of Macha Tor.

There is plenty of native Australian bush to accompany you

The Macha Tor Track

Just like the route to Febar Tor, there's a side path to reach the summit of Macha Tor however, this path is a bit more demanding. It begins with some steps - an improvement compared to the previous trail, but soon becomes steeper, requiring both hands and feet to scramble up. Seasoned hikers should find it enjoyable rather than challenging. At the top, you'll be treated to a stunning view of the Warrumbungle Mountains.

Unlike Febar Tor, Macha Tor offers a clear and unhindered perspective of the Grand High Tops, which is arguably one of the most spectacular views within the national park. Laid out from left to right are Belougery Spire, Crater Bluff, the Breadknife, Dows High Tops, Bluff Mountain, and Mount Exmouth. 

Mount Exmouth and Mata Hill

The Grand High Tops

Balor Peak and Bluff Mountain

Belougery Spire and The Breadknife

The Grand High Tops of the Warrumbungle Mountains from Belougery Spire to Mount Exmouth

Belougery Spire with Crater Bluff behind

The Breadknife

Macha Tor also boasts an unparalleled eastern vista that encompasses Mount Woorut, known for housing the Anglo-Australian Telescope. The Warrumbungle region is celebrated for its exceptionally dark and clear skies, to the extent that the Siding Spring Observatory is situated on Mount Woorut. The Anglo-Australian Telescope is recognized as one of the most scientifically productive telescopes globally. When you witness celestial sights like those shown below (captured from Camp Blackman), it becomes evident why.

Mount Woorut

Mount Woorut

Camp Blackman

The Milky Way - taken from our tent in Camp Blackman

The centre of the Milky Way

After savouring the panoramic view from the summit, we concluded our journey along Goulds Circuit by retracing our steps back to the junction. From there, we descended gradually along a lengthy slope to reach Spirey Creek and connect with the Grand High Tops Track. This particular trail segment has also seen improvements, as steps have been introduced to replace some of the steeper sections.

The Grand High Tops Track

Spirey Creek

Mata Hill

Once you reach the Grand High Tops Track, a leisurely 2.5km stroll through the bush will bring you back to Pincham Car Park. This stretch provides an excellent opportunity to watch for the elusive Brush-Tailed Rock Wallaby, known to have colonies in the Warrumbungles, or perhaps catch sight of a Koala peacefully resting in the tree. Before long we'd made it back to the car park.

The wattle was out in force

Given that Goulds Circuit is fairly short, we had ample time to explore some more of the national park by heading up to the Siding Spring Observatory atop Mount Woorut. You can take a guided daytime tour of the telescope or just visit the viewing gallery as we did, both will get you up close to the monster telescope. The view from Mount Woorut over the Warrumbungles isn't bad either. Sadly, as it is a working observatory they do not operate nighttime star-gazing tours.

The massive AAT building

The AA Telescope

The AAT is also the beginning of the Virtual Solar System Drive, a 38 million times scale model of our solar system that starts at the observatory with the telescope building standing in for our Sun. The colourful 3D planets on the billboards are scaled in size relative to the huge observatory dome, and the location of the billboards are scaled in distance, just as you'd find the planets in outer space. To give a sense of scale, Pluto is located 205km from the observatory.

Earth is located close to the observatory

Saturn resides just outside Coonabarabran