Another walk from Blackheath, but the other side of the highway from Porters Pass (see NQLW3): this one is on the western side, with views over to the Kanimbla and Megalong Valleys.

As usual, there was a long downhill scramble first, down a zig-zag “road” down which pack-horses were led to carry goods down to the Kanimbla Valley, and produce in return up the (very steep) hill.  Poor horses.

Near the bottom is a cave where in the 1850s someone found an old piece of newspaper printed in the 1820s, with an article about prisoners escaping from a local prison.  So with a leap of imagination it became an outlaws’ lair.   A “Bushrangers Cave” in local parlance.

Not a comfortable home, I suspect, and @#$%&* cold in winter, no doubt.

A beautiful view to wake up to, though.

After admiring the real estate, we walked on through Rienet’s Pass.  Another of these beautiful paths which essentially go from no-where to no-where else, made to attract Victorian (Edwardian?) tourists.

They remain a tourist attraction now, of course.  The waterfalls are tremendous and the streams through the gumtrees are lovely.

I think that in many countries each one of these walks would be regarded as a major drawcard for an area.  Here there are simply so many spectacular walks/views/waterfalls/rock formations.

Well, we have had droughts, bushfires, plagues (of mice, in country areas), and now floods.  We have had more than 520mm of rain here in Glenbrook over the last ten days – on the weekend the rain gauge overflowed after 280mm so I know it was at least that, but probably more.

Above is the Causeway across Glenbrook Creek in the Blue Mountains National Park.  The markers show the water level is about 2m above normal, and a massive flow of water is going down to the Nepean River.

I first went down to the “Jellybean Pool”:(click to enlarge, as ever)

The area is usually a peaceful pool for swimming – unthinkable now.

[ 48 hours later the level had fallen by about 2 metres ->  ]

Here is Blue Pool, also a raging torrent.

I had bought some gumboots to manage this walk.  With water cascading down the steps, it was just as well.

Almost counterintuitively (for an ex-Brit, anyway) winter is a time of flowering for many native plant species.  Sue and Marchelle went on a walk last week, which even though very close to Blaxland/Mount Riverview was through some beautiful country with lovely flowers.

This is the lookout which they walked to, with views over the Nepean region.

– “The Nepean Lakes.”

Below are some of the beautiful flows/shrubs/bushes which they found.

I must admit to not thinking of the spring flowers in Australia, but this is the equivalent, I believe, and very beautiful, too.