Transit of Venus

Location: Start at Woodbury Street, Woodford

Duration: 1.5 hours

Grade: Easy

Features: waterfalls, lookout, 

Trip Notes:

The smell of eucalyptus called us into the bush as we entered the track of this unusually named Woodford walk. The golden wattle shone in the sunlight and the long white arms of the scribbly gums waved and welcomed us as we walked along the sandy track, a lonely path, but one not forgotten – a notice board heralding its start and a few informative signs along the way.

As we made our way down the hillside we soon came to the first of three pretty little waterfalls. A short 5 minute detour took us to Mabel Falls and a lovely pathway of old stone slabs across a marshy section of the track led us to its base. Maybe these were some of the sandstone blocks that once lined this old swimming hole. The pool’s edge is no longer outlined by the blocks but the shimmering clear green water still beckons.

We started this walk at Woodbury Street in Woodford. The signs tell us that part of the land that this track passes through was donated in 2005 by the Johnson family to NSW National Parks, while the track also traverses over land owned by Sydney Water. The astronomical wonder, the Transit of Venus, was viewed in 1874 from a telescope stationed at Woodford and this walk was named after it by the Blue Mountains Conservation Society. They also donated a footbridge which provides the way across a bubbling stream where a sea of golden wattles rise and surround the creek bed.

We soon cross a fire trail and start the loop walk to the other two waterfalls. We can already hear Edith Falls and catch the view of the top of the falls from a lookout (formed by a safety fence). The old stone barbecue here is a reminder of bygone days and this is a good spot to stop and enjoy the peacefulness of this bushland. A detour to the right at the end of the lookout gives us a short but steep descent to the base of Edith Falls where we are rewarded by glass like pools that reflect the orange and green colours above as the water tumbles over the red-brown rocks.

 Further down the main track is Hazel Falls, different from the other two since we can walk behind it and watch the water dripping veil-like in front of us. Part of the track between Edith and Hazel Falls is covered by a boardwalk to protect a small hanging swamp and a big sandy overhang provides an interesting place to rest before completing the Edith-Hazel Falls loop. We now head back to the car, past flowering grevilleas and gnarled banksias, back through the avenue of golden wattles to complete this 1.5 hour walk.

 DH

 This article has been published in the October 2010 edition of The Mountains Blueberry.