Lyrebird Walking Track, Blue Mountains NP: NSW, Australia: March 2004

 Bush walking to the Pool of Siloam and Lyrebird Dell

One of the other walks I went on while in New South Wales was the Lyrebird Dell Walking Track in Blue Mountains NP. This was a longer walk down to one of the side valleys near Katoomba to a series of pools, water falls and cascades. 

A view of the Pool of Siloam, Blue Mountains NP

It is an actual Australian bush walk which takes approximately 1-2 hours depending on your fitness.

Hiking the Lyrebird Dell Round Walk:

The Lyrebird Dell Walk starts from either Gordon Falls Reserve or along the southern end of Lone Pine Avenue near Leura. It features a descent down to the valley floor and you will see bush, rain forest, waterfalls and some historic caves used by the local Aboriginals in times past. 

Gordon Falls Reserve is the start of the track

Gordon Falls and the Gordon Falls Reserve commemorate General Gordon of Khartoum who was killed during the siege of that city during the Anglo-Sudan War in the 1880's. Gordon served in the British Army in the Crimean War, Indian Mutiny and Opium Wars in China. He was the Egyptian Governor of Sudan at the time of his death and was a particular focus of anger as he represented the hated Egyptian Authorities to the Mahdists. 

General Charles Gordon of Khartoum

The Anglo-Sudan or Mahdist War (1881-1889) was the first overseas conflict Australia sent troops to fight in and it was also one of the first conflicts between Jihadists and the West. Australian soldiers served with troops from Britain, Italy, Canada, Egypt and India. Over 700 Australians (some of whom came from New Zealand) served in the war and there were 9 deaths all from disease.  

The war featured several British leaders who later became famous including a young Second Lieutenant Winston Churchill, Major's Haig, French and Hamilton, Colonel Kitchener and General Roberts all senior leaders in the Boer War and WWI. 

You could argue that it was the first war fought by the Commonwealth. 

We followed the Lyrebird Dell Round Walk

Follow the signs from Gordon Falls Reserve for Pool of Siloam Walking Track...it takes about 20-30 minutes to walk down to Gordons Creek and the Pool. The Pool of Siloam is a plunge pool at the base of a waterfall coming down off the Katoomba Escarpment near Leura. 

Map: Pool of Siloam and Lyrebird Dell Walking Track

 From the Gordon Falls Reserve you drop down a step set of stairs into the bush and gradually make your way down to the Pool of Siloam your first stop of the track. Take care on the stairs as they are steep and sections can be overgrown, muddy and slippery.  At the start you are surrounded by thick bush but this gradually gives way to typical Australian rainforest vegetation as you get closer to the bottom. 

On the descent down to the Pool of Siloam

When you get down near the end of the steps you will find yourself in a shady area of rain forest with many small streams, water runs and seeps along and across the track. Eventually you can see the area around the Pool of Siloam below you. There are a set of stepping stones across the stream outlet and a small sandy beach along the edge of the pool. 

Looking down on the Pool of Siloam stepping stones

There is a sandy beach at the Pool of Siloam

The Pool of Siloam is set in a small rock amphitheater with tall trees all around and there is a ribbon waterfall cascading down from above. For the historians out there the original Pool of Siloam is where Jesus is supposed to have healed the sick by baptizing them in its restorative waters. Those Victorians had a good streak of the religious ferment coursing through them...

When I visited in the early 2000's the pool was quite deep...maybe waist deep or so. I have read online that it has silted up a lot due to drought, bush fires and construction around Katoomba/Leura. All the exposed sand and dirt runs down into these valleys every time there is a big storm...man made erosion!!!

Pool of Siloam, Blue Mountains NP

There are plenty of logs and rocks to sit on while you watch the waterfall and the beach is a good safe area for children to explore and play on. It is worth spending some time here and just enjoying the sights and sounds of the surrounding forest. 

Stepping stones at the Pool of Siloam

There were plenty of birds around the pool and we saw Cockatoos, Rosella's, Kookabura's, Silvereyes and other native birds on the forest floor and amongst the foliage of the trees. The forest is interesting with massive Gum/Eucalypt Trees, Bottle Brushes, Banksia, Waratah and other strange and unusual plants. The colorful red flower of the Waratah is the NSW state symbol...

The symbol of NSW...the Waratah flower

If you are lucky you might see an actual Lyrebird scratching around in the undergrowth along this track. We saw a couple but at a distance as they are shy and retiring birds. They are one of a variety of scrub dwelling birds endemic to this area and are noted for their long and colorful tail plumage and mimicry of other birds song. They look a bit like a cross between a Chicken, Quail, Weka and Roadrunner... 

Typical Australian Lyrebird in the bush

From the Pool of Siloam you continue along the Lyrebird Dell Walking Track for approximately a kilometer to the Lyrebird Dell. This part of the track was damp with a number of smaller cascades, streams and rivulets visible along both sides of the track. It was cool and shady with mosses, ferns and lichen on most surfaces. Half way to the Dell you pass Gordons Cascade which is a lovely terrace with Gordons Creek flowing over it. 

Gordon's Cascade on the way to Lyrebird Dell

There are quite a few seeps along the track from Siloam Pool to the Lyrebird Dell with water running down the rock faces and the thick mosses growing on them. The forest was cool and shady...a change from the blazing sun and heat. 

It was the end of summer when we visited so the rest of NSW was dry as tinder..in fact we passed through a bush fire on our way to and from Canberra.  It was nice to be in a cool almost naturally air conditioned place if only for a short time. 

Water seep along the Lyrebird Dell Track

There are a couple of caves about 800 meters from the Pool of Siloam. They are closer to rock outcrops than caves but are still interesting to explore. Excavations around these over hangs found 12 000 year old stone fragments from tool making by the indigenous Aboriginal people. They had lived in this area for millennia and only really moved further inland after European settlement. It is easy to see why with the presence of shelter, game, running water and other resources. 

One of the small caves on the Lyrebird Dell Track

Another rock overhang on the Lyrebird Dell Track

Lyrebird Falls are not far past the two small caves and while the falls are not massive it is set in a very idyllic grotto surrounded by bush and with a plunge pool at the base of the falls. It was cool and damp at Lyrebird Falls and we sat on a log here and contemplated the falls for some time. 

Lyrebird Falls, Blue Mountains NP

There is a historic picnic area near the Lyrebird Falls which has been in this location since the 1930's. Back then groups would come on organised outings to the area to enjoy the clean air and cool forest surrounds. It must have been a bit of a journey back then with the primitive vehicles they would have used along what I imagine were rough and punishing roads.

The big cave it sits in was once used by Aboriginals as a place to live and is still considered sacred to them. It is easily the largest of the caves and overhangs along this track and you can see why they would have used it for shelter. It does seem a bit inappropriate to have picnic tables here BUT you cannot judge 1930's Aussies with 21st Century mores...

The picnic area near Lyrebird Dell Falls

From the Lyrebird Dell you continue on the Lyrebird Track for about another 500 meters before finding yourself back up on Lone Pine Avenue. From here you just walk along the road all the way back to Gordon Falls Reserve about another 500 meters away. 

You are back at your start point...

In the bush on the way back to Lone Pine Avenue, Lyrebird Dell Walk

Lone Pine Avenue heading to Gordon Falls Reserve, Leura

There are an ornate set of memorial gates at the entrance to Gordon Falls Reserve with the names of locals killed during the Boer War and WWI. At the time this would have been a very small and sleepy rural town so the fact there are over thirty dead from World War I must have been devastating to the local community. 

You see similar memorials in most small rural New Zealand towns..Akaroa has over twenty names on its memorial arch...probably most of the young men who lived there prior to the Great War. A real waste of potential as all wars are....

Entrance gate at the Gordon Falls Reserve, Leura

From Gordon Falls Reserve you should head by foot or vehicle down to the southern end of Lone Pine Avenue to the Gordon Falls Lookout. This is the only spot in the immediate area with an unobstructed view out to the rest of Blue Mountains National Park. From here you have a good view of Mt Solitary off in the distance, Jamison Valley and the huge cliffs around Leura...

Gordon Falls Outlook, Blue Mountains NP

You can also see the Gordon Falls way down below you...the falls drop from the top of the escarpment down into an amphitheater below and then run into Gordons Creek. It really reminded me of the falls you pass near Coal Creek on the Paparoa Great Walk here in New Zealand. They are a similar height and the cliffs look much the same with that sandstone and limestone...

View down to the Gordon Falls, Blue Mountain NP

I think it would be worthwhile visiting Gordon Falls just after a big storm as I believe the falls would act like a giant storm drain for the surrounding area. I bet they are quite spectacular with a lot of water rushing over them...

Mt Solitary and Jamison Valley from Gordon Falls Lookout

It was interesting to take a walk in the Australian bush...it is very different to New Zealand with a completely different range of tree species and animals. If I manage to make it back over the ditch to NSW and Sydney in the future I will make sure to go up to Katoomba for a couple of days and do some more walking there. 

Access: From Sydney take the Great Western Highway to Katoomba and Leura. At Leura follow Luera Mall and turn left onto Gordon Road. Follow Gordon Road to Lone Pine Avenue. Park at Gordon Falls Reserve or along Lone Pine Avenue and look for the track start.
Track Times: The Lyrebird Round Trip is 1.8 km or around 1.5 hours. Pool of Siloam Walking Track (30 minutes), Lyrebird Dell Walking Track (30 minutes), Lyrebird Dell to Gordon Falls Reserve (20-30 minutes)
Miscellaneous: There is a picnic area, toilets and playground at Gordon Falls Reserve. The track down to the Pool of Siloam is steep and can be muddy and slippery at times. There is a historic picnic area near the Lyrebird Dell. Gordon Falls Lookout is at the southern end of Lone Pine Avenue. 

Three Sisters Walk, Blue Mountains NP: New South Wales, Australia: March 2004

In the Blue Mountains National Park...

Way back in 2005 I journeyed to Australia for a 10 day holiday to Sydney and Canberra in New South Wales. I went for a couple of walks in the hinterland of Sydney while I was there. They were in and around Katoomba which is about 100 kilometers to the west of Sydney in the Blue Mountains National Park

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

One of the walks I did there was the famous Three Sisters Walk just outside of Katoomba. 

Visiting Katoomba in the early 2000's:

Back in the early 2000's Katoomba was a relatively sleepy holiday destination...the drawcard for the town was how close it is to several National Parks and other nature reserves. The area has mountains, rain forest, bush, rock formations and waterfalls to enjoy and has always been a well loved holiday spot for people from Sydney. 

Sydney is visible from places in the Blue Mountains...

At the time it had a arty feel much like a cross between Hanmer and Takaka here in New Zealand. The town has a lot of lovely Art Deco and historic buildings and while it was starting to develop it was still a relative backwater. I remember thinking it would be a nice place to live if you wanted to be free of the big city to the east. 

The older part of the town of Katoomba

It is not like that anymore...Katoomba is now a moderate sized tourist town which is a part of a vast conurbation which runs from Sydney all the way to the edge of the Blue Mountains NP. It is a real tourist mecca much like Queenstown/Te Anau/Rotorua with hotels, motels, holiday homes, B n B's,  restaurants, cafes and designer shops.  

Katoomba is now a moderately sized town...

Katoomba sits right on the edge of several National Parks the largest of which is Blue Mountains National Park. It is an interesting area of sandstone uplands and deep rift valleys with huge cliffs, rock spires and thick dense bush. From the top of the escarpments you can see far into the surrounding area and down into the Jamison Valley nearly a kilometer below you...

One of the viewing outlooks around Katoomba

Before Covid this was a major tourism spot with a comparable number of visitors to Milford Sound who all came here to experience the wild Australian backcountry. There are a multitude of walks, tracks and lookouts in the area and one of the best is the Famous Three Sisters walk. 

View of the Three sisters from Echo Point

Lets take a closer look at what the Three Sisters Walk is all about...

Visiting the Three Sisters...

The Three Sisters are a series of rock towers just to the south of Katoomba and they can be accessed from the Echo Point Visitor Center for Blue Mountains NP. This whole area is the result of volcanic and tectonic uplift...the soaring sandstone cliffs were once ocean sediments thrust up over millions of years. This was eroded down over the millennia by massive rivers which once dominated a much greener and wetter Australia. 

View out into Blue Mountains NP from Echo Point

This makes Katoomba similar to the area around Punakaiki on the West Coast of the South Island. 

Punakaiki features similar tectonic uplift topography....

The towers are sacred to the local Aboriginal people and have long been a tourist attraction as they have spectacular views out over the Jamison Valley a large rift valley system around them. 

Map: Echo Point and the start of the Three Sisters Walk

From the car park at Echo Point you walk for about 250 meters to the entrance to the Three Sisters Walk itself. It is an easy track to start...paved and with only a moderate incline. It would be suitable for just about anyone with an especially easy walk to the spectacular Echo Point lookout. 

Blue Mountains NP Visitor Center at Echo Point

Katoomba sits atop a massive escarpment with deeply incised valleys surrounding it on three sides. The Three Sisters are surrounded by Jamison Valley which would easily be one kilometer from valley floor to the top of the escarpment. Because of this you can see for perhaps 40 kilometers out over the National Park. 

On the walkway from Echo Point to the Three Sisters Walk

You can walk to the start of the Three Sisters Walk from Echo Point

There is a historic stone entrance way just at the start of the walk with directions and information panels. There is a lookout located here with the first of several awesome views out into the Jamison Valley. 

Entrance to Three Sisters Track, Blue Mountains NP

The Three Sisters are a sacred Aboriginal site but when we visited in the early 2000's there was not a lot of information explaining why. I would hope that now we are in the 21st Century they would have rectified this omission...

Sign at the entrance to the Three Sisters Track

Start of the stairs down to Honeymoon Bridge, Three Sisters Walk

There are multiple sets of steps down to the Honeymoon Bridge and this part of the track must be walked slowly and carefully as the stairs are quite steep. As you descend you can see the air bridge and small platform around the first of the Three Sisters..it will usually be full of other sightseers. You need only walk as far as you are comfortable with....

Stairs leading down to the Honeymoon Bridge, Three Sisters Walk

Honeymoon Bridge leads to a small viewing platform attached to the side of the first of the rock towers...you are high above Jamison Valley here and you can look to both the west and east of the rock pillars. The bottom of the valley looks a long way down even from this point...the massive Eucalypt trees below look like miniatures even though they will 40-50 meters tall!

This is probably not a great place for those who do not like heights... 

Honeymoon Bridge, Three Sisters Walk, Blue Mountains NP

...view from the Honeymoon Bridge at the Three Sisters Walk...

The photo below gives you a good idea of just how steep the stairs are along the Three Sisters Walk. It will be fine for the majority of people but some fitness is necessary. Some of the stairs are like this while others are boardwalk or wide concrete steps which are much easier to navigate. From here you can continue down the Giant Staircase to the valley floor or turn about and make your way back to the top...

Set of stairs on the Three Sisters Track

There are a multitude of other tracks around the Three Sisters Walk which is why so many people visit the area. These include the Prince Henry Cliff Walk, Dardanelles Walk, Federal Pass Track and Lyrebird Dell Walking Track.

Prince Henry Cliff Walk passes close to the Three Sisters Walk

There is now a railway and cable car to the bottom of the Jamison Valley to make it easier for people to visit the area. This leaves from a terminus up on the top of the escarpment close to Echo Point. Alternately you can descend the 998 steps of the Giant Staircase to the valley floor. This passes by Honeymoon Bridge on its way down to the valley and the Federal Pass Track around to Scenic World and the cable car terminus.  

The Katoomba Cable Car descends to the Jamison Valley

There is also a historic incline railway at Katoomba... 

On the opposite side of the Jamison Valley you can see Mt Solitary which perfectly shows off the nature of the escarpments in the park. 

Looking out to the Jamison Valley....Mt Solitary (950 asl) in distance

Looking back through the entrance to the Three Sisters Track

Once you finish walking down to the Three Sisters make sure you go and have a look at them from the Echo Point Lookout. This is off to the right and to the rear of the Three Sisters and you get a much better idea of their size and shape from here. This is probably the best viewpoint for the whole Jamison Valley as well...

View of the Three Sisters from Echo Point...Jamison Valley to rear

If you ever find yourself in Sydney with a spare day I can thoroughly recommend the Katoomba area to you. There is plenty to do locally especially if you are an outdoors person...get out and see what an Australian bush walk is like. It will probably be one of the highlights of your trip...

Access: Katoomba is approximately 100 kilometers (1.5-2 hours drive) west of Sydney on the Great Western Highway. When you arrive in Katoomba turn off the Great Western Highway and follow the signs to Three Sisters and Echo Point. There is a large carpark next to the Visitors Center. 
Track Times: Three Sisters Walk is 1 kilometer or 30-45 minutes return depending on how far along the track you walk. 
Miscellaneous: There are public transport options to get to Katoomba including light rail, buses and shuttle services. It is an easy drive once you get out of the center of Sydney. The track is easy to start but has many stairs to reach the Honeymoon Bridge. The weather in the Blue Mountains can be cooler, wetter and more changeable than the coast. Blue Mountains NP is often subject to bush fires over summer.