Leader: Margaret Mohandas

Day walks in New England National Park, Cathedral Rock National Park, Dorrigo National Park

23 April to 30 April 2019

An 80 leaders walk

Photos Jan Mohandas


Crimson Rosellas


Main accommodation

Photos from the Syndicate Ridge walk

 

Participants:

Margaret Mohandas, Jan Mohandas, Tony Hickson, Jacqui Hickson (not walking), Graham Conden, Barbara Mitchell, Rosemary McDougal, Margaret Nay, Jill Paillas, Lydia Chua, Lynn Dabbs, Kevin Williams, Adrian Buzo.

Walk description:

Based near Point Lookout via Ebor, on a beef property north east of Armidale NSW. Each day, we will travel to different NPs in the area, walking on tracks with a variety of rainforest, eucalyptus forest and grasslands. Magnificent scenery from the escarpment will be viewed, in this Gondwana World Heritage Area. Topographic Map; Ebor, Hyatt's Flat.

Report:

Syndicate Ridge Through Walk - one of the day walks.

This track traverses an area of Dorrigo National Park, with magnificent rain forest and great views over the Bellinger Valley. The walk can be accessed from either end, from the top of the ridge through to Adams Lane, Glennifer.

We commenced our walk from the Megan and Slingsby Road end, some 10k north of Dorrigo. The plan was to return via the Syndicate Tramway, a piece of extraordinary engineering built to bring red cedar down a precipitous ridge. The steam powered railway operated between 1912 and 1928.

This meant the need for a car shuffle between the escarpment and Adams Lane was eliminated and we returned to the cars in a circular route. The walk itself is mostly on soft rain forest tracks, and while there are some information boards describing the features and directions, navigational assistance is advisable. The walk meanders across Wild Cattle Creek, providing good clean water and several areas suitable for camping. Closer to the escarpment Stony Creek Lookout gives us the first views of the glorious Bellinger Valley, with the town of Bellingen nestling in the hinterland. Our lunch stop is Lanes Lovers Lookout, popular with lovers when the trail was the main road between Dorrigo and Upper Bobo. Then, a steep scrambly zig-zag descent to a track junction, and an ascent up the old tramway. Although little remains today, the achievement of securing heavy equipment and hauling precious hoop pine logs down on the rails was amazing. The return was through rain forest and more melodious birds, Antarctic beech, ferns and orchids.

The walk is a perfect one for warm days, when the tree canopy provides a cool temperate climate. For us, 16k in 6 hours, allowing for the 60k drive from Point Lookout to Dorrigo.

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