25/11/1972 – 27/11/1972 Blackheath – Evans Lookout Road – Grand Canyon Track – Horse Track – Rodriguez Pass Track – Govetts Creek – Blue Gum Forest Track – Blue Gum Forest – Perrys Track – Docker Head – Perrys Lookdown – Perrys Lookdown Road – Hat Hill Road – Blackheath
Blue Mountains National Park, NSW
Dharug country
*** Celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of my first bushwalk ***
Fifty years ago as a Form 4 (Year 10) Narwee Boys High School student I set off on my first overnight bushwalk. Our party of four caught an early train from Strathfield to Blackheath from where we completed an eventful three-day round trip via Govetts Creek and Blue Gum Forest.
As a somewhat nerdy teenager, I recorded my experience by writing my own trip report which I have transcribed and also reproduced below. The equipment and food choices that we made back then seem highly questionable by today’s standards, but our inexperience and the food options available fifty years ago differ enormously from what we have today. Unfortunately, as none of us owned a camera at the time there is no photographic record of our first 1972 adventure.
From our 1973 trip – Stephen, Vince and Richard in raingear
By the following year, I had moved to Figtree High School. At the end of the year, I still managed to join my Sydney friends for another Blue Mountain bushwalk, this time with Richard Graham “replacing” Doug Smith. Unfortunately, Richard died in a motorcycle accident on 27th April 1978 at the age of 21 and I only have primary school, class photos of Tony. Sadly, I have also lost contact with everyone.
Richard Graham, Queensland July 1975
***
Participants: Stephen Davies (Report, Photos), Tony Dutton, Vince MacCormack, Doug Smith
Food Used:
3 packets biscuits (wheat, date, shortbread), 3x1lb tins of meat, 3x13ozs pineapple juice, etc., 2x6oz pineapple juice, etc., 1 chewing gum, 1 apple, 3 oranges, 1 small tin baked beans
Equipment:
Towel, costumes, sandshoes, 9 tent pegs, tent rope, steelo, hat, map, first aid kit, food, ground sheet, comb, knife & fork, 1 two-man tent (Iain MacDougall), pack (Tony Dutton), clothes (2 pair jeans, 2 shirts, 1 T-shirt, 1 shorts, 2 changes underclothes, 3 pairs socks, thongs, PJs, raincoat).
Day 1: Saturday 25/11/1972 Blackheath – Blue Gum Forest
Max elevation: 1076 m
Total climbing: 497 m
Total descent: -965 m
Average speed: nan km/h
Woke early, went round to TD’s place for ride. Picked up others. Just made train at Strathfield at 6:42am. Arrived at Blackheath at 8:59am (return trip cost $2.35). Started for Grand Canyon after informing police of our expected trip.
Turned off road onto Grand Canyon track at 10:00am. Arrived at dam shortly after, therefore we’d taken the wrong track. Had something to eat.
Decided to take a shortcut to road. Next to impossible. After slipping and sliding and falling over everywhere and only travelling 300 yards in half an hour we went back the way we came.
Had lunch. Noticed threatening clouds approaching. Decided to shelter in sheds.
After a heavy downpour we continued climbing down the very steep valley wall. Had some eats near a creek and continued. Trees very tall, a far bit of undergrowth. Arrived at Blue Gum Forest for tea. Set up camp half way between river junction (Grose River and Govetts Leap Creek) and base of valley wall. Went to bed fairly early. Many people here (about 20 tents).
Day 2: Sunday 26/11/1972 Blue Gum Forest – Perrys Lookdown
Max elevation: 927 m
Total climbing: 658 m
Total descent: -331 m
Average speed: nan km/h
Awoke early, just after sunrise. Set up fire and cooked some breakfast. Decided we’d go up Perrys Lookdown to see how far we’d be going tomorrow. Didn’t take any gear. Well what a bloody trip, took over an hour and just about straight up all the time. Steps most of the way up. Track kept twisting and turning and climbing. Arrived at memorial hoping to find drinking water. None there. What a view. Should have brought a camera.
Went back down. Ran most of the way. Got back and went straight into the river to cool off..
Cooked dinner. By this time only one or two other tents left. The weather was still not good.
Took cards over to sandy patch on the river for the afternoon.
Playing rummy around the fire when some old drunk(?) comes up to us. Tells us he’d been looking for the Blue Gum Forest for twenty years, asks the way out. He ends up going in the opposite direction.
We decide he could be dangerous and conclude that we must take some defensive measures.
At about 6:00pm we’re ready to leave for Perrys Lookdown. We rest frequently.
By this time light rain is falling. Having reached the memorial we decide to continue on to find a spot suitable to pitch a tent. We discover Perrys Lookdown. Still no drinking water. So far al water has been boiled before use.
Day 3: Monday 27/11/1972 Perrys Lookdown – Blackheath
Max elevation: 1073 m
Total climbing: 246 m
Total descent: -106 m
Average speed: nan km/h
Got up fairly early again. Had the last of our food (I borrowed a can off T.D.). Went down to the lookout after we’d packed up and to ready to go. Looked around for a while then left.
Road all the way from camping spot. Stopped once or twice and arrived at Blackheath at about 12:30pm.
Went to Milk Bar and had something to eat for dinner. Had a hamburger (25c), quarter chicken (50c), chips (20c) and milkshake.
Before lunch we went to the police and crossed off our names. Went to service station and cleaned up after lunch.
Went to the station and played cards while we waited for the train. Arrived at about 3:00pm. Got home at 5:30pm. Played cards on train. Got buses home from Strathfield. Arrived home at 6:30pm.
NOTES
Weather
Caused great concern on Friday. Only rained once, while we were at Evans. It did sprinkle a bit on the way up to Perrys Lookdown.
Was misty and foggy during morning. Cloudy much of the time.
Landscape
Blue Gum Forest only covered a couple of acres. Most of the country was rugged esp. up and down the valley wall. These walls very steep and provided beautiful views looking up, or looking down from Perry’s and Evan’s. The track made the journey comparatively easy although sections were hard. Once the track reached the valley it followed Govetts Leap Creek to Blue Gum Forest from here it turned to the left and went straight up the cliff.
Blue Gum Forest – trees went straight up and very little leaf cover, all of which was near the top.
Problems
Incomplete organisation caused by inexperience and uncertainty of weather.
Fresh water – water had to be boiled. The problem arrised was that we didn’t take enough things to boil it in or store it in (problem expected)
Mosquitos – unexpected, take aeroguard in future.
Food – too heavy to carry cans but cans convenient
– lack of cooking utensiles – take frying pan
The Original Handwritten Report
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