This was another pleasant walk with Bob. I had suggested it a couple of weeks ago as a good walk to do if there was bad weather higher up the mountains. But on that occasion, the weather turned out better than we expected, so we put this one off.
Blue Gum Swamp
We drove out to White Cross Road at what used to be North Springwood. The town’s name was changed, during a period when place names with “North”, “East”, etc where all changed (Except for places like North Sydney and North Ryde. I wonder why?). Anyway, they had a survey of residents for a new name and I remember the most popular choice for the new name was the pretentious sounding “Springwood Heath”. However that name was not accepted, perhaps because there is no heath in the area and the name adopted was “Winmalee”.
We set off along the fire road that goes along Shaws Ridge. A road, but to too bad to walk along. As we proceeded a party of mountain runners came in the opposite direction. Later we saw a few mountain bikers. We son reached the end of the ridge and started the descent to Blue Gum Swamp. There used to be a grassy flat here, close the where the fire road crosses the creek. It was once a popular camping site. I can remember camping there when I was in the local scouts back in the 60’s.
The creek is called Blue Gum Swamp Creek because of the very nice stand of Blue Gums (Eucalyptus deanei) all along the flats next to the creek. We left the fire road and turned off up the steep Bees Nest Trail that climbs quite steeply up to Springwood Ridge. There it joins another fire road that goes from the old St Columbus Seminary to Grose Mountain Lookout. Notable as we climbed were the number of birds we could hear and sometimes see. Mainly fantails.
Rufous Fantail
Grey Fantail
On top, on the Springwood Ridge, it was only about 1 km to the Grose Mountain Lookout. This is a nice rock platform with extensive views of the lower Grose Valley. The lookout is just above where Springwood Creek joins the Grose River. Between these is the Kariwoga Ridge, which I can recall traversing many years ago.
Rock platforms with views are good places to look for aboriginal sharpening grooves. Sure enough Bob found some nearby, and we later found a lot more on another platform a little to the east.
After taking a few photos, we left the fire road and followed the track to Grose Head South. This looks an imposing mountain, but the climb only took 20 minutes or so. On top, there is an old trig, with a new logbook (placed only a few days earlier by Springwood Bushwalking Club). Views are quite limited by regrowth.
After signing the book, we retraced our steps back to the lookout at the rock platform for an early lunch.
We returned to White Cross Road, via the Bees Nest Trail and then rathe than follow Shaws Ridge back, we walked up the Blue Gum Swamp Trail. This leads back to the same place and is the preferable one to walk. It is more of a track than a road, and it is flanked by more of the great Blue Gums.
Just before the final climb back to Bob’s car, we took a side track up to “The Grotto“, one of two grottos near the St Columbus Seminary used as places of worship. I can remember when I was young, seeing statues here. And it seems it was a popular place for walkers from the Catholic Bushwalking Club to visit.
The Grotto
As well as a lot of birds, we also saw a lot of nice wildflowers.
More photos of the walk are online here on my website. Thanks to Graeme Holbeach for the Grotto link.
Looks like a beautiful walk! I think your “rufous fantail” is a white-throated treecreeper.
That was very interesting. I often walk the Shaw’s ridge and Blue Gum Swamp circuit, birding. I’ve never been up to Bees Nest Hill (but I’ve seen the sign of course) or to the Grose lookouts. I wasn’t aware of the grottos nor the tracks leading out from St Columba’s. I’ll check all of these out. I agree with Neil that the rufous fantail is not one but it is in fact, a red-browed treecreeper (the more uncommon of the two species seen in the area), not a white-throated.
Thank you for your great write up and beautiful photos. I’m a mountain bicyclist, and I think this is one of the best rides in the Blue Mountains. There is something here for everyone who loves to walk or cycle to enjoy being in the bush. I might also add that toward the end of Blue Gum Swamp track, just before the the turn off to the grotto, we came across the most extraordinary ‘field’ of Warratahs growing in the bush. (October-ish last year) I’ve usually only seen solitary ones.
PS: Have you experienced the extensive track along the ridgeline above Grose River (past Grose South Lookout) that becomes Mountain Avenue? I’ve always wanted to ride along it, to spend more time here.