This was a nice walk in the Lower Blue Mountains. I started from Glenbrook Station and walked to the National Park entrance and then down to the Blue Pool turnoff. It was not far down the track to Glenbrook Creek and just upstream lies the Blue Pool. The Blue Pool is one of many swimming holes along Glenbrook Creek.
Glenbrook Ck
I crossed Glenbrook Creek and followed the track upstream on the west bank past the Blue Pool. There is a reasonable track on this bank all the way to the junction with Kanuka Brook (not far upstream of that point lies the Duck Hole – another large swimming hole).
The Blue Pool
The going was quite easy, although you do loose the track at times. It is easy to find again. It would be nice to walk up this section of Glenbrook Creek in high water as the creek bed is really nice.
On the way, you pass another large pool known as the Wog Hole. It apparently gets this name from all the bugs around. At a few points along the creek there were lots of insects – they looked like solitary bees.
I stopped a few times on the way up the creek to take photos, and it took an hour and a half or so to walk up the Kanuka Brook junction. On the way I did see three other bushwalkers, a guy walking by himself and a couple from Springwood Bushwalking Club.
At Kanuka Creek junction there is a nice large swimming hole – and this was a good place for a swim.
Pool at Kanuka Brook junction
I then headed up Kanuka Brook. There is a reasonable track along the left bank as you head upstream. I have never been up this creek before and found it quite interesting. I had looked at Tom Brennan’s notes on the creek, and he had climbed out up a ridge that leads to a fire trail near Red Hands Cave. This ridge is found a short way up a side creek that is about 1 km from the junction.
I found the side creek, and there was in fact a sign on a tree saying “Red Hands Cave”. I wondered if the track continued up Kanuka Brook, so continued upstream. The track, if it did continue was a lot more indistinct than lower down. I continued up past a series of sandstone overhangs – some of which have been used as camp caves by previous walkers, and past a nice sandy beach on a point. Further upstream were more camp caves, but the creek was becoming scrubby. So I back tracked to the sandy beach and stopped for another swim.
Kanuka Brook
Camp Cave in Kanuka Ck
I then went back downstream to the side creek mentioned in Tom’s notes. A shote way upstream the creek bifurcates, and the track goes up the ridge in-between. It has been marked with blue paint blobs on the rock and is very easy to follow. Im not sure why the paint has been used as the pass is quite easy.
On top of the ridge, you join an overgrown fire road. After 1.5 km it joins the Red Hands Cave Road. I found a shady place here and stopped for lunch.
Then is was a short walk to Red Hands Cave and along the creek down the track back to Glenbrook Creek. Along the way, it was interesting to see some of the Boronia shrubs had their flowers “bagged” (and marked NPWS) – perhaps part of some experiment?
The track takes you to the Causeway at Glenbrook Creek. This is another good place to cool off with a swim. The pool here is quite long and quite deep.
From here, it was a short walk back up the hill and along the road to the Station. A nice day in the bush.
More photos from the day are on my website here.
Odd about the paint. When I was there 7 years ago there was a cairn at the top and bottom of the pass, and a few other cairns nearer the fire trail. However, it’s not hard to find, and as you say, it doesn’t really need to have been painted.