Sassafras Gully is a very pleasant and popular place for daywalks. But at the junction of Sassafras Gully and Glenbrook Creek there is a very nice campsite, next to a large swimming hole. I had been there plenty of times but never camped there. I thought I should remedy this.
It is a short walk to the campsite. I left Springwood about 1 pm and walked down Sassafras Gully via the very good track that starts from the end of Sassafras Gully Road. I stopped and ate my lunch a short way down the track – at the ruins of an old stone structure. I don’t know what this structure was – perhaps an enclosed picnic table? Online historic records show a building called “Rest House, Sassafras Gully“. This does not have a stone base, and from the photo looks like it may have been in the upper part of Magdala Creek – perhaps at Picnic Point or Fairly Dell?
It is also worthwhile looking at some old newspaper reports dating from 1890. Here they refer to a new track, so the original track must be older than that. The gully originally was called “Flying Fox Gully” on account of a large number of flying foxes observed there (rather than a cable car type flying fox being built for logging purposes). They refer to the swimming hole at the junction as being “a lagoon”. Here is one quote –
Soon the lagoon is reached – one of the finest sheets of water that nestles in tbe bosom of the Blue Mountains.
What a source of enjoyment it would prove if nearer to hand. How many denizen of earth would find sole and rejuvenation lying its pure depths.
It must be fully 100 feet in length and 10 to 15 feet deep in some places.
How it comes to form itself there is hard to understand, but there it is in its virgin beauty a joy to all who visit it.
Interesting. This link shows an old photo of one of the bridges on the track.
The Lagoon
After lunch, I continued down the track. A short way down I noticed a big collection of blue objects – pegs, bottle caps etc collected by a Bower Bird for its bower. This was only a metre from the track.
Just past a sharp bend I noticed some fungi growing in a dark nook. Early in the season for fungi to be out I thought. I put my pack down and got my camera out to photograph the fungi. While I was doing this I noticed some beautiful small tongue orchids in flower nearby.
I continued down the track and continued to spot early season fungi out. Not much, but enough to keep my camera handy. I know this gully pretty well and its hotspots where interesting fungi is often found. Most of these spots had none, its too early in the season. But in one I found a cluster of bring red waxcaps out. Probably Hygrocybe miniata. These beautiful mushrooms only normally come out in the colder months of the fungi season – April to July. But I have seen them out early in the season last year too. Perhaps in this one spot they were induced to fruit early due to recent cold temperatures and rain?
Hygrocybe miniata
Nearby was a tree with several clusters of Omphalotus nidiformis growing on it. This large fungus is bio-luminescent. I have photographed small samples at home in the dark to record its glow, but never photographed it in situ. Camping nearby could make this possible.
Omphalotus nidiformis
I passed the turn off track – the Wiggins Track to Bee Farm Road, and from there it is not far to the campsite. Just before the campsite is reached the track crosses a small creek that always seems to have some water in it. This is good water. The creek’s catchment is small and has no development in it. After setting up my camp, I returned to this creek to fill my water containers.
When I arrived at the “lagoon” and campsite at the junction with Glenbrook Creek I had the place to myself. I had only seen one other party of bushwalkers on the track – and they were walking out. I later saw two other parties near the pool.
The first thing I did was have a swim in the big pool. The water was very nice and seemed quite clean. Then I set up my camp and went off to collect water. Then it was time to wander around with my camera and tripod. There is a lot to see and photograph nearby – flowers, fungi and slime moulds, the small cascades in the streams and the interesting potholes in Glenbrook Creek.
I also spotted two different types of slime moulds near the campsite.
Later, after dark, I walked slowly back up the track. I was on the lookout for fireflies. I had seen quite a few recently at Mt Wilson and thought a place like Sassafras Gully may have some. I wanted to try photographing their tracks. As it turned out – I didn’t seed any. I walked up to the patch of luminous fungi that I had seen earlier and took a few photos of them instead. With the naked eye you can easily see there faint glow. The camera, with a long exposure can see more than the eye can and the results are interesting. These fungi glow to attract gnats that help disperse the fungal spores. I could also see a lot of glow worms – but they were scattered on the cliffs on the other side – too dispersed to photograph.
On the second day, after packing up, I headed downstream to the Perch Ponds and the junction of Magdala Creek. This takes about 30 minutes. Then I walked out via the Magdala Creek track. This is a nice walk and the track follows the creek pretty closely. In fact you have to cross the creek 9 times. I turned off the track twice to see waterfalls. Martins Falls is the lower fall, and a short way higher up is Magdala Falls. You need to go off track to see this one from below.
Martins Falls
Further up the track, I noticed two more orchids in flower – Bonnet Orchids and Hyacinth Orchids.
Bonnet Orchid
Hyacinth Orchid
I also noticed several more slime moulds and fungi out.
I also encountered a large group of bushwalkers heading down the track.
I arrived back at Springwood about 11:30 am.
More photos are online. Cascades and orchids here and fungi and slime moulds here.
It is a lovely walk. I have the impression that there are often groups camped on Saturday nights, quite often Scouts, so best avoided if I quiet night is important.