This is another long-forgotten bushwalk described by Jim Smith in his book “How to See the Blue Mountains” (Walk 58), which explores Back Creek and the Radiata Plateau. Jim described it as starting at the end of Delmonte Avenue (in Medlow Bath) and passing through “beautiful country” before finishing at the boundary of a farm on Explorers Road. Unfortunately, things are not as they were in the 1980s…
…After intending to start the walk at the end of Delmonte Ave, I’m met with a “private property” sign and what seems to be a completely overgrown firetrail. So I drive to the opposite end of the walk, where the trailhead based on Jim’s description is likely to be at the end of Saywell Road (which is off Explorers Road). Here the imposing gates of the Karuna Sanctuary (a Buddist retreat) blocks any access to the firetrail which continues from the end of the road.
The only remaining option is to find a route from the end of Pulpit Hill Road, which would have been private property in the 1980s but is now the Ngula Bulgarabang Regional Park (meaning “large wood forest” in the local Aboriginal language). Following one of the many bushwalking tracks that criss-cross the plateau, I head in a northerly direction.
The trail does a wide loop to end up at what is probably an old man-made dam, surrounded by grasses and tall trees and very tranquil. Probably a great bird watching spot if I had any patience.
From the dam a much fainter and less-used bushwalking trail initially follows the unnamed creek towards the north, before ascending gently up to the cliff-line.
There are soon views over the Megalong Valley and the Shipley Plateau to the west.
An old track that heads to the edge of the cliff is now almost completely overgrown, but a bit of bush-bashing leads to an impressive vantage point. From here there are sweeping views over the Megalong Valley, the Medlow Bath cliffs and Back Creek Falls, formed by Back Creek plunging over the cliffs.
The bushwalking track now leaves the cliffs as it climbs up to the ridge to meet the firetrail that continues from the end of Saywell Road at the Karuna Sanctuary. I’m finally on the bushwalk which Jim Smith described, and I’m expecting the firetrail to continue most of the way to Delmonte Avenue.
For a short distance the firetrail is in pretty good condition – you could drive a 4WD along it – and it’s very easy walking. But not for long; the trail is soon completely overgrown, and although you can still follow the old road beneath the vegetation most of the time you’re pushing through the scrub.
As the ovcergrown firetrail gradually becomes a very indistinct track, it drops into the valley formed by Back Creek. A short walk down the creek (unfortunately, wet feet are guaranteed for this short detout) leads to a shallow but very picturesque pool, just above Back Creek Falls.
After crossing Back Creek, the trail alternates between a few distinct stretches, and many very overgrown sections. While I wouldn’t recommend this as a family-friendly walk, if you happen to be under three feet tall it would be much easier walking along the low tunnel formed by the vegetation!
A few hundred metres after Back Creek is another lookout; an old and now non-existent track to the cliff-top vantage point is marked by a large stone cairn.
Framed by the cliffs of Medlow Bath is a view over the Megalong Valley and Kanimbla Valley to the distant peaks of the Kanangra-Boyd National Park.
On both sides are the impressive Medlow Bath cliffs – the first lookout on this walk was above the “double-decker” cliff lines to the south. It’s possible to follow a ledge below the uppermost cliff-line from the Three Brothers rock formation at Medlow Bath to Blacks Ladders on the Radiata Plateau, which passes below where I’m standing.
I’d planned to continue a bit further, but clearly Jim Smith’s “Delmonte Ave – Fire Trail – Explorer Road” bushwalk no longer exists. At least, not as on-track walk. With no semblance of track to be seen and the plateau being covered by fairly thick scrub, I re-trace my steps back to the dam. From the dam I take a slightly different and more direct route back to the Ngula Bulgarabang Regional Park carpark.
This hasn’t quite been the bushwalk I expected, but I’m happy that despite both trailheads described by Jim Smith now being blocked by private property you can still explore this part of the Radiata Plateau from Ngula Bulgarabang Regional Park. It still is, as Jim Smith described, “beautiful country”!
Getting to the Delmonte Ave Firetrail
The trailhead is at the end of Pulpit Hill Road in Katoomba, accessed by Nellies Glen Road off the Great Western Highway. It’s a 3.5km (5min drive) from Katoomba. There is a reasonably large carpark near the locked gate, with the firetrail popular with dog-walkers. None of the trails in this bushwalk are signposted, and once you reach the dam some basic route-finding is necessary.
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