As your stare into the Wilderness Below from Evans Lookout:

The view is breathtaking. You are looking at a landscape over 200 million years old. The traditional owners, the Durug and Gundungarra tribes have been custodians of the greatest integrity for over 20,000 years.

If not for a group of passionate bushwalkers, almost 100 years ago, you may instead be staring into developed farm land or worse! This is the story:

In the valley below you is a unique forest, harbouring the tallest eucalypt species in all the Mountains. You can see it, at the confluence where Govetts Ck meets the upper Grose River. The trees are known as Blue Gums, a smooth skinned eucalyptus which at 65 metres tall and wider than a man is tall, are veritable apartment buildings of the forest, offering food and homes to countless marsupials, birds, bats, and 1000s of different insects.

On a day in 1931, a group of bushwalkers were passing through the forest and met two men who told them they had a lease of 40 acres (covering the Blue Gum Forest) and that they were planning to clear fell all the trees to run cattle, later claiming they would plant walnut trees too. Horrified, the bushwalkers returned to Sydney determined to save this iconic forest.

One man recruited, Myles Dunphy, already known for his forward conservation ideals led the charge. He worked in Sydney, but at any moment would make his way to the Blue Mountains, embarking on countless multiday hikes, and would draw the most splendid maps of the region, based on his ever growing intimate knowledge of the Blue Mountains. No European knew the area better! Dunphy and others on the campaign committee were able to raise the 130 pounds ($20,000 today) in the midst of the greatest economic depression Australia has ever suffered, in order to buy the land back from the two developers.

The committee converted the 40 acres of acquired land into a “recreation reserve” and it was the first protected area of what has become over 1 million hectares of World Heritage National Park that we have today.

The Geology:

Once, everything you are looking at was beneath water. This was over 250 million years ago, when this part of Australia was at times a giant river delta and at other times beneath the sea! The sandstone forming the base of these immense cliffs you see has an unbelievable origin! 220 million years ago, Australia, New Guinea, New Zealand and New Caledonia were joined to Antarctica. The sand (quartz) that layered up to 3kms deep over millions of years, comes from the enormous mountains of Antarctica which drained over the greater Sydney Region. Around 120 million years ago, Australia and New Zealand broke away and started drifting north, away from Antarctica. Between about 75 million and 60 million years ago, New Zealand slowly broke away from Australia, creating today’s Blue Mountains. So our “mountains” are really an enormous block of sandstone and claystone (see below) – an isolated plateau – that rose dramatically from the surface ready to be carved by water, wind, ice, sea, glaciers and other forces into what we see today. Remember while the human eye sees a “final product” the process is continual – it is literally changing every second!

Other Geological features you will see in the cliff lines and rocky outcrops:

1. Half way up the cliff line you will notice a horizontal band of vegetation. This represents a divide in the two main events that laid down the Blue Mountains Sandstone. The vegetation is able to grow here because it is claystone. Rain water filters through the permeable sandstone layer above and reaches the impermeable claystone, creating an irrigated layer for plants to take root and thrive. This layer of claystone was laid down in an epoch where the sea level had risen and covered the Blue Mountains dumping enormous amounts of silt. This caused the first layer of sandstone to sink, and the top layer of sandstone was laid down by rivers draining sediments from The Great Dividing Range (The Australian Alps).

2. Iron stone bands: Iron rich liquid somehow entered the sandstone, but this process is not yet fully understood. It is thought that as water precipitated out it left concentrated levels of iron forming the ironstone bands, tubes and a range of strange shapes. Again, how these shapes form is little understood. These are revealed as the more friable surrounding sandstone is eroded, allowing the ironstone to jut out 10s of centimetres and in rare cases up to a metre!

Vegetation:

The Geology and the Climate have determined the plants you are walking amongst. The walk mainly follows a “heath ecosystem” atop the massive cliffs. The sandstone is very nutrient poor and the weather is harsh – hot, dry and sunny through the summer and autumn and cold and wind-blown in the winter and spring. These conditions have meant an immensely diverse array of survival strategies by the plants and the result is one of the most diverse areas of flora in the world. They are the main reason the Blue Mountains have received World Heritage status.

Things to notice in this plant community:

Stature: There is a lack of tall eucalypt species and the heathlands are dominated by short robust shrubs that grow slow and gnarled and very close together for mutual protection. These shrubs have developed small and/or needle like leaves that reduce water loss and have sharp ends to protect their flowers and fruits from being eaten.

Seeds and Fruits: Carefully look at all the shrubs and you will see many different woody pods and capsules. These are the fruits of the shrubs. These fruits will protect the seeds from being eaten but more importantly from fire. Fire is a common and necessary part of this ecosystem to promote seed sowing and germination. After fire goes through the woody pods will open, revealing unburnt seeds, which will drop in nutrient rich ash and clear ground – perfect conditions for germination with the next rainfall. Many of the seeds will have small wings or feathery appendages to help spread them with the wind. If you look carefully you will see some open pods and their seeds inside.

Trees: There are 107 different species of eucalyptus in the Blue Mountains. They have evolved to every different niche in the Blue mountains. See which ones you can spot on your heathland walk:

1. The main eucalypt in the cliff top heathland is the “Blue Mountains cliff mallee”. These are strong, yet stunted to only 2 metres high by the conditions. They sprout many trunks from its “lignotuber” anchoring the tree tenaciously to the shallow top soil. This lignotuber protects dormant buds which will reshoot new trunks, fire after fire after fire.

2. The Scribbly Gums: Each year these smooth barked trees shed their bark and grow a new layer. The scribbles are caused by a moth larvae or caterpillar, leaving its “eating history” in its unique scribble. Look how each scribble grows fatter as the caterpillar does!

3. The taller eucalypts on the cliff top are the Silver top ash. Elegent slender boughs leave the rough, dark barked trunk. Look at the beautiful red stems at the ends of the branches.

Hanging Swamps: An ecosystem found nowhere else in the world. Look from some of the lookouts along the way and you will see large areas of grass-like “clearings” poised on steep sides of gullies. As water drains through the sandstone layers it hits ironstone or claystone and seeps out on the sides of the steep banks allowing these systems to form. The hanging swamp now is a giant sponge purifying and releasing water into the creeks that thanks to this rare vegetation will not dry out in even the biggest droughts we have had. These creeks are major catchment for all of Sydney’s drinking water. The hanging swamp also is the home for the endangered Giant Dragonfly which is the third largest dragonfly in Australia and one of the largest dragonflies in the world. Its wingspan is bigger than the length of the palm of your hand!

Unique Flowers:

Banksia: There are many species of this tubular shaped inflorescence, which explode into a mighty array of colours mainly during autumn. They offer nectar and pollen – which provide carbohydrates and proteins respectively – to honeyeaters and parrots (birds) during the day and to sugar gliders (a tiny possum that can glide up to 100 metres from tree to tree) and other small marsupials during the night. At the moment the biggest banksia cone of all is beginning to flower – “Old Man Banksia (Banksia serrata)” – ask your guide to show you the progression from flower to woody fruit to propagating seed – all exhibited on one banksia tree. The largest cockatoo in Australia – the Yellow-tailed black cockatoo – will be found eating through the woody fruits with their powerful bills.

Lambertia Formosa: This inflorescence of long red tubes is stunning during summer. They hold enormous amounts of nectar in the tubular flowers and you will see huge flocks of New-Holland and other honeyeaters coming through the heath land drinking from them. Their wood fruit is a fantastical shape – an image of a “devil” thus giving this plant its common name, the “Mountain Devil”.

Fauna:

Birds:

The geology gave birth to the plants and the plants gave birth to the birds. The poor soils have created a stronghold for mass diversification of plants and production of carbohydrates – nectar. In turn Australia the most species of birds in the world – over 900 – and over 300 are found in the Blue Mountains. Also due to this reason Australia is the only country in the world where the majority of its plants are pollinated by birds – the largest nectar feeding birds in the world! These are represented in the “Honeyeater” and “Parrot” (including rosellas and cockatoos) families. Look out for these noisy and colourful examples:

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo: Huge white birds whealing and screeching in flight in the valley. When they perch they raise an impressive Yellow Mohawk (their sulphur crest).

Crimson Rosellas: Vibrant red and blue parrot that loves to eat the nectar from eucalyptus trees.

New Holland Honeyeater: Sleek, faster flying troops of these will defend their patch of nectar. They are beautifully decorated in black and white markings and yellow flashes. At the moment they are eating nectar from the “mountain devil” flowers – using a long, furry tongue to get to it.

Safety Brief:

1. The most important thing is to stay with the group. There will be a guide at the front (head) and the back (tail), so at all times stay between them. If you need to go to the toilet please let the guide know and they will let you know where the next toilet is.

2. This is a cliff environment. Never approach any edge if it does not have a safety railing. The edge can be very slippery at all times.

3. It is very unlikely to see a snake, but if you do, let the guide and others know and slowly walk away.

4. Look after yourself by protecting yourself from the elements. Where a hat and drink lots of water along the way.

5. It is illegal to smoke in the national park and is a serious and dangerous fire hazard. Please ask the guide at which places you can smoke and always carry the cigarette butt until you can find a rubbish bin to put it.

Minimal Impact:

1. Carry out ALL rubbish including food scraps.

2. Always stay on the formed track.

3. All plants and wildlife are protected in the national park

Route & Length of Walk:

We will be walking along the cliff top between Evans Lookout and Pulpit Rock. Both offer incredible views into the Grose Valley. The walk will take 3-4 hours.

What to Bring:

· Comfortable enclosed walking shoes (no sandles or thongs)

· Sun Hat

· Day Pack

· Water Bottles (2 litres)

· Sun cream

· Personal medications

· Raincoat

· Light weight jumper (i.e. extra warm layer in case it gets cold)

· Camera