A Favourite Place of My Youth

Once described as the a wilderness swarming with flying foxes by a land selector in the 1880’s this place is where few venture but it holds a draw for me from my youth over 50 years ago. The strength of the draw has caused me to revisit as late as earlier this year.

I am standing on the Pokolbin – Wollombi watershed, on top of the Broken Back Range, I look to the north and see the picturesque vineyards and wineries frequented by weekend tourists from Sydney and visitors from Japan and the United States of America. To the south, as far as I can see, are undulating hills some cleared as grazing land and some in their natural timbered state. When it rains the water to the north flows to Pokolbin Creek joining Black Creek and on to the Hunter River near Branxton, to the south it flows to Flying Fox Creek, Cedar Creek, and Congewai Creek and eventually to Wollombi Brook which meanders its way to the Hunter River just west of Singleton.

The terrain surrounding this westerly flowing creek, both privately owned and state forest, is little changed from how nature developed it over millions of years despite having been heavily logged in the early part of the 20th century. It is these heavily timbered ridges and steep gullies with sandstone boulders that hold the draw on me. Spotted gums, Turpentine, Stringybark and Blue gum trees grow up through an undergrowth of jacknuts, grasstrees and climbing vines provide a habitat for many native birds and animals.

My Grandfather, “the King of the Mountain” lived on this mountain range all his life. I have childhood memories of him saddling his horse, his lunch in a sugarbag slung over his shoulder and setting out for a day in the “mountain”. He would go to check the cattle that were out on the “selections”. When he returned he would tell stories of lyrebirds, wallabies and wombats.

From when I was a young teenager I would venture into this wilderness. Without any particular preparation, I would set off “down below”, across the “flat”, over to the “saddle” and climb straight up the point of the ridge until reaching the escarpment.

The walk along the escarpment with its view north over Pokolbin was much different than today. Descending into the gully and following it down brought me to the loading up ground of the bygone logging era. Then I would follow the creek back up and make my way “home” to my grandparents’ house.

You might say just a walk in the Australian bush. Yes but I may have caught a glimpse of a wallaby but more likely just heard the thumping as it made off through the undergrowth. I often heard the call of a lyrebird imitating a train, or seen the bower, with its blue trinkets, of a bowerbird. All were the subjects of my Grandfather’s stories. Occasionally I would see a wombat, certainly I would have peered down a wombat hole. I would have looked at the Crow’s Nests, Elkhorn and orchids growing high up in the trees. I certainly would not have seen any people or domestic animals.

Spring was a special time, Grandfather always said “the second weekend of September”. This was the time for a group venture deeper into the mountains, accompanied by adults would climb the steep bridle track to the caves, windblown in the sandstone boulders by centuries of westerly wind. These sandstone boulders were the host to rock orchids, we called them “rock lilies” and they grew in abundance on the south easterly faces of these boulders. We would gather as many as we could carry and our houses would be adorned with these magnificent sprays of orchids.

The treks to gather “rock lilies” are a distant memory, the gathering of these native flowers is no longer acceptable or allowed. The undergrowth is thicker now than I remember the rock lilies are still there, at least in the less accessible places and all the rest is unchanged from my memories of over 50 years ago.

Thank you Great Grandfather for your selection of land in this wilderness swarming with flying foxes. The creek name bears witness to the truth of your words but the surrounding ridges and gullies with the sandstone boulders and its flora and fauna is a wilderness of the wonders of nature.