Pierces Pass

I had heard that the wildflowers on the northern side of the Grose Valley were spectacular this year, so I headed out on a photography walk. By the time I’d dropped the kids at school and driven out, the mist in the valley had mostly burned off. The morning was overcast but reasonably warm after unseasonal snow earlier in the week.

Instead of heading straight down into the valley, I started with the short walk to Walls Lookout. This is a favourite spot, but was particularly stunning today. The sandstone heath is currently awash in pinks, yellows, mauves and creams. Among the soft carpet of flannel flowers were brilliant bursts of colour from the isopogans and boronias, with delicate blue and purple highlights from the irises, sun orchids, dampiera and rush lilies… and many more besides.

After enjoying the view into the Grose, I wandered down to the lower carpark, then up to Rigby Hill. This spot offers a very similar vantage point, and a further abundance of flowers.

By this stage I had spent a couple of hours exploring the ridgetops and was keen to descend into the valley. It had been several years since I’d taken Pierces Pass down to the Grose River. The last visit was a joyous occasion with some wonderful mums – a rare child-free outing at the time. My recollection of the track was a bit hazy, so I was delighted when it wound its way into a beautiful rainforested gully. The open woodland was suddenly transformed by the deep greens of coachwood and sassafras, accompanied by the cheerful burble of a pretty stream. Against this backdrop, the vivid new growth of the hard water ferns was almost luminous.

Emerging from the rainforest, I was once again transported into dry, open woodland. Bright orange cliffs towered above me, and across the valley I had a unique view of Hanging Rock. This middle section of the track is really lovely, winding gently south below the cliff line. And the waratahs were incredible! I had already seen quite a few further up the hill, but here they absolutely dominated the understory. Some of the flower heads were enormous, and they came in some pretty funky shapes.

The final section of the track heads steeply down a narrow spur, before arriving at the beautiful Grose River. With all the rain we’ve had this year, the river level is still quite high. I found a nice, deep pool for a quick (very chilly!) swim, then enjoyed my lunch on a warm, sunny rock.

As I retraced my steps back up the hill, my legs were feeling tired, but there was a lightness in my heart after such a splendid day out.