Hanging Rock

Hanging Rock is a block of rock located in the Grose Valley of the Blue Mountains National Park.

Is a large sandstone formation that appears to hang off the side of a cliff.

Getting to it

If you are driving from Sydney go past Blackheath and hang a right off the Great Western Highway onto Ridgewell Rd.

Once on Ridgewell Rd it is only a short drive to the Hanging Rock car park.

Alternatively put your mountain bike on the train from Sydney and cycle from Blackheath Station.

If you are walking from the car park a solid trek along a fire trail awaits you. It took our group around 2hrs 30 minutes to do the return walk (10kms).

At the end of your trek or bike ride you will make your way upwards via a track and stairs to Baltzer lookout.

Allow maybe 20-30 minutes or more to suck up the moment at Hanging Rock and Balzter Lookout, so a reasonable time allocation is 3 hours.

Enjoy the view!

From the Baltzer lookout you will see Hanging Rock and the steep walk down takes only a few minutes.

And remember you are only few metres from a dramatic unfenced drop to the valley below.

Arrival

Once nearing Hanging Rock you will have sandstone walls on either side as you look at the distant Grose Valley and a nearby cliff face (see 2nd photograph).

When you are close to the rock its detachment is apparent as a three feet jump is required to reach it.

The rock itself is at an angle (maybe 60 to 80 degrees) to the cliff face and as a consequence it protrudes into the Grose Valley.

The protrusion is greatest at the top of the rock as hanging rock tapers in as you look down it.

How was it created

Two books on the Blue Mountains have identified* the event which brought about Hanging Rock, namely a landslide in the late 1930s.

The landslide is likely to have been preceded by a long period of weathering and erosion of joints in the sandstone plateau and underlying claystone. When claystone is no longer strong enough to support the sandstone above a collapse occurs.

Its all about the photo

Whilst at Hanging Rock several visitors hopped onto the rock and made their way to the end point of the rock.

At the pointy end of Hanging Rock is a rock that is one metre or more in length that has broken away from the rock before it.

Another little feature to add to the edginess of a photo!

Just watching the ‘no fear brigade’ is suspenseful in itself as the drop from Hanging Rock to the Grose Valley can only be described as formidable, at least 120 plus metres (maybe more).

I would not want to be on that rock on a windy day!

We enjoyed our visit to Hanging Rock but only consider it if you are comfortable with heights.

*page 153 of The Blue Mountains, Exploring landscapes shaped by the underlying rocks, uplift and erosion, Peter Hatherly & Ian Brown; page 708 Blue Mountains Geographical Encyclopaedia, Brian Fox, Michael Keats OAM and John Fox, Released: February 2018, Updated: July 2023

Bald Hill is the area of low bush on the area located on the opposite cliff, with Mount Banks in the distance

Looking between Hanging rock on the left and the rock supporting Baltzer lookout on the right

Up close - on the top of Hanging Rock is a rock that has broken away from the rock before it

the gap between hanging rock and the cliff reduces in size as you look downward

not a place to have a picnic

another look at the gap that exists between hanging rock and the cliff

if only my mother could see me now!

Further down from Hanging Rock is yet another rock that visitors may be drawn to

Glen Davis

Glen Davis is not a well known town in regional New South Wales. It is located in the Capertee Valley and is about a three and half hour drive from Sydney.

In its former life Glen Davis was home to a workforce of two and a half thousand men working in the shale oil industry.

The industry was established in the late 1930s to reduce Australia’s dependence on overseas oil as a world war loomed.

The shale oil plant at Glen Davis was never profitable and these activities ceased in the 1950s.

The town’s name originates from industrialist George Davis, who was a driving force in setting up shale oil operations at Glen Davis.

The word ‘glen’ is a Scottish word for valley and has been applied in a number of countries to name places. It is also used in naming a nearby town, Glen Alice.

Remnants of the shale oil works still remain in Glen Davis and can be seen from a lookout at their rear of the site. Take a left onto Goora St, just before the town and follow the road eastwards.

The Glen Davis lookout is located at the back of the decaying shale oil buildings and plant.

The easy walk up to the lookout provides a great view of not only the plant but the valley and surrounding sandstone cliffs and hills.

A few small ruined brick buildings also exist at the lookout itself along with some discarded industrial items.

As you drive around the small town of Glen Davis you may notice an Ampol logo from the 1950s, a red winged horse.

It is painted on a white wall and is in surprisingly good condition. In front of it is an abandoned petrol bowser.

If you brought your lunch and you need to as there are no shops, enjoy it on the shaded seats in front of the community centre.

This quaint and forgotten town has grand surrounds and is well worth a visit. It is also a reminder of a chapter in Australia’s history.

shale oil plant ruins

discarded heavy duty cabling - not your usual tourist attraction!

Capertee River

striking sandstone surrounds Glen Davis

Go the flying red horse

Capertee Valley wonder

Pantoney’s Crown can be seen from Glen Davis Rd as you head toward Glen Davis - well worth a stop to appreciate its majesty

Why

Sydney Nimble recently went beyond day tour range and visited Muswellbrook, Aussie Ark and Burning Mountain.

The plan is to identify new places for a two or three day tour.  

Only the best will do!

Aussie Ark was identified as a ‘place of interest’. It is located in Barrington Tops.

Muswellbrook was chosen as a staging post from which to visit Aussie Ark as access is not currently available from Gloucester due to a landslide.

Burning Mountain came onto the radar after extensive researching of potential walks in Muswellbrook and nearby areas, that do not exceed 2 hours duration.

Muswellbrook wildlife of the flying kind

The spectacle that most captured our attention in Muswellbrook was the incredible number of flying foxes that had chosen to reside in the trees at the rear of our accommodation (The Remington).

It was hard to estimate their numbers but it is likely there were at least a thousand bats, maybe a lot more. A number of the trees were saturated with bats (see first photo).

Although bats generally make sounds that are too higher a pitch for humans to hear, the bats in the morning were making audible eerie high pitched calls, possibly indicating it was time to fly out.

Aussie Ark

It takes around two hours to drive to Aussie Ark from Muswellbrook but it could easily take longer if you stopped to enjoy some of the wonderful scenery.

On the drive through you will also come across the small country towns of Gundy and Moonan Flat, whilst there is a never ending parade of green hills and mountains, and the occasional volcanic cone.

For a Sunday morning the local pub in Gundy was busy on the outside lawns. Five stars for the name, Linga Longa Inn Hotel.

Having arrived at Aussie Ark we were ready for a two and a half hour Devils in the Wild Tour.

Aussie Ark’s vision is to create a long term future for threatened Australian species and it does this by providing secure sanctuaries for native wildlife.

As expected the stars of the show were the Tasmanian Devils and they become even more amazing when they gather as a group. This usually only occurs around feeding or mating time.  

Watching them devour a kangaroo is something not easily forgotten.

Various grunts and other noises are made by the devils when they literally tear the kangaroo apart. Flesh, organs, bone, muscle and fur are all eaten – nothing is left.

Another animal that is also a delight to see is the Eastern Quoll with its long tail and inquisitive look. These marsupials have a dark thick coat marked with roundish white spots.

A Potoroo encounter was also enjoyed with the Potoroo showing a lot of interest in the shoes of all visitors.

At the end of the tour we had the pleasure of meeting Rufous the Bettong. Initially he was a little reluctant to meet the group finding the nearby kitchen a more amenable place to hang out.

However he did warm to us and once in the mood was happy to be picked up and loved by adoring Bettong groupies.  

Aussie Ark is thoroughly worth the time and effort to visit. Highly recommended.

Burning Mountain

Burning Mountain (Mt Wingen) is located between Scone and Murrurundi.

A 30 metre underground coal seam is slowly burning, which according to estimates was lighted at least 5500 years ago.  

Once at the location you are likely to smell sulphurous smoke and see rocks bleached white from the heat.

On our visit we did not however see a lot of smoke just a few small wisps were observed from one or two rocks near the crest of the hill.

On the way to Burning Mountain a kangaroo bounded past at speed and we did see a few other kangaroos in nearby bush.

All in all an interesting walk with district views and a very unusual natural phenomena at the end.

New Tour

A visit to Aussie Ark will provide much joy If you like native animals and attractive scenery.

We combined it with a walk to Burning Mountain and a short visit to the Hunter Valley on the way.

A three day tour to this region is still being considered.

Alternatively take yourself on a mini driving holiday from Sydney. Allow around three days.

how many flying foxes can hang on a tree - a lot!

black and brown and never a frown

grand countryside

friend or foe - neither, the yawn is a sign of uncertainty or fear

making a meal of it

Shameless

Eastern quoll

how scorched is my earth

A bush walk followed by a cooling swim in the heat can't be beaten.

Sydney Nimble Tours recently visited a waterfall and refreshing pool in the Blue Mountains.

The next few months provide a great opportunity to enjoy the water, whether that be a swim at the beach, lounging in a rock pool or visiting a freshwater pool.

On a recent Sydney Harbour, Northern Beaches & Ku-Ring-Gai National Park tour a visitor made the point that Sydney beaches have a lot of swimming pools.

The comment is spot on and if you are interested we can easily include a short visit to a saltwater pool or a protected harbour beach as a part of the day.

By only taking small groups, including Sydney solo travellers, Sydney Nimble Tours can be truly nimble getting you to places that Sydney visitors often don’t see.

trickling waterfall

temperature drops as you head to the darker water

Curl Curl beach is a handy place for a cooling swim

Sydney Harbour has some quality beaches which are often overlooked by visitors and locals alike. Bondi Beach, Palm Beach or Manly Beach are more likely to attract the attention of beach goers.

Standout harbour beaches located to the north of the Harbour Bridge include Balmoral Beach, Chinamans Beach, Clontarf Beach and Castle Rock Beach.

These beaches offer something different by providing a safer place for a dip, being largely protected from the surf. Some harbour beaches, such as secluded Castle Rock Beach, are enhanced by a natural bush setting. Castle Rock Beach can be accessed via the Manly to Spit Bridge coastal walk and is adjacent to the Sydney Harbour National Park.

Another less known beach is Chinamans Beach, which was named after Chinese residents who organised market gardens in the reserve approaching it. The beach stretches for about 200 metres and faces directly north. This beach is a solid choice if you seek a mellow experience away from the crowds.

Balmoral Beach’s popularity can sometimes be a negative as it gets busy on warm weekends - too much love! The better option is to visit during weekdays or early in the day on a hot weekend. It is however a beautiful beach with great views towards the entrance to Sydney Harbour (the Heads). On a Saturday afternoon you may catch the impressive sight of yachts racing in the distance.

There are several restaurants on Balmoral Beach. Alternatively follow the advice of local real estate agents and have take away fish and chips at the beach whilst enjoying the village atmosphere!

Although referred to as Balmoral Beach, it is in fact two beaches, with Edwards Beach being located to the north of Rocky Point Island (you can’t miss it) and Balmoral Beach located to the south.

Sydney Nimble Tours can include a visit to any of these beaches in our Sydney Harbour, Northern Beaches, National Park Tour. There are other harbour beaches on offer but why give away all of our secrets in one blog?

Go forth and get harbour beached!

a small and secluded harbour beach

The official canine representative of Sydney Nimble Tours at full speed - Sandy Bay, a designated dog beach near Clontarf Beach.

slick curves at Clontarf

no mob at Chinamans

A harbour beach to yourself?