Jordans Crossing Gazette

You usually get raised eyebrows from visitors when you suggest a trip to such a place. But it really isn’t that bad… mostly. Hell Hole is the rather spooky name of a location in Morton National Park on the edge of Bundanoon. It was originally the name of what was once a working farm that produced fruit and vegetables earlier in the season than other Highland farms. It gained this advantage from its lower altitude and its protected position, away from the worst of the winds and in a site where frost was less likely. The sign at Echo Point lookout in the National Park incorrectly shows Hell Hole in the gorge of Coal Mines Creek. If you’re at the lookout, you’ll need to look further away and to your left to see the bowl- shaped depression indicating the remains of the farm. In certain months, you can see large areas of white native clematis flowers sprawling over vegetation in the former clearing. But if you want to see it in more detail, you’ll need to take a bit of a walk... Hell Hole farm had a dirt road that connected it to the outside world. Now it’s a closed 4WD track that walkers can access via Coalmines Road and then take the dirt road that runs into the National Park. Don’t head to View Point lookout. Just park near the locked gate. The path descends gently at first, down from the escarpment that ends in the lookout. You soon move through the dry scrubby forest on the higher ground, and meet a taller moister forest associated with a gully, then an ephemeral stream. Eventually this opens out into rocky terrain and spectacular views from a cliff line at the track edge. The track is safe but the edge is near and unfenced. After further descent through stands of black she-oak, a favourite food of the rare and threatened glossy black cockatoo, you’ll encounter a large rock outcrop. You’ll see that the track descends more steeply into ironbark forest. You’re at a geological boundary here – where the Triassic Hawkesbury Sandstone forming the cliffs and promontories around Bundanoon meets the softer Permian sandstones and sedimentary rocks that form the mid-slopes and gullies. The ironbark trees are an indication of this geological change, as they prefer the slightly more fertile and clayey soils derived from the Permian rocks. The trail continues down next to a beautiful forest of tall gully gums with a Hell Hole – that sounds like a great place for a walk! ferny understorey. The forest understorey becomes thicker, with hints of rainforest species. When the track disappears you’ve arrived at the remains of Hell Hole farm. You might see some of the rusting farm machinery that was left after the original clean-up when the farm was incorporated into the National Park. There are a few of the old garden plants and a narrow path. Wander into the rainforest that skirts the old field and you might encounter a rusting water tank and an old well. There are hazards here, so take care. So why would you call a farm ‘Hell Hole’, especially in what looks like such a appealing bushland setting far from neighbours and the noise of the town? Go there in the warmer months on a humid day, and you’ll likely meet leeches, ticks, perhaps midges and biting marsh flies. Nettles add another level of discomfort. Of course there would have been bushfires and the endless battle with wildlife wanting to consume the fruits of your labour. The farm was evidently named from bitter experience. If it managed to eke a living, ‘Hell Hole Farm’ would have made for an educational addition to the Garden Ramble! — Steve Douglas day breaks December 2017 22 jcg