Jordans Crossing Gazette

Over our lengthy coffee stop, I had related my experience of the Illawarra Escarpment Walk to my cycling buddies. “I’d like to do that!” said one, and a plan was formed. We decided to do it in the spring when the wildflowers would be in full display, the weather balmy and with more daylight hours to allow a more leisurely pace. The walk, from Coalcliff to Austinmer, (about 14km) takes a full day. It offers stunning views of the Sea Cliff Bridge and the coastal hamlets, towns and beaches, right down to Wollongong and Kiama. The start, half way between Stanwell Park and Coalcliff, is about an hour’s drive from Bundanoon. The walk can be concluded at Sublime Point for those with unreliable knees, this also being the location of a café. For the hardy, from Sublime Point there is a challenging vertical descent to Austinmer station. Completion of the circuit requires either catching a train back from Austinmer to Coalcliff station and the walking a kilometre back to the commencement of the track or arranging a car shuttle. As the trains only operate hourly, less frequently at weekends, we opted for the car shuttle. Another option is to start from Coalcliff and walk till lunchtime and then retrace the track back to the waiting vehicle. The day dawned and our convoy of two vehicles set off for Coalcliff. All went well until the second vehicle missed the freeway turnoff. Detailed directions had clearly been insufficient. A sudden review of shuttle arrangements, a quick phone call between vehicles and our meeting point was switched from Coalcliff to Austinmer. A lengthy journey up the M1 before a U-turn was possible to meet up with my errant comrades meant that we were heading for a late start on our walk. The track gently ascends the side of Mt Mitchell along the Bullock Track, one of the first settler accesses to the coastal plain, dating from 1820. Old stone retaining walls are still evident near the top. We spent our morning tea break observing the views of the railway viaduct over Stanwell Creek and Stanwell Park beach from Mt Mitchell and then continued through angophora forest, gymea lilies, hakea and grevilleas. Along the way, there are lookouts over Coalcliff and the disused colliery and coke works before you cross Stony Creek, the only major watercourse of the walk. Cascades, tree ferns and water gums made for another great rest stop, then a steady rise to reach the edge of the escarpment cliffs behind Clifton and Scarborough for lunch. The warmth of the day, the view and the morning’s exertions meant that some cracking of the whip and a reminder of cappuccino at Sublime Point was required to get the show back on the road. The remainder of the track, never far from the cliff edge, undulates through rocky outcrops, a patch of rainforest, ferns, tea trees and the occasional waratah before emerging into the Sublime Point carpark…and coffee? Tragically, our late start, lingering appreciation of the views, wildflowers, lunch and snacks and – let’s face it – some dawdling, meant that the café had closed! The final descent to our waiting car was by a series of steel ladders down the cliffs and well-formed - but never-ending - steps through rainforest of sub-tropical beauty to round off a tiring but very satisfying day. — Evan Smith The Illawarra Escarpment Walk day breaks December 2017 29 jcg www.bca.asn.au