General information
Distance: 14.5 kilometers
Total climb: negligible
Time taken: 2.5 hours
Map: Milton 8927-2N 1:25 000
Guide: Ron Doughton, Bushwalking in the Budawangs (1989), pp. 52-54.
Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO: 223 kilometers
Start point map grid reference: 56H KF 57948 92633
End point: same as start
Route
http://maps.six.nsw.gov.au/
Description
Little Forest Plateau is on the edge of the Budawang Wilderness Area on the eastern edge of Morton National Park near Milton, New South Wales. The bushwalk started at the Little Forest Track carpark, just off Porters Creek Dam Road about 22 kilometers from Milton. The first 500 meters is along a narrow walking track that starts at the carpark and emerges where the Rusden Head Trail meets the Florance Head Trail.
I took the Rusden Head track first. This track is wide and mostly grassy, although there are some boggy patches where it is best to use the decaying plank walkways around them.
There is not much to be seen from this first part of the trail, thanks to the high scrub on both sides, but there was plenty of birdsong compensating somewhat for the lack of a view. As I got closer to Rusden Head, however, the scrub became more shoulder-height and some glimpses of the surrounding area emerged, including a view over the scrub towards Florance Head.
After just a bit under 5 kilometers of walking I came to the edge of the escarpment on Rusden Head where the view opened up considerably: Pigeon House, Talaterang Mountain, Pigeon House Gorge and a glimpse of Pickering Point at the southeastern end of Byangee Mountain.
Resting here for lunch, I then returned up the Rusden Head Trail to the Florance Head Trail. In his 1989 book, Ron Doughton walked through the scrub along the escarpment from Rusden Head to Florance Head, but the density of scrub made this, in my view, inadvisable in 2017. The dangers of walking around escarpments and the fact that I was on my own also contributed to my decision to stay on the trails.
The Florance Head Trail is similar to the Rusden Head Trail, but the surrounding scrub is not as high and some views open up.
At Florance Head itself, there are views towards the ocean and Pigeon House, and The Castle can be glimpsed around the south of Talaterang Mountain.
The walk back to the carpark along the Florance Head Trail was made all the better thanks to some conversation with another lone walker whom I met at Florance Head.
This is an excellent walk with some really rewarding views and the trail is accessible after only a 30 minute drive from Milton. It is unique in my experience of the Budawangs as the hard climbing is all done in the car and the trails themselves are relatively flat.
I took the Rusden Head track first. This track is wide and mostly grassy, although there are some boggy patches where it is best to use the decaying plank walkways around them.
There is not much to be seen from this first part of the trail, thanks to the high scrub on both sides, but there was plenty of birdsong compensating somewhat for the lack of a view. As I got closer to Rusden Head, however, the scrub became more shoulder-height and some glimpses of the surrounding area emerged, including a view over the scrub towards Florance Head.
After just a bit under 5 kilometers of walking I came to the edge of the escarpment on Rusden Head where the view opened up considerably: Pigeon House, Talaterang Mountain, Pigeon House Gorge and a glimpse of Pickering Point at the southeastern end of Byangee Mountain.
Resting here for lunch, I then returned up the Rusden Head Trail to the Florance Head Trail. In his 1989 book, Ron Doughton walked through the scrub along the escarpment from Rusden Head to Florance Head, but the density of scrub made this, in my view, inadvisable in 2017. The dangers of walking around escarpments and the fact that I was on my own also contributed to my decision to stay on the trails.
The Florance Head Trail is similar to the Rusden Head Trail, but the surrounding scrub is not as high and some views open up.
At Florance Head itself, there are views towards the ocean and Pigeon House, and The Castle can be glimpsed around the south of Talaterang Mountain.
The walk back to the carpark along the Florance Head Trail was made all the better thanks to some conversation with another lone walker whom I met at Florance Head.
This is an excellent walk with some really rewarding views and the trail is accessible after only a 30 minute drive from Milton. It is unique in my experience of the Budawangs as the hard climbing is all done in the car and the trails themselves are relatively flat.
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