General information
Distance: 12 kilometers
Total climb: 501 meters
Time taken: 4 hours 15 minutes
Map: Bundanoon 8928-1S 1:25 000
Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO: 156 kilometers
Start point map grid reference: 56H KG 52921 59318
Destination map grid references:
Bundanoon Creek 56H KG 53482 58548
Fairy Bower Falls 56H KG 53272 59183
Amphitheatre Lookout 56H KG 53896 60137
Riverview Lookouts 56H KG 54712 60330
End point: same as startBundanoon Creek 56H KG 53482 58548
Fairy Bower Falls 56H KG 53272 59183
Amphitheatre Lookout 56H KG 53896 60137
Riverview Lookouts 56H KG 54712 60330
Route
http://maps.six.nsw.gov.au/
Description
This hike started at Tooths Lookout, about 2.5 kilometers inside Morton National Park south of Bundanoon. Our first objective was a descent along the steep downhill walking track to Bundanoon Creek, which we reached fairly quickly.
After a brief coffee stop, we retraced our steps back up the side of the canyon until we reached the intersection with the walking track to Fairy Bower Falls which we also reached fairly quickly.
We continued west from the Falls along a walking track underneath high sandstone cliffs...
...until we reached a series of fenced stairs that took us up to the top of the cliffs and Amphitheatre Lookout.
From Amphitheatre Lookout we followed the walking track towards Riverview Lookouts through an open dry forest. There were some good views across the canyon to be had from this lookout.
From Riverview Lookouts we had the choice of re-tracing our steps back along the walking track to our start point, or following the roads back towards Bundanoon and the Morton National Park entrance. We chose to loop back into the Park via Mark Morton Access Road, River View Road, Gullies Road, Echo Point Access Road and Bundanoon Loop Road.
This is a spectacular walk through a diverse range of forest ecosystems, along well formed and safe (although sometimes steep) tracks and with a range of beautiful features to gaze at. Fairy Bower Falls and the stair-climb to Amphitheatre Lookout were particular highlights. This is a walk not to miss.
After a brief coffee stop, we retraced our steps back up the side of the canyon until we reached the intersection with the walking track to Fairy Bower Falls which we also reached fairly quickly.
We continued west from the Falls along a walking track underneath high sandstone cliffs...
...until we reached a series of fenced stairs that took us up to the top of the cliffs and Amphitheatre Lookout.
From Amphitheatre Lookout we followed the walking track towards Riverview Lookouts through an open dry forest. There were some good views across the canyon to be had from this lookout.
From Riverview Lookouts we had the choice of re-tracing our steps back along the walking track to our start point, or following the roads back towards Bundanoon and the Morton National Park entrance. We chose to loop back into the Park via Mark Morton Access Road, River View Road, Gullies Road, Echo Point Access Road and Bundanoon Loop Road.
This is a spectacular walk through a diverse range of forest ecosystems, along well formed and safe (although sometimes steep) tracks and with a range of beautiful features to gaze at. Fairy Bower Falls and the stair-climb to Amphitheatre Lookout were particular highlights. This is a walk not to miss.
