Walk 22B :- Waterfall Circuit via Mt. Westmacott Off Track
At A Glance
Route Summary:- This walk goes about 0.7 km on Waterfall streets to the track head, then takes the Bullawaring Track to Lake Tooloomafire trail, then goes along this fire trail to Camp Coutts wher it crosses Heathcote Creek and takes a poorly developed walking track to the top of Mt. Westmacott; it then heads north off track for 1.1 km to re-intersect the Bullawaring Track and follows this to a junction with the Mooray Track and takes the Mooray Track back to Waterfall.
RQI:- 75
Highlights:- Camp Coutts scout camp; views from Mt Westmacott; Approx 1.1 km off track from Mt Westmacott to intersection with Bullawaring Track; Heathcote Creek and Kingfisher Pool; pristine bush on Mooray Track
Negatives :- Approx 1.5 km. walk along public vehicular road at Waterfall too and from start of track; Mooray Track poorly maintained and hard to follow in parts; undergrowth in off track section may have grown too thick to penetrate since March 2015
Length:- 9.1 km
Grade:- Medium to Hard
Weather:_All weather except when Heathcote Creek in flood
Continuous walking time with a few 3-4 min. stops:- 3 hrs 20 mins.
Train Time from Central to Start :-. 1 hr 0 mins.; trains every 30 mins.
Train Time from finish to Central:-. 1 hr. o mins.; trains every 30 mins.
Total Climb :- 220 meters
Total Descent :- 220 meters
Water:- At Waterfall Station
Toilets:- At Waterfall Station
Café/Kiosk :- single shop at Waterefall
Published 1:25,000 Map :- Appin and Campbelltown
Walk No 22 B Track Notes
Waterfall Circuit via Mount Westmacott Off Track Option
Thursday 15th August 2012 Updated Sunday 8 March 2015
Km/hrs.min
0/0.00 At Waterfall Station, walk up the ramp and turn right; follow the road along bridge over Princes Highway to a T intersection with Warrabin Street
0.15/0.02 At Warrabin Street turn right and follow Warrabin St to the end turning circle.
0.66/0.08 At the end of Warrabin St, sign indicating Heathcote National Park, Bullawaring Track; Turn left, walk around locked gate and follow this fire trail for about 50 metres to another sign
0.72/0.09 Sign indicating Bullawaring Track, Kingfisher Pool 1.6 km; Heathcote 8.6 km; take this track on left of fire trail, initially down on timber fronted steps
0.78/0.10 Top of first cliff line- follow irregular sandstone steps down with yellow paint on rocks
0.89/0.12 Above second cliff line, turn right and walk along top of cliff for about 25 m. and look for a vertical steel rail just left of track; then follow rough stone track down through cliff following purple and yellow paint on rocks to a T junction with the Lake Toolooma fire trail and arrowed post
0.94/0.15 At T intersection with Lake Toolooma Trail, turn left and follow this south
1.04/0.18 Continue to follow Toolooma Trail south, noting profuse Gymea Lily, Banksia and stunted gums
2.02/0.31 Locked gate, walk around this
2.07/0.32 T intersection with sealed access road-turn right and follow this through entrance gateway of Camp Coutts to a caretaker’s cottage on left next to a covered sign board and street lamp on right of road and black stump about 10m ahead
2.43/0.48 At caretaker’s cottage turn right and follow track next to lamp post down to Heathcote Creek, cross creek on sandstone outcrop with pool on left; three way track junction on creek bank after crossing; take the middle track for about 30 m.to a campsite/clearing; cross this, veering left to anther t; follow this for about 25 m. to a second clearing; turn right here and cross clearing to a narrow walking track uphill marked with white paint dots on rock; follow this track up on white dots to a high tension pylon and service road..
2.71/0.54 Start of narrow foot pad uphill following white dots.
2.78 /0.59 At high tension power line pylon next to service road
Note interesting bare sandstone outcrop next to service road with cave and opening at rear;
White dots on western side of service road near pylon continue up a sheer sandstone outcrop; ignore these and follow the service road north towards a locked gate.
2.82/1.02 About 5 metres before the gate Mt Westmacott painted on rock; turn left and follow white dots uphill.
2.95/1.04 Well marked track on massive bare sandstone outcrops; follow white dots
3.30 /1.17 On top of Mt Westmacott; final climb on rock not too difficult; note deep grooves made by aborigines sharpening spears; note ironstone concretions and iron cemented joints- may explain local resistance to erosion; spectacular 360 degree views to CBD skyline, ocean, Helensburgh, Waterfall and Blue Mountains.
Descend rocky knoll marking top of Mt Westmacott and follow faint foot pad for about 70 metres northwest to another rocky knoll with views and silver foil on tree
From here, this section of the walk is off track for about 1.1 kilometres on a bearing due north to northnortheast magnetic. After climbing down from top cliff at point marked with silver foil, the descent then is gentle but the undergrowth is thick and hard going in places; check your bearing by compass frequently; there is a 10 metre cliff about 80% along the way with a medium scamble down.
4.49 /1.55 T intersection with Bullawaring Track
5.00 /2.05 Kingfisher Pool and Recreation Area approx. 20 metres towards Heathcote Creek; toilets and bench
5.20 /2.08 Tributary creek crossing on large boulders; cross at right angles, track continues on other side.
5.88/2.19 Major track junction; Painted wooden sign indicating start of Mooray Track on right- 2.5 km to Waterfall; take Mooray track across Heathcote Creek
5.90/2.21 Middle of Heathcote Creek on bare flat sandstone; veer left, downstream, to find continuation of Mooray Track
6.28 /2.29 Only two white arrows mark track to this point; no other markings but track fairly clear
6.34 /2.32 Cross small creek at right angles approx. 10 metres upstream of small waterfall/ cliff; white line on rock indicates track direction
6.49 /2.34 Track turns sharply left and follows top of rock ledge for about 30 m. marked with white paint; do not go straight- wrong way now blocked with branches.
7.00 /2.47 Top of wide flat ridge; very attractive bush setting; follow track gently down.
7.04 /2.49 Special area with large purple stemmed Angophera, 6-8 metre Banksia and Gymea Lilies
7.21 /2.51 Track widens; first timber log steps to decrease track erosion
7.30/2.53 Under high tension cables adjacent to pylon; service road starts uphill, but sign indicates Mooray Track to Waterfall right and back to Heathcote Creek on left; small bright green/yellow car wreck.
7.35/2.55 Track overgrown and hard to follow through curves
7.43/2.58 Cross two small creeks at right angles; rocks slippery
7.71/3.03 Track still poor and partly overgrown
7.75/3.04 Short timber bridge over small gully.
7.88/3.08 T intersection with sevice road; sign indicates Mooray Track 2.5 Km (back) to Bullawaring Track; turn left onto service road and head uphill towards gate.
7.93/3.09 At gate
7.97/3.10 Approx 30 metres beyond gate road split; take right hand road marked with white arrow and W on rock.
8.28/3.14 Back at sign indicating start of Bullawaring Track
9.08/3.22 Back at Waterfall Railway Station
Route Quality Index
On public vehicular roads:- 1.32km/16%
On locked service/fire trail:- 1.97km/ 22%
On walking tracks:- 5.79km/ 64%
RQI= 64+11+0= 75
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