Walk 62 Warrimoo to Valley Heights via Blaxland At A Glance
Route Summary:- This walk goes for 1.3 km. along Warrimoo streets to the start of Florabella Pass and follows this for 2.7 km. through pristine terrain to its end at the start of Pippas Pass and then goes up valley to Blaxland. The walk then goes for 1.1 km along Blaxland streets, then for 1.7 km. on wide walking track down a broad creek valley to the start of Cripple Creek fire trail and pipeline and along this for 1.5 km , then for 0.4 km down on a rocky bush track but still along the pipeline to join the Sun Valley fire trail that is followed for 2.5 km up along creek through pristine bush to Sun Valley, then up to Valley Heights on a washed out fire trail with the final 0.9 km again on public roads.
RQI:- 58
Highlights:- Excellent bushwalking along Florabella and Pippas Passes and along the Sun Valley fire trail
Negatives :- Total of almost 4 km. along public vehicular roads
Length:- 14.6 km.
Grade:- Medium
Weather:_All weather
Continuous walking time with a few 3-4 min. stops:- 4 hrs 10 min.
Train Time from Central to Start :-. 1 hr 10 min; Blue Mountains Line; every hour
Train Time from finish to Central:-. 1 hr. 13 min. Blue Mountains Line; every hour
Total Climb :- 315 m.
Total Descent :- 275 m.
Water:- Warrimoo, Blaxland and Valley Heights
Toilets:- Blaxland public toilets; staion toilets may be locked
Café/Kiosk :- Blaxland
Published 1:25,000 Map :- Springwood
Walk 62 Track Notes
Warrimoo to Valley Heights via Blaxland
13/11/2016
Km./Hrs. min. Kilometers in bold are shown on map
0.00/0.00 Leave Warrimoo Railway Station via the pedestrian bridge over the Great Western Highway and take the steps down to the unsignposted Waratah Road that runs parallel to the Highway. From bottom of steps, go straight ahead, gently uphill, along Waratah Road, passing an antique shop on left to The Boulevard, the first road on left.
0.34/0.04 At intersection with The Boulevard, turn left and follow this past Victoria St. on right to its end at a T intersection with Arthur St.
0.69/0.08 At T intersection, turn right into Arthur St. and after about 40 m., left into Florabella St.; follow this to its end
1.33/0.15 At end of Florabella St., timber signboard:- ‘Florabella Pass’; take this walking track steeply down on sandstone steps.
1.74/0.29 Track T junction; track on right across Florabella Creek is marked by red diamond shield and arrow on timber board tied to tree; turn right and cross F. Creek; track then climbs for about 350 m. along track, to high up on valley of Florabella Creek; then the track descends for about 300 m., fairly steeply in parts.
2.32/0.43 After descent, now about 10 m from F. creek; track blocked by large fallen dead tree branches; take care when negotiating this on steps; track then veers left and goes upstream next to F. Ck. for about 40 m. to a crossing on rocks.
2.36/0.44 At F. Ck. crossing; then follow track downstream, creek now on right and in better condition
2.46/0.47 Track on timber bridge over gully entering from left
2.55/0.49 Track junction with signboard for track on right:-‘Glenbrook Creek 1 km. Return- no exit’ ;continue straight along main track.
3.64/1.05 Track Y junction with signboards:-track on left goes to ‘Plateau Parade’ and track on right ‘Exit via Ross Crescent’ ;veer right down hill; track deteriorates and fairly indistinct here as it winds down
3.70/1.07 Track crosses minor creek, then goes fairly steeply up.
3.75/1.09 Track T junction just in front of dipping rock overhang; ignore lesser track straight on; turn hard left and continue up.
3.80/1.11 Track T junction; again, ignore lesser track straight on; turn hard left and continue up.
4.01/1.16 Major track junction; end of Florabella Pass; start of Pippas Pass; lesser track on right goes steeply down to Glenbrook Creek; signboard:-‘ Florabella Pass’ high up on tree on right; continue straight on, now on Pippas Pass.
4.07/1.19 Track junction; two sets of stone steps about 20 m apart go up to Ross Crescent (no signage); signboard:-‘Pippas Pass’ high up on tree for track on right; go right, gently downhill.
4.52/1.26 Unnamed creek crossing; track then gently up, with creek on left.
4.79/1.32 Track fork; take either- they re-join.
4.87/1.33 Track crosses minor creek on solid sandstone outcrop.
4.90/1.34 Another minor creek crossing on soil banks; track then climbs to a cave overhang with signs of recent habitation.
4.94/1.35 Track re-crosses minor creek and track junction immediately after crossing; go left.
5.02/1.37 Track passes cave overhang vandalized with graffiti .
5.06/1.38 Track at clearing with car park on left; this is the end of Pippas Pass without signage; turn left, walk to car park, then turn right and walk uphill to Blaxland Civic Centre ramp; take ramp up to broad verandah; there are public toilets and drinking water here..
5.12/1.39 At Civic Centre; walk along verandah to a bitumen ramp up to unsignposted Hope Street.
5.17/1.40 At hope St. signboard:- ‘ Blaxland Civic Centre’ back down on ramp; turn left and walk along Hope St past William Dean Crescent on right to Station St. also on right.
5.42/1.43 At Station St., turn right and walk along Station St. past public toilets on left to stairs/ramp up over the Great Western Highway to Blaxland Station.
5.56/1.45 On bridge above Blaxland Railway Station; cross to Wilson parade on other side and cross this on pedestrian crossing; then turn left and follow Wilson Parade for about 30 meters to Maxwell Place on right.
5.65/1.46 Turn right into Maxwell Place and follow this for about 60 m. to a turning circle at its end where you take a concrete driveway/footpath on left for about 25 m. to a Y junction; veer right and continue along concrete footpath to a vehicular road T junction at Marjerie Place; turn left and go along Marjerie Place for about50 m. to a wide footpath on right next to No 16 Marjerie Place.
5.88/1.50 Turn right and follow footpath steeply down to a turning circle for Jacaranda Avenue.
5.99/1.52 Go left an follow Jacaranda Avenue downhill to a T junction with Winnicoopa Road.
6.15/1.54 Go right and follow Winnicoopa Road to its end at a gate
6.23/1.55 At gate with signage:- ‘ Private Property- No Trespassing’; go past gate and follow wide walking track (or very poor fire trail) noting water/sewerage infrastructure about 20 m. on left; go past a clearing on right with another clearing ahead
6.43/1.59 At second clearing with turning circle and metal sign post without sign on right of track; continue along track and cross a minor gully; then ignore all track on left and right and continue along wide track as it goes gently down a wide valley with creek about 30 m. on left.
6.79/2.04 Track Y junction with more substantial walking joining from right; continue straight.
7.06/2.07 Track T junction with a clear walking track on right that goes up towards ridge; ignore this; continue straight parallel to creek.
7.22/2.09 At old Y shaped bush sand quarry about 1.5 m. deep – it looks like an erosion gully; go past this on either side, then continue along wide track.
7.35/2.11 Another bush sand pit on left.
7.45/2.12 Track T junction with proper fire trail; go right along fire trail, still downstream along broad creek valley.
7.90/2.18 At a wide clearing/ turning circle on sandstone outcrop with yellow signage:-‘ Cripple Creek Fire Trail’ straight on and a T junction with a gated fire trail on right that goes steeply up to Elizabeth Street ; this fire trail is much more substantial with constructed culverts and section of concrete paving; it is a service road for a 300 mm water pipe line that runs along it; the next 1.5 km is on this fire trail
8.20/2.21 Crossing main creek that was previously about 40 m. on left; fire trail then steeply up; at top, tail curves past four metal posts that protect valves.
8.68/2.30 Fire trail T junction with signage:- ‘ Cripple Creek Fire Trail’ straight on and ‘ Spurwood Fire Trail’ on left with a walking track joining from right; continue straight along Cripple Creek Fire Trail and then ignore all tracks on left and right.
9.06/2.35 Crossing wide swampy gully on concrete paved trail; track then very steeply up and concrete paved.
9.41/2.42 At top of ridge and major fire trail X junction with signage:- ‘Cripple Creek Fire Trail’ straight on but with a 20 m. offset and crossed by ‘Rickard Fire Trail ‘
Note:- for an early easy exit from this walk, go left along Rickard Fire Trail to reach Warrimoo Station in about 2 km.
This walk here leaves the Cripple Creek Fire Trail here and goes steeply down along a walking track that continues to follow the pipeline in line with six metal posts that protect a pipe line valve; this track is initially on wide sandstone outcrop.
9.59/2.48 Track less steep and narrows to walking track along pipeline ; gully on right.
9.84/2.54 Walking track at T junction with fire trail; go left and follow this fire trail for about the next 2.5 Km. to Sun Valley as it goes up a pristine wide valley with a creek about 35 m. on right.
10.25/2.59 Cross tributary gully.
10.52/3.03 Cross tributary gully, then walk past open gate
11.44/3.14 Cross tributary gully; magnificent Sydney Bluegum trees here
11.70/3.17 Cross tributary gully; note fencing on right
12.34/3.26 At locked gate with signage:- ‘ Sun Valley Fire Trail’ backtrack; continue past gate for about 50 m to a sealed vehicular road with signage:- ‘ Rosenthal Lane’ back track and ’ Sun Valley Road’. Turn right and walk along Sun Valley Road for about 0.6 km.; walk past Ridgeway Crescent on right and continue as Sun Valley Road curves left
13.25/3.39 Opposite a wide grassy recreation area, look for a wide grassy walking track (fire trail) on right that goes up between two wooden fences and houses; take this first grassy, then washed out fire trail steeply up.
13.64/3.50 Fire trail at turning circle of public gravel road with house on right and yellow plane made from petrol drums also on right; follow gravel road up on left.
13.78/3.53 Start of sealed road at turning circle with signage on tree:- ‘ No vehicular Access’ back track; follow sealed vehicular road to a Y junction with a gravel road on left opposite a yellow house with two red gas meters on the wall.
14.01/3.57 At gravel road; go left along this as it veers left away from sealed road and emerges at another sealed public vehicular road..
14.25/4.01 At sealed road, veer left and go along this to a road T junction on right.
14.39/4.03 At T junction with signage:- ‘ The Valley Road’ both back track and on right; go right and up to a T junction with the Great Western Highway next to steps up and over the highway to Valley Heights Station
14.56/4.06 At Valley Heights Station
Route Quality Index
On public vehicular roads:- 3.99 km/ 27%
On locked service/fire trail 4.46 km/ 31%
On walking track:- 6.11 km/ 42%
RQI= 42+16= 58
Sydneydaywalksbytrain 