Day 1 – Emu Plains to Springwood
It was a cold morning at the start of the Spring 5 day walk. It was -1 when we walked to Katoomba Station from our albergue at 14 Lovel St. We made our way by train to Emu Plains for the beginning of our 5 day Camino walk. After the day’s instructions the first stop was the Laughing Boy Cafe by the Nepean River for breakfast. Our route followed the river before moving through the bush through the Lapstone ZigZag track and on to Glenbrook. While some took advantage of the cafes for morning tea, others pushed on to St Finbar’s (did you get your stamp?) and past Glenbrook lagoon on to Blaxland for a quick lunch. After lunch we walked through the rugged but beautiful Florabella Pass to Warimoo. Form here there was a long road walk into Springwood for a well deserved beverage and dinner at the Royal
Day 2 – Springwood to Woodford
The day started with a walk through Birdwood Gully Park. How did we not know this was here? It was a beautiful walk through the gully, with magnificent sandstone structures, tall trees and fern gardens. We walked onto Falconbridge for tea and scones at Chapters and Leaves. At Falconbridge we also had the chance to visit the grave of Sir Henry Parkes, the Father of Australia’s Federation. This followed by a long walk along the highway to Linden, with a short detour to Lady Martin’s Bath built into a natural water cistern. From Linden pilgrims walked into Woodford via Paradise Pool. The water was tempting on a warm day, but was quickly revealed that is was very cold. We took some time to admire the pool before walking back out along fire trails to Woodford to catch a bus back to Katoomba.
Day 3 – Woodford to Wentworth Falls
Starting at Woodford station, there was some street walking until the group split. Some pilgrims going onto Hazelwood while others walked through Terrace Falls Reserve to visit a few waterfalls and then onto Lawson for lunch where we caught up with the other pilgrims from Hazelwood. After lunch we walked to North Lawson Park to visit the Fairy Falls before back to the highway to walk from Bullaburra to Wentworth Falls for a well deserved finish at the Grandview Hotel.
Day 4 – Wentworth Falls to Katoomba
The Grand Clifftop Walk – along Darwin’s Walk to the top of Wentworth Falls. Then a walk along the Undercliff and Overcliff track. For some there was the opportunity for a coffee stop at the Conservation Hut. Others headed down the Valley of the Waters track and up again to the Fairmont resort for morning tea. Back on track again, the walk took us to the Pool of Siloam, and up to Gordon Falls picnic area for lunch. The walk continued along the Leura clifftop, including Elysian, Olympian and Tarpeian Rock lookouts. Following the track along the cliff we ended the walk at Echo Point for the obligatory photo of the Three Sisters, and a well deserved cold beverage at Bar NSW.
Day 5 – Katoomba to Blackheath
The final day. An “easy” walk to Blackheath from our albergue. Some 15km that included North’s Lookout, and morning tea for some at the Hydro-Majestic with its stunning views of the Megalong Valley. The walk was mostly on the extension of the Grand Clifftop Walk that follows the highway to Blackheath. At Blackheath we gathered at the Uniting Church Hall for a celebratory lunch.
Margaret and Rowan, our hospitaleros for the Camino walk, organised evening events to share Camino experiences and stories. Including a useful Q&A with Jill and Sharise on Camino experiences, and a gear discussion/review with Jill. Margaret and Rowan were onsite to ensure everything ran smoothly, but they also walked most days, encouraging pilgrims and sharing the experience with us.
