The Blue Mountains Field Trip October 2025

In late September Alison and I made a three-day reconnaissance trip to the Blue Mountains and subsequently mapped out a 4-day program. Most of these three days were wet, which inhibited a proper investigation of all the walks we planned, but we optimistically assumed that the weather for the main event, set down for the last week in October, would be fine and mild. How wrong we were!

You can probably imagine our concern when we looked at the weather forecast for Katoomba and Blackheath on the day before the start of the field trip to see that rain was forecast for all of the following 4 days, with at least one day having a maximum temperature of only 9 or 10 degrees! We worried that our trip planning would come to naught and that many people would leave early.

Fortunately, our concerns were misplaced! Every one of the 16 participants had come well prepared and just loved viewing the native plants — many of which were in full bloom at this time — in the light misting rain and cool air which gave the bushland and plants a fresh and invigorated appearance.

On the morning of the first day the group met at Evans Lookout overlooking the Grose Valley and proceeded to walk a section of the Cliff Top Track towards Barrow Lookout. This provided a wonderful opportunity to view a wide range of plants endemic to the Blue Mountains; it was pleasing to see many striking red blooms of waratahs (Telopea speciosissima), the iconic floral emblem of NSW. Despite roiling mists in the valley below, the clean, crisp air on the ridgeline was ideal for plant viewing. Then, instead of lunching outside at Evans Lookout picnic area as planned, on the coldest day of the week, Kathy and Robert Reid, who had just joined ANPS, invited us all to their home in Blackheath to eat our picnic lunches in front of their living room fire!

In the afternoon, many trip participants took the opportunity to visit the Campbell Rhododendron Gardens in Blackheath (www.rhodogarden.org.au ), an extensive and spectacular display of rhododendrons set amongst natural forest, including Blue Mountains Ash (Eucalyptus oreades) and plantings of native species, including white and yellow forms of Telopea.

On the second day the group met at Hargraves Lookout, but thick fog prevented any views of the Megalong Valley, the Kanimbla Valley, Ngula Bulgarabang Regional Park, and the Narrow Neck Plateau. However, some time was spent viewing the roadside native plants on the Shipley Plateau before we drove down into the Megalong Valley and undertook a short rainforest walk around Coachwood Glen Nature Trail [attracting the attention of a rufous fantail (Rhipidura rufifrons) while doing so].

Heading a little further along Megalong Road, we came to the well-known Megalong Valley Tearooms for morning tea; the fresh-baked scones or warm apple pie with ice-cream, and a wood fire were real treats on another cool day!

Then it was back to The Blue Mountains Heritage Centre near Blackheath for a picnic lunch followed by a gentle 1.8 km walk to Govett’s Leap along the well-formed Fairfax Heritage Track through a forest of peppermint and scribbly gums, a quite dense understory of native shrubs and bushes, including many examples of the prostrate laurel-leaf grevillea (Grevillea laurifolia) in flower, and a unique ‘hanging swamp’.

On day 3, the group met at the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden, Mount Tomah (https://www.botanicgardens.org.au/blue-mountains-botanic-garden-mount-tomah ) and spent the morning enjoying the varied landscapes of these beautiful gardens. The weather was quite clear so we were able to see the distant mountains views which provided a spectacular backdrop to the gardens. Highlights of these gardens included an Araucaria lawn (with several threatened Araucaria species endemic to New Caledonia), a Gondwana Forest walk, extensive plantings of South African plant species (including many spectacular proteas in bloom), and an Asian plant explorers walk (focusing on the intrepid botanists who travelled to SE Asia on plant discovery expeditions in previous centuries).

In the afternoon we met at Gordon Falls Picnic Area (near Leura) to view Gordon Falls and walk a section of the Prince Henry Cliff Walk to Elysian Rock and Olympian Rock. The mist in the Megalong Valley cleared sufficiently for us to view the Three Sisters and Orphan Rock. Along this section of the track we saw many Epacris obtusifolia (‘blunt-leaf heath’) growing in the damp soil.

In the evenings, many trip participants enjoyed each other’s company over meals at the Gardeners Hotel Bistro (Blackheath), the Red Poppy Brasserie at the Katoomba RSL, the Katoomba Family Hotel’s up-market bistro, and Spikes Bistro at Blackheath Golf Club.

So, a potential washout field trip turned out to be a great success and was enjoyed by all; following our arrival home we received a raft of positive comments from many of the trip participants.

To view an extensive collection of Malcolm Watson’s trip macrophotography, go to https://sites.google.com/view/botanical-outings/anps/2025#h.yo92w0aj2qb3 .