The Tingle Factor Box

Roaming Roy Finds Natures Cathedral - Cathedral Of Ferns

This week, with Easter upon us, Roy decided it was time to visit one of his favourite places in the Blue Mountains. There are many places Roy loves, but the Cathedral of Ferns is one which has always entranced him. With Mt Wilson also just starting to sport beautiful Autumn colour, Roy thought it was the perfect time to visit this unique 'Cathedral'.

If you would like to visit the Cathedral Of Ferns, it is located in Mt Wilson, along the road to Mt Irvine. To get to Mt Wilson take the Bells Line of Road and turn where the sign indicates to Mt Wilson. The road is a little bendy, but the scenery is spectacular. There is also plenty to see in Mt Wilson with lovely heritage buildings, beautiful gardens and streetscapes and several walks. The Cathedral of Ferns is one of these walks and in total takes about 30 minutes if you walk slowly. If you want to stop for a picnic though, you need to take your own food and drink, and make sure to remove all your rubbish too!

Mt Wilson is a village which sits on top of a volcanic basalt cap off the Bells Line of Road. Being away from the road there was little exploration of the area in the early 1800s and it was not until 1868 that the town area was surveyed. In 1870 the lots were sold off, and by 1876 all were sold. The village was essentially a summer retreat for wealthy residents of Sydney and they each owned large properties on which were established lush, exotic gardens. Much of the indigenous vegetation was cleared when the village was established with the gums and sassafras being removed. The tree ferns however were often left alone. Their beautiful sculptural shape and lush foliage seems to have been appreciated and today the tree ferns remain an important aspect of the village.

Driving along the road to Mt Wilson, you will see many of these beautiful ferns standing alone or in groups, but if you want to see the ferns in their 'natural state', as part of the lush rainforest which once covered the basalt cap, you will want to visit the Cathedral Of Ferns. This pocket of rainforest escaped development and here you will see tree ferns, sassafras, coachwood, mountain ash and a variety of gum trees in their natural splendour. Unfortunately the giant gum was hit by lightening and has died, but now there is a new race on to find out which tree will take its place. Roy has been unable to find out when the area was named the Cathedral of Ferns but it must have been early in the 1900s or even earlier, as there are historic postcards which show the area and use the name. Roy has also been unable to find out why the name was given to the area, but feels it is likely to refer to the peaceful, tranquil and almost ethereal feeling of the area, giving it the feeling of a place which would be appropriate for quiet contemplation and prayer. If you know the reason, please let us know!

Roaming Roy Finds A Lady's Rainforest - Lady Fairfax Walk

During the Summer time, when the weather is hot, Roy loves nothing more than heading up the Blue Mountains and finding a little relief from the heat in its cool forests. Sometimes he goes all the way up the mountains, visiting Katoomba and Blackheath, and sometimes he stays on the other side of the mountains, along Bells Line Of Road, and enjoys the beautiful scenery, gardens and walks. A few months ago he discovered a beautiful walk at Mt Tomah Botanic Gardens which is not only pretty and cool, but has a fascinating history.

If you would like to visit the Lady Fairfax Walk, it is located at Mt Tomah Botanic Gardens. To get there, you will need to follow the Bells Line Of Road. It is a beautiful trip, and the destination is well worth it. Park at Mt Tomah Botanic Gardens and follow the signs to the Lady Fairfax Walk. While you are in the area Roy also suggests visiting the Botanic Gardens themselves. These cold climate gardens are beautiful and provide plenty of room to explore or have a picnic.

Although today the Blue Mountains are a World Heritage Area, protected from destruction, this was not always the case. They have been a popular place for Sydney people to retreat to in the hot Summer since the route over the mountains was opened up and settlement began to occur but in 1912, the area of wilderness and rainforest surrounding the Mt Tomah Botanic Gardens was under threat. Luckily, a group of businessmen realised that the beautiful area could be lost, and they purchased 700 acres of the land which they soon opened as a ‘Conservation Park’. They developed walking tracks and tearooms and the park, known as The Jungle, was officially opened  on March 23, 1929. In the same year, up to 100 cars a day travelled the rough, unsealed Bells Line Of Road to reach The Jungle.

The businessmen hoped that The Jungle would become a recognised National Park, but then the Great Depression hit. In 1934 the original owners of the land, the Charley family, took the land back and The Jungle was lost, or at least, it was misplaced for many years. In 2008 John and Elizabeth Fairfax assisted the Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust to purchase 33 hectares of the original ‘Jungle’, which was amazingly still in pristine condition. Even the plaque which was set into rock when The Jungle was first opened still remained! The walk itself is an easy walk through beautiful rainforest. It is not a long walk (500 metres) and has gently sloping paths making it a great walk for young and old. You may think the walk was named for the John and Elizabeth Fairfax who enabled the purchase of The Jungle, but it was actually named in honour of Lady Nancy Fairfax in recognition of her philanthropy.

Roaming Roy Parkes In Faulconbridge

This week, with January 1^st not long gone, Roy decided it was time to visit a place which was involved in some way with the Federation of Australia. January 1^st, 1901 was the day when Australia became a Federated Nation, as opposed to several separate colony states and territories and Roy always likes to remember this important event by visiting somewhere, or someone who was involved with the process. Of course, the most famous person involved with Federation was Henry Parkes and so Roy decided that this year, he should pay his respects to the great man.

Roaming Roy Weathers History - Weatherboard Inn Archaeological Site

This week, Roy decided it was time to head up the mountains again. It has been a while since Roy visited the Blue Mountains and, being one of his favourite places, he thought it was about time to visit again. He had heard about a world famous scientist, Charles Darwin, who travelled to one of his favourite towns, Wentworth Falls, and was curious to learn more about the place where he stayed, the Weatherboard Inn.

Roaming Roy Takes A Footstep In Time - Blue Mountains Footsteps In Time Markers

This week, Roy decided it was time to share with his online friends a fascinating set of markers he has been discovering on his wanderings. One of Roys favourite destinations is the Blue Mountains in NSW, and in many of the places he has visited, he has discovered markers called 'Footsteps In Time'. He knew that they marked Evans Survey Route of the Blue Mountains, but knew very little else about them, and wanted to find out more. So, after a lot of research, a lot of scrambling around and a few false starts, we set out to find some of these footsteps in time.

If you would like to visit the footsteps in time markers, they are found in numerous places across the Blue Mountains. Some of the easiest to find markers are listed here, but there are at least 15, some of which are a little off the beaten track. The Katoomba marker is easy to find, right outside the Blue Mountains City Council building. There is another in the main street (Station Street) of Wentworth Falls, and one in Blaxland opposite the railway station (on the highway). Another marker is found in Faulconbridge, in the Prime Ministers Corridor Of Oaks and another is found on Mount York. Other markers are to be found in Warimoo, Leura, Mount Victoria, Blackheath, Glenbrook and Springwood.  Roy isn't telling you where they all are - that takes all the fun out of finding them!

In 1813, the Blue Mountains were crossed for the first time by Blaxland, Wentworth and Lawson and it was not long before the route had been opened up for people to cross the moutains. By the 4th of May 1815, a road had not only been constructed, but Governor Macquarie had even travelled the route! Yet there was a very important event which occured between the discovery of the route over the mountains by Blaxland, Wentworth and Lawson and the opening of the road. Having found a way across the mountains in 1813, somebody needed to survey a suitable passage for a road to really open up the land beyond the Blue Mountains. George William Evans, the Deputy Surveyor Of Lands was instructed by Governor Macquarie to find a passage which could be used to cross the mountains, and to discover what sort of land there was to be found beyond the mountains themselves.

Between the 20th of November 1813 and the 8th of January 1814, Evans carried out the task allotted to him, taking with him a party of 6 men (including himself and three convicts). Surprisingly, Evans didn't start his official survey on the Sydney side of the Blue Mountains, but put his first survey mark, a marked tree, at the foot of Mount York and used this as almost a 'base'. In effect, this meant he actually started with the second part of his instructions, finding out what sort of land was to be found beyond the mountains. Evans and his party then worked back across the mountains, familiarising themselves with the route and the terrain, before returning back to this marked tree in December. The route itself was surveyed on the second trip back across the mountains. Evans left the marked tree at Mount York on December 31 and surveyed the 'Explorers Track' in 9 days, completing the survey in Emu Plains on January 9th. In his journal, he also noted that the 'natives' had set fire to the bush (probably the first record of a deliberately lit bushfire), and this may well have made it easier for him to survey and perfect his route. Having an official survey of the route, William Cox was able to set about constructing the road over the mountains. Roy will look at Cox's Road in another post at a later time.

Roaming Roy Takes A Leap - Govetts Leap

This week, Roy decided he wanted to visit somewhere quiet, somewhere breathtakingly beautiful and somewhere which retains its old world charm. He loves visiting these sorts of places, and is always fascinated to discover the stories behind them, and behind their names. Govetts Leap in the Blue Mountains of NSW is one such place. He thinks it is one of the most beautiful places in the Mountains, with a stunning view, but without the crowds you find at lookouts like Echo Point.

Roaming Roy Feasts - The Conservation Hut

This week, Roy decided that with such lovely mild days, and beautiful Autumn sunshine, it was the perfect time to have a nice, outdoor lunch in a beautiful place. One of the things which Roy most loves when he is out and about is trying new cafes, and getting ideas for his own cooking! He decided it was the perfect weather to go to the Blue Mountains and look over the World Heritage National Park, and wanted somewhere he could eat, pick up some tourist information and enjoy the view at the same time. Only one place would do, the Conservation Hut at Wentworth Falls. It is not only a great place for lunch, it's the perfect place to take overseas visitors. Roy strongly suggests you try the Quandong Icecream - yum!

Roaming Roy Is Repulsed - Caleys Repulse

This week, with the weather turning cooler and people starting to think about travelling to the Blue Mountains to see the beautiful Autumn colour, Roy decided he would like to show you a little known place in the area, Caley's Repulse. Roy has been fascinated with the story of this mound of stones, and was surprised to discover when he visited that they are overgrown and forgotten, but thought this almost made them more fun to discover!

Roaming Roy Finds Himself In A Grave Situation - Pulpit Hill Graves

This week, Roy decided that he wanted to head towards the Blue Mountains for his weekly outing. Recently, we had purchased a very old tourist guide to the Blue Mountains and noticed that in the guide, there was mention of convict graves on Pulpit Hill, behind the Explorers Tree. Roy was really intrigued by this possibility because we have visited Pulpit Hill (you can read about his visit by clicking here), and had never heard anything about convict graves. Roy just had to see what we could find. We eventually located the 'graves', and Roy was so surprised by this secret place that he thought he would share it with his online friends.

Roaming Roy Gets Wet Feet - Blue Mountains Lily Pond

This week, Roy decided he wanted to head towards the Blue Mountains for his weekly outing. The weather has been very changeable recently, and he is finding the hot weather, after the cold days hard to deal with, so escaping the heat in the cool mountain air sounded perfect to him! He loves the Blue Mountains, and knows lots of his online friends also enjoy the area. There are many popular tourist destinations to see, but there are also fascinating places to visit which are less well known, like the lily pond which is beside the Great Western Highway.