TRAX Trip Report – McMahons Lookout
Saturday 22nd Feb 2025
Present
Rob – Toyota 200 Series Landcruiser
Ralph – Range Rover P38
Eric and Dianne – Toyota 150 Series Prado
Shane, Kylie and Joel – Nissan GU Patrol
Phillip and Linda – Nissan GU Patrol
“Views!” he said. Come along on the trip and get views, views and more views. Oh well, the trip started with a failure.
If you’ve not been there, the view from Hawkesbury Lookout is over the Nepean River and its backwaters, Penrith Beach and Sydney International Regatta Centre to the south. Today, not so. After our meet and greet; it was great to see you again Beetsons; we were on our way to the day’s first destination in Lawson. On Kangaroo Street, Lawson, there is a rock slab with a kangaroo engraved upon it. The kangaroo is in an unusual pose with its head thrown backwards.
After much finger pointing and question asking, we moved on to Wentworth Falls where we parked the cars at the junction of Queen Elizabeth Drive and Tableland Road, ready for a short walk to the next aboriginal site. This is located at the end of QE Drive, and after an easy walk of around 100m or so, you come across a large rock platform where there are definite grinding grooves. The other rock formation here is likened to the Giants Causeway but is due to glacial activity.
More finger pointing at the rock pools adjacent the grinding grooves and we were off again, this time to a rock shelter. Down a few steps, you come across a sizeable rock shelter with engravings of emu feet, but you have to be keen of eye to spot them. Hint; they’re at eye level. Back to the cars and morning tea.
Suitably sustained, we headed south long Tableland Road until we came across Battleship Tops, an unusual rock feature which resembles, yep!, a battleship. Apparently there used to be engravings and paintings here, but some years ago, some dim-witted person, drove a car under the sheltered side of the rock and set fire to it, thereby destroying any evidence of the indigenous inhabitants. Backtracking a little we turned down a fire trail and after a few kilometres, reached our lunch spot.
Now that’s a view! Looking out over the Kedumba Valley towards, Mt Solitary, the Wild Dog Mountains and Mt Cloudmaker was a brilliant way to enjoy our lunch and friendly chats. After lunch, and making sure Dianne got back safely from the precipice, we headed off to another little lookout underneath the power lines.
Our lunch spot is at 650mABS, as is the LC2000 in this photo. The next stanchion is at approximately 350m ABS. Quite a drop and just imagine the weight of the lines and the strength required to hold everything in its correct place – especially in those high winds! Oh, and by-the-way, the track ends there! Back on the road down to McMahons Lookout, saw us come to the carpark and the toilet! The walk to the Lookout is 800m slightly downhill. Once there, we enjoyed the wonderful view, took various photos and sat around chatting, preparing for the trip back up the hill.
Once back at the cars, we made our way towards the Kedumba Valley Road which is gated a short distance from where to road drops off the side of the cliff; there is a fire trail taking you down into the valley below. More magnificent views of Mt Solitary, near the gate, but this spot also affords views south towards where we had lunch.
After a short time admiring the views, we made our way back to Tableland Road and tried to park at the carpark near Lincoln’s Rock. The trouble was that your now required to pay parking fees, and space was tight, so we decided to head off to our various homes. What a great day out. Nothing difficult in terms of the driving, but plenty of good times with friends and don’t forget those v I e w s !
-Rob