Up until today I had not climbed up Wollumbin, but what a lovely walk it is, and I will be walking this track again. We left home at 8.30, and began our walk at 9.30. Even at this reasonably early start, the car park was full and it we had to park a fair way from the start of the track. This is Clem and Max, two French HelpXers who have been with us for a few days. The track has been closed for 10 months or so because it copped a hiding in the heavy storm. edge of cyclone that caused so much destruction in the northern rivers on Australia Day - the day we spent at home (we were flooded in) baking cookies, drinking in the spa and playing bocce in the rain, oblivious to the destruction all around us.
And the effects of the storm were well and truly apparent with massive trees pushed over by the force of the winds. Imagine what noise must be created when a tree like this crashes through the canopy and on to the forest floor below.
The start of the walk meanders through a lovely Bangalow palm forest before climbing. And climbing. And climbing. But the track is well done and the walk is relentlessly upwards but also very beautiful.
About 400 metres or so from the summit you come face to face with this sign, although actually I didn't see it until we had come back down. I'm not sure how many people would really pay heed to it, anyway.
The final leg of the track goes straight up what I guess might be an ancient volcanic flow of rock. A chain 'hand rail' is essential to help pull yourself up the steep terrain and it really is an arduous final few hundred metres. It took us just under two hours to get to the top so by this stage, 11.00am, the sun was high in the sky and it was quite hot.
Once on the summit, at 1156 metres asl, you are spoiled for choice with three well designed viewing platform allowing almost 360 degree panoramas of the magnificent landscape below. We could see the beaches of Byron Bay and the sky scrapers of Surfers Paradise as well as the lush valleys and valley floors in between the rugged mountain ranges. Perfect.
Looking back towards Larnook which is around and behind the very right of the photo (which is Blue Knob. The little bump to the left of Blue Know is Sphinx Rock.
And a selfie at the top: Max, me and Clem. All up it took us 4 hours which included about 20 minutes at the top. The walk coming down was less arduous though one of my knees would disagree. I found a lovely brown tree snake in the toilet block which was a nice way to end the walk. We stopped at Uki Market on the way back and we drove through Nimbin and we had a ten minute walk around town, politely declining the baked goods on offer. Back home and Max and I cooled off in the creek.
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