Six Foot Track

The Six Foot Track is the best way to get the true feel of NSW’s rich history and its evolution over the last 200 years. Winding through State forests and National parks, the track follows the 45 kilometre route of the original 1884 horse track from Katoomba to Jenolan Caves. The Six Foot Track begins at the Explorers' Tree on the Great Western Highway between Katoomba and Medlow Bath.

The track follows the route of the original horse track marked from Katoomba to Jenolan Caves in 1884. The route is down Nellie's Glen and through the Megalong Valley to Cox's River, over the Mini Mini Range to Little River, up the Black Range and down the Binoomea Ridge to Jenolan Caves.

The whole Six Foot Track is about 42 kilometres long and usually takes three days to walk the whole track, but shorter walks can also be taken on sections of the track where road access is possible, making the track a perfect day trip or overnight camping experience.

Steeped in history, the track begins at the Explorers' Tree on the great Western Highway between Katoomba and Medlow Bath and heads down through Nellie's Glen, past Bonnie Doon Falls and into the Megalong Valley to the historic Megalong Village.

From here, it continues through the valley, following the Cox's River, which you will cross by the Bowtells Swing Bridge before arriving at the Cox's River campsite.

The next section of the track takes you over the Mini Mini Saddle to the Alum Creek campsite which leads you to Little River, a tributary of the Cox's River. From here, climb up the Black Range to the highest point of the track before heading down the Binoomea Ridge to Jenolan Caves.

The track crosses differences in altitude, aspect, climate and soil types, leading to a wide variety of flora, including eucalyptus, wattles, tree ferns and other vegetation. Walkers are also likely to see native mammals such as kangaroos, wallaroos, echidnas, wombats and swamp wallabies and at night, possums may be seen in trees. Lizards and snakes are common and Nellie's Glen butterflies may be seen as will the 150 bird species which have been identified along the track.

1818-1884 Megalong is an Aboriginal name thought to mean `valley under the rock'. The earliest official records of the Megalong Valley date back to 1818 when a botanist named Thomas Jones followed the course of Cox's River downstream from Hartley. For the next 20 years cattlemen from Burragorang and Camden came to graze their stock on fertile land around Cox's River.

The first grant of land in the Megalong area was in 1838, after Surveyor W.H. Davidson marked off a one square mile area (640 acres or 260 hectares).

Later settlers used Megalong Cleft, also known as Black's Ladder and then Nellie's Glen for access to the ridgetops. Nellie's Glen was named after the daughter of J.B. North, an early Katoomba businessman.

The Jenolan Caves were discovered in 1838. Access for visitors was particularly difficult. Even after the construction of the western railway around 1870, visitors who travelled over the Blue Mountains to Tarana railway station had to complete the journey by horse and buggy, over a rough and sometimes impassable coach road. The trip from Sydney often took up to 24 hours.

1884-1984 Acting on the advice of Mr Peter Fitzpatrick of Burragorang, the Premier of New South Wales, the Hon. Alexander Stuart ordered that a search be undertaken to find a horse track from Katoomba to Jenolan Caves.

A Government survey party was duly appointed consisting of Mr W.M. Cooper, Surveyor of Public Parks, Mr Mayes of the Department of Mines, Mr Freeman of the Department of Lands and three others. They were to be met at Katoomba by Peter Fitzpatrick, who was to be the guide.

The group left Sydney on 24th March, 1884 and travelled by train to Katoomba, staying the night at George Rowell's Great Western Hotel, later re-named the Carrington,

On the following day they descended the Katoomba cliffs at Narrowneck by a rough zig-zag path into the Megalong Valley. A first base camp was made on the Megalong Creek.

It was thought that Black's Ladder might provide better access into the valley from Katoomba, so the survey party blazed a fresh route from the Megalong Creek camp up Nellie's Glen to the Explorers' Tree on Pulpit Hill. This was the most difficult section of the survey and took four days to complete.

The party then marked a route to Cox's River and a second base camp was established at Little River. From there a route was found which ascended the Black Range.

They reached Jenolan Caves on 3rd April, 1884, having marked the route with blazed trees. It had taken 11 days to mark the 26 miles (about 42 kilometres) of bridle track.

The New South Wales Parliament consequently granted 2,500 pounds for its construction.

Travellers could now ride from Katoomba to the Caves in less than eight hours. The new track became popular and was described in the 1894 issue of the Blue Mountains Railway Tourist Guide as `steep in places, but the romantic beauty of the surroundings amply compensates for the roughness of the ground'.

The Six Foot Track, as it became known, was maintained for many years by two men using a wheelbarrow, picks and shovels.

Kerosene shale was discovered in the Megalong Valley in 1870 and in 1892 a mine was opened. An unplanned village sprang up on the Six Foot Track at Megalong, with miners' huts, a school, hall, hotel and a nearby Post Office. The village had up to 200 residents at its peak, but declined rapidly when mining ceased in 1897. Many of the buildings were demolished and the materials used in Katoomba.

For a period commencing about 1896 the Royal Mail was delivered daily except Sundays, by packhorse from Katoomba, via Nellie's Glen, Chaplow Creek and Mount Sandy to a Post Office at Cullenbenbong, near Hampton. This was known as the `Pony Mail'.

For about 20 years from the 1880s to the early 1900s a small community of settlers was resident around Cox's River crossing. This included the Dysons, O'Reillys and the aboriginal Lynch family. The ruins of Dyson's log hut are still evident, but these are on private property.

In about 1904 a road link from Megalong Valley via Blackheath Glen to Blackheath was opened. This provided improved access to the valley, and horse and bullock team,, were more easily used for the transport of goods.

A road was also completed from Mt. Victoria to Jenolan Caves via Hampton. Motor vehicles became more popular, and therefore the number of people using the Six Foot Tray had declined by the 1930s.

Sections of the original Six Foot Track from the bottom of Nellie's Glen to the Megalong Creek crossing, and frorr Cox's River over the Black Range were converted into roa, or fire trails.

One hundred years after it was first blazed, the historic track from Katoomba to the Jenolan Caves was re-marked by the Orange Lands Office. Signpo; were erected and stiles constructed, so that walkers could again follow the route of the Six Foot Track.

Primitive camping is available at Cox's River, Alum Creek and on the Black Range. There is also a camping ground a Jenolan Caves. Accommodation is available at Binda Flats and Jenolan Caves House. A number of tour operators also offer guided walks on the Six Foot Track

The Gundungurra or Gandangara tribe who originally inhabited the Jenolan Caves area called the locality around the caves Binoomea. Jenolan is an Aboriginal place-name leaning `high mountain'.

As early as 1823, Europeans had settled at Bullock Flats, and this area was re-named Oberon on 4th July 1863. Stealing (duffing) of cattle flourished in the 1820s and 830s. It is possible that infamous figures such as James and L,eonard Cheetham. Luke White and James Farney used the ayes during this period as a hiding place.

Property owners James and Charles Whalan were given the credit for the re-capture of escaped convict James McKeown and discovery of the Jenolan Caves in 1838. The caves became known as the Fish River Caves. Binda or Bindo C.aves and later the Jenolan Caves.

The Arch, Nettle and Elder Caves were discovered in the 840s and soon became popular with visitors. Initially access o the caves was through McKeown's Valley with visitors staying overnight at the Whalan property.

Mr Jeremiah Wilson explored deeper into the Elder Cave a 1856. Visitation increased after this, as did vandalism, n January 1860, Jeremiah Wilson was in a group which Discovered and explored a new cave which in 1878 was Lamed the Lucas Cave after John Lucas, M.L.A.

Wilson later discovered the Imperial Cave, the Left Imperial Cave and the Mammoth Cave.

The first Reserve for the Preservation of the Fish River saves was gazetted on 2nd October, 1866.

On 8th March, 1867, the Government Gazette stated that Mr Jeremiah Wilson had been appointed `Keeper of the Caves' at an annual salary of 25 pounds.

Efforts were made to accommodate visitors, and a dancing platform was erected under the Grand Archway in 1869. The zig-zag road down the hill on the Oberon side of the Caves was completed in 1879, providing travellers with direct road access to the area for the first time.

Mammals It is very likely that Australian native mammals will be seen when walking on the Six Foot Track. The most common species are the Grey Kangaroo, the Wallaroo, the Echidna, the Wombat and the Swamp Wallaby. Brushtail and Ringtail Possums may be seen in the trees around the campfire at night. Gliding Possums are indigenous to the area, but are not often seen.

The Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby was common around Jenolan Caves, but sightings are now rare. A captive breeding program is underway to assist the recovery of this species.

At least 150 bird species have been seen along the Six Foot Track. The main families are the hunting birds, parrots, flycatchers, thornbills and honeyeaters. As well as the resident species, the observant walker might see migratory honeyeaters during the autumn and spring migration times. Cuckoos, martins, flycatchers and woodswallows also migrate into the area during summer. There is a chance of seeing rare birds, such as the Glossy Black Cockatoo and the Peregrine Falcon.

In warm weather walkers will see a variety of lizards. Those most likely to be seen are the Mountain Dragon and Blotched Blue-tongued Lizard at Katoomba, the Jacky Lizard and Cunningham's Skink at Megalong and the Eastern Water Dragon at Jenolan. Walkers might encounter a Goanna. as colonies of Lace Monitors live along Cox's River. Although they can look menacing these large lizards are not aggressive or poisonous and are harmless to humans if left alone.

Snakes are sometimes seen on the Six Foot Track during the warmer months. The most common are the Red-bellied Black Snake, the Eastern Brown Snake and the Copperhead. The Common Death Adder and the Tiger Snake have also been encountered. All of the snakes likely to be seen are poisonous. Snakes are protected by law. Do not go near them or interfere with them.

The Nellie's Glen Butterfly (Pseudalmenus chlorinda chloris) was first described in 1914. It is dark brown with distinctive orange and yellow markings on top of the wings. Its white silky underwings with thin black lines give rise to its common name of Silky Hairstreak. While it is not considered endangered, this butterfly is dependent for its survival on a complex and relatively rare association of certain Acacia food plants, an Iridomyrmex ant and a cool, moist microclimate, as found in Nellie's Glen.

Walkers will notice a wide variety of vegetation types along the Six Foot Track, resulting from differences in altitude, aspect, climate and soil type.

At the Katoomba Track Head, high sandstone plateau species such as Peppermint (Eucalyptus piperita) and the magnificent Mountain Ash (Eucalyptus oreades) are most noticeable.

In the cool, moist rainforest climate of Nellie's Glen Coachwood (Ceratopetalum apetalum) dominates, with the quaintly named Black Wattle (Callicoma serratifolia), Cedar Wattle (Acacia elata) and King Fern (Todea barbara) also in abundance. A rich variety of rarer shrubs and ferns can also be observed.

From the foot of Nellie's Glen, superb specimens of Sydney Red Gum (Angophora costata) are seen, along with Tree Ferns (Cyathea australis).

The sandstone soils of the Megalong Valley are noted for stands of the distinctive Scribbly Gum (Eucalyptus sclerophylla), the unusual markings on the trunks being caused by insect larvae feeding under the bark. Many of the common understorey plants along the Track can be seen in this area, especially Acacia, Banksia, Lomatia, Hakea, Leptospermum, Hardenbergia, Wahlenbergia and Indigofera species.

As the granite soil is encountered , the forest gives way to a more open woodland of Roughbarked Apple (Angophora floribunda), Kurrajong (Brachychiton populneus) and Manna Gum (Eucalyptus viminalis).

In the valley floors beside the Megalong Creek and Cox's River there are impressive stands of River Oak (Casuarina cunninghamiana), Manna Gum and Forest Red Gum (Eucalyptus tereticornis).

As walkers ascend the Black Range the tree species change to Grey Gum (Eucalyptus punctata) and Stringybark (Eucalyptus blaxlandii). A common understory plant is Blackwood (Acacia melanoxylon), after which the Black Range was probably named. The Narrow-leaved Peppermint (Eucalyptus radiata) and the Mountain Gum (Eucalyptus dalrympleana) can also be seen.

The area around Cox's River was always important to Aboriginal people. The Gundungurra or Gandangara speaking people moved nomadically among the Burragorang, Megalong and Hartley Valleys using pathways such as the Black Dog Pass and Medlow Gap, part of the dreamtime journey of Gurangatch and Mirragan. There is much evidence of Aboriginal camps along Megalong Creek and Cox's River.

Regular contact occurred between the Aboriginal people and early European settlers. The Six Foot Track passes the site of the last recorded Gundungurra corroboree and the cricket ground where all-Aboriginal teams played the Megalong settlers in the 1890s.

The suspension bridge over Cox's River was opened on 23rd April 1992 as an alternative crossing for walkers at times of heavy flow in the river. The bridge was fabricated and transported to the site, where it was constructed by soldiers of the 1st Field Squadron of the Royal Australian Engineers, Holsworthy Army Base.

The bridge is named in memory of Corporal Robert Walter Bowtell, the first member- of this unit to be killed during the Vietnam war in 1966

The brochure was made possible by a Commonwealth grant under the National Ecotourism Program.

Support, information and photographs were also supplied by: • Australian Museum • Royal Botanic Gardens • CSIRO Division of Entomology • State Library of New South Wales.