Travelling Worm

This is the blog of Mark Wordsworm, the travelling worm. I’m a 40-year-old bookmark (give or take a few years) and I proudly boast my own Hallmark serial number, 95 HBM 80-1. You’ll probably want to read all about me and my Travelling Companion (the TC).

Today’s travel notes

Me and the TC took Janet the Jeep out to the Pinnacle Rocks in the Blue Mountains area, west of Sydney, Australia. The drive takes you from Capertee down the Pinnacle Rocks Firetrail, through Turon National Park, on into the forests of Dark Corner, finishing up in Sunny Corner.

The drive is beautiful, and not without some challenges!

The book I’m in

The Island of Missing Trees, by Elif Shafak. I’ve just started this book (I’m on page 20) and it’s already gripped me tight.

Travel tips

To do this drive, you need a capable 4WD car and preferably at least one other car on the trip. It can be useful to have someone to pull you out of a bog or help you get up a steep, rutted hill.

Check the river levels before you go. The trail crosses the Turon River several times, and the river levels can rise significantly after heavy rain.

Check for park closures and bush fires too. The NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service web site is useful.

The photos

Me with Janet the Jeep at Pinnacle Rocks:

From the top of the Pinnacle Rocks, you have a panoramic view of the valleys and forests all round. The next shot shows just the flat area at the top of the hill, as seen from the top of the rock:

The first part of the drive, from Capertee to the Pinnacle Rocks, is scenic and fairly easy. There’s one rubbly hill climb that can be a bit of a challenge until you find the right “line”, as seasoned four-wheel-drivers say.

The trail winds along the beautiful Turon River. This shot is from a previous trip (July 2023), when we explored one of the camping areas next to the river:

The Turon River was in a tranquil mood this week. Experiences vary. It’s worth checking the river levels before you go!

Parts of the drive wind along a ridge, with valleys dropping away on both sides. At times, you’re surrounded by white-trunked gums. Depending on the time of year, yellow or white flowers cover the bush. The next photo is from another trip along the same trail, in August last year:

Kangaroos and wallabies stopped to watch us, before bounding away. There were several youngsters in this group:

After the Pinnacle Rocks, things get more interesting, especially if you take the longer route down to Sunny Corner rather than the short route to Portland.

At several points along the trail, you’ll encounter bogs. Some of them are harmless, others are deep, sticky, and smelly. The trouble is, it’s hard to know which is which just by looking at them! On a previous trip, we had one vehicle completely bogged and needing to be pulled out. And Janet was very nearly bogged once too, but managed to extricate herself by some quick wheel jiggling and reversing.

This video shows one of the bogs where we didn’t get stuck!

Towards the end of the trail is a fun section of “wombat holes”. These are dips and humps created by water erosion, that make the car seesaw from side to side. Janet attacked the wombat holes with gusto and enjoyed the experience immensely:

The descent into the last creek crossing in particular is quite steep and rutted. It can be very slippery when wet. We took it slowly, with someone outside the car to “spot” the way for us.

The climb out of the same creek is quite steep too. It’s rocky and a bit tricky. Janet made it easily, after a slight adjustment in direction half way up. Other cars, those with longer wheel bases, found it a little more difficult, but everyone got up the hill without needing a winch!

That’s all for today, folks.