Govetts Leap Blue Mountains

Govetts Leap Blue Mountains

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© Copyright 2009 David Iori Photography, All Rights Reserved
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Nikon D200
Nikon 28mm
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Govetts Leap

Best Viewed Large
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3 images shot one over one under HDR.

Formerly known at Bridal Veil Falls this is the tallest single drop waterfall in the Mountains its on the bottom right hand side of this panorama and after the recent rain I returned once again and managed to accomplish this, this is one of my favourite lookouts in the Blue Mountains.

The Grose River has cut a deep gorge through the area as it makes its way east towards the Hawkesbury River. Sheer sandstone cliffs standing hundreds of metres above the river make for spectacular scenery and can be viewed extensively from the Blackheath area, where there are a number of accessible lookouts, the best known being Govetts Leap.

The valley can also be viewed from lookouts near Bells Line of Road and points outside Mt Victoria. Charles Darwin described the Grose Valley as “stupendous … magnificent” when he visited in 1836. In 1859 some of the first photographs in Australia were taken in the valley. At various times there were proposals for rail lines and dams but these have not proceeded. In 1931, the valley was the subject of one of Australia’s first forest conservation battles Within the valley, the Blue Gum Forest is one place that stands out from the rest of the valley. It consists predominantly of towering Blue Gum trees, with a thin understorey because the tall trees inhibit the growth of ground cover by blocking most of the sunlight. Protected by the Blue Mountains National Park, the forest can be accessed only on foot, with several trails from different parts of the Grose Valley and adjacent canyons meeting in the forest

There are a number of walks through the valley, with various entry, exit points and valley arms offering a range of permutations to explore. A moderate-grade day walk covering approximately 10km in five hours starts at Perrys Lookdown and descends sharply to the valley floor. Crossing through a corner of the Blue Gum Forest, the track goes south through the Acacia Flat camp ground, following the Govetts Creek. Passing several abandoned campgrounds, the path forks at Junction Rock; the route to Govetts Leap was closed in October 2003, following a landslide, and was reopened in December 2007. In the other direction, along Govetts Creek, the route then starts a continuous climb towards the Grand Canyon, where it forks again; one track goes to Neates Glen, while the other is a steep climb to Evans Lookout.

The general direction of travel is towards the southeast and this direction is recommended as the final climb at Evans Lookout is not as difficult as the ascent at Perrys Lookdown. Creeks in the valley are seasonal and highly polluted, and are known to cause gastrointestinal upsets.

The walk is much more strenuous in summer due to the higher daily temperatures and there is also an attendant greater risk from bushfire. The valley has been affected by bushfires at various times, notably in 1982 and in November 2006. In particular the Blue Gum Forest was damaged by back burning. Owing to the harsh bushfires in 2006, the Blue Gum forest and other walking tracks in the valley have been closed to bush walkers to allow the regrowth of vegetation. It is unknown when it will be opened.

Govetts Leap Blue Mountains belongs to the following groups:

Australian Travel Photography and Writing - 1 per 24hrs, Blue Mountains of New South Wales, Australia, Friends of RedBubble and Sydney Available for sale as

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