Upper Blue Mountains Bushwalking ClubGreater Blue Mountains National Park- Blue Mountains

National Park- Silver Cascades, Horseshoe Falls and Ma Belle Cascades -Monday 25th November 2019- Track Notes

Some of the party in Victoria Creek immediately below Ma Belle Cascades. Left to right, Robert, Suzanne, Yuri, John C, Andrew, Jennifer and Michael. Photo: Harold Thompson.

Title Silver Cascades, Horseshoe Falls and Ma Belle Cascades Date Monday 25th November 2019Leader Brian Fox. Co-leader John FoxMaps etc Department of Lands, topographic map, 1:25000, Mount Wilson

8930-1N, 1:25,000, Third edition, GPS setting WGS 84Walk description and route 

This walk will include visiting a very old overgrown c1910 walking track to these waterfalls above Victoria Falls.

Rating 3MX

Gear issues First aid kit, 2 litres of water, electrolytes, GPS, PLB, Appropriate head and footwear 

Numbers Max 12, 6 places leftMeeting point Picnic area end of Victoria Falls Road 0830. Transport Club Cars Close of Bookings

Contact leader

Enquiries Brian Fox brianandelaine@aapt.net.au

The Party

Brian Fox, leader, John Fox, co-leader, Michael Keats, Kelvin Knox, Berenice Torstensson, Andrew Ford, Jenifer Tierney, Robert Sterry, John Cooper, Onni Elliott, Yuri Bolotin, Harold Thompson and Suzanne Barr, 13.

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The Weather

A very warm to hot day with rising humidity. Occasional gusts of a cool breeze were welcome. Temperature range 19 to 29 degrees C.

Local Place Names

Silver Cascades are within Victoria Creek, 100m above Victoria Falls and below Horseshoe Cataract and Ma Belle Cascades, Mount Victoria. A descriptive name given to this 12m waterfall due to a silvery effect as the water flows over a series of small terraces and flows into a round pool at its base. Ref: Sydney Morning Herald, 27 February 1895, p. 4. Lithgow Mercury, 15 July 1908, p. 1. Incorrectly called Victoria Cascades. MW 492 817.

Onni cools off in the pool above Ma Belle Cascades. Photo: Harold Thompson.

Upper Horseshoe Falls are located on Victoria Creek, above Silver Cascades, Mount Victoria. There are two falls in this area, Upper and Lower Horseshoe Falls. Ref: Oral history, the late Wilf Hilder, bushwalker, 7 December 2002, Wilf also records there was an old campsite in the vicinity of these falls. Possibly this name refers to Horseshoe Cataract, the upper falls just refer to the top section of these cascades. MW 492 816.

Victoria Cascades. See Silver Cascades, Mount Victoria. Located 100m upstream of Victoria Falls. Ref: Incorrectly referred to as the Victoria Cascades in the National Parks & Wildlife Service book, Walking Tracks in the Grose Valley, 1994, p. 20. MW 492 817.

Victoria Creek is a mostly perennial creek, having its headwaters near Sunbeam Avenue, Blackheath. Named after Victoria Falls which is located on this creek. This creek flows for 8km generally north, north east into the Grose River at Burra Korain Flat. Name approved by the Geographical Names Board 24 April 1970. Previously called Victoria Falls Creek. In 1903 Henry Rienits, a school master of Mount Victoria together with others, dug a 37m tunnel into a coal seam alongside this creek, 150m upstream of the junction of Victoria

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Brook. Ref: The Blue Mountain Echo, 22 May 1914, p. 5 records, “the proposed dam at the intersection of the Victoria Creek and the Grose-river.” MW 477 762 to 499 829.

Some of our party on the old track to upper waterfalls, above Victoria Falls. Photo: Brian Fox.

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Above the Silver Cascades. Photo: Harold Thompson.

Victoria Falls is the main waterfall on Victoria Creek, about 10km north east of Mount Victoria. Access is via Victoria Falls Road, Mount Victoria. Named after Queen Victoria (1819-1901). These 20m falls flow over a very distinctive triangular rock shelf on Victoria Creek. Victoria Falls are below Ma Belle Cascades, Horseshoe Cataract and Silver Cascades. Ref: Horrocks, John. Handy Guide to the Blue Mountains & Caves, 1888 records, “Victoria Falls.” The Mountaineer, 11 January 1895, p. 3 records, “clearing and forming a passable driving road, about 20ft. wide, to Mount Victoria Falls.” The Lithgow Mercury, 15 July 1908, p. 1 records, "There are some fifty zags and a few steps." MW 493 819.

Fairy Cascades is a series of small rapids on Victoria Creek above Victoria Falls, Mount Victoria. A descriptive name given to this pretty waterfall. Ref: Lithgow Mercury, 15 July 1908, p. 1 records, “within a length of a quarter of a mile are the Horseshoe Cataract, Ma Belle and Fairy Cascades, Silver Cascades and the Victoria Falls.” MW 492 816.

Water Skink species indeterminate. Photo: Harold Thompson.

Lower Horseshoe Falls is within Victoria Creek, above Silver Cascades, Mount Victoria. This waterfall appears to be the same as Horseshoe Cataract, and the word ‘lower’ refers to the lower cascade of the Horseshoe Falls. Ref: Oral history, bushwalker, Wilf Julius Hilder (1934-2011), 7 December 2002. MW 635 628.

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Upper Horseshoe Falls are located on Victoria Creek, above Silver Cascades, Mount Victoria. There are two falls in this area, Upper and Lower Horseshoe Falls. Ref: Oral history, the late Wilf Hilder, bushwalker, 7 December 2002, Wilf also records there was an old campsite in the vicinity of these falls. Possibly this name refers to Horseshoe Cataract, the upper falls just refer to the top section of these cascades. MW 492 816

Horseshoe Cataract is a waterfall on Victoria Creek, above Victoria Falls, directly above Silver Cascades and 100m below Ma Belle Cascades, Mount Victoria. A descriptive name to the horseshoe shape of these falls. The cataract has two sections. The lower falls are about 2m high and the upper falls about 1.5m high. Ref: The Mountaineer, 29 March 1895, p. 2 records, “Horse-shoe Falls, a pretty spot, the rocks being formed into a half-circle.” Lithgow

Mercury, 15 July 1908, p. 1. The Blue Mountains Guide and Directory 1949 describes, "another track then leads onto a lookout over the Victoria Falls Gorge. Leading on a path branches off to the right and leads to some pretty cascades and the Horseshoe Cataract. The left-hand branch leads to the falls proper." The Blue Mountains Gazette, 26 November 2003. MW 492 816. Above Silver Cascades

View down Victoria Creek, Photo: John Fox.

Ma Belle Cascades are within Victoria Creek above Victoria Falls, Silver Cascades and Horseshoe Cataract, Mount Victoria. A descriptive name for a beautiful lady. Belle comes from the Latin word bellus for beautiful. This beautiful little cascade flows into a circular rock pool about 8m in diameter and is located about 100m upstream of Horseshoe Cataract. Ref: Lithgow Mercury, 15 July 1908, p. 1. MW 492 816.

History ex Graeme Holbeach 17th April 1993

“A bit of history-two of us had come down Odin Gully, then left into Victoria Creek. Above the main cascades I picked up a very overgrown track (complete with stone steps). I thought it would

intersect the track to the bottom of the cascades, but instead it eventually met the Victoria Falls Track at a major bend. This junction was invisible from the Victoria Falls Track, overgrown with blackberries if I recall correctly. I mentioned it to Jim Smith who had nothing on it. A few years later Jim, Wilf and I spent a day clearing the track. Maybe five to

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seven years ago I was on the Victoria Falls Track and noted that the intersection was again invisible.”

MK note. In addition to Graeme’s comments above, a study of Jim Smith, David Beaver and Chris Betteridge “Tracks into History, July 2004 makes no mention of this historic pathway. The text does include a section titled, Mount Victoria Escarpment Complex but there is no reference to the Victoria Falls Track.

Extract, Michael Keats Track Notes 3rd June 2005.

“Reached the junction of Odin Gully and Victoria Creek at 1055 GR 490 813. After about 50m into Victoria Creek, decided to stick to the north- eastern bank rather than walk in Victoria Creek. Whilst the understorey and lawyer vines were hard going it was probably a better bet than what would become major ups and downs in Victoria Creek to negotiate small waterfalls.

1130, GR 491 816, stopped on a large rock above a sea of difficult country for a ten-minute respite. 12 minutes more of pain brought us onto the Victoria Falls track, GR 492 818. Now the going was easy. Time was taken to visit successively, the Ma Belle Cascades, the Horseshoe Cataract as well as the Silver Cascades. 1210, GR 493 818 we stood on the top of the Victoria Falls and gazed down the valley towards the Grose River.”

Horseshoe Cataract, Photo: Brian Fox.

Research items by John Fox

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Lithgow Mercury (NSW), Tuesday 12 September 1905, page 3, MT. VICTORIA.(From our own Correspondent.)It is reported that the Government have placed £100 on the estimates for the Victoria Falls road. It is hoped that the rumour is true, as the road will open up beauty spins second to none on the Mountains.

Blue Mountain Echo (NSW), Friday 4 June 1926, page 6, Mt. VictoriaAnother happy union is the co-operation of the Urban Committee and Reserves Trust. This has resulted in the road to Victoria Falls being greatly improved. The Look-out is easily accessible, and the track down to the falls has been all cleaned and renovated. 

 Ma Belle Cascades, Photo: Brian Fox. Blue Mountain Echo (NSW), Friday 6 January 1911, page 3, A Trip to Victoria Falls.Half an hour's drive from Mount. Victoria, along a very pretty road, will bring you to the lookout above the famous Victoria Falls, where the depth is so great below you that the giant kurrajong and redwood trees look like mere bushes, yet the distant roar of the Falls, mingling with the sweet note of the beautiful bell-bird, can be distinctly heard. The path down the valley is a somewhat long one, but the scenery changes with moving-picture swiftness as one turns the various bends. Now and again many different kinds of ferns are met with, some growing amongst the rocks, others in their Stately pride, standing out in the open like huge umbrellas inviting the traveller to take shelter under their fa-r reaching branches. At the bottom, one is repaid for the long walk by the sight of the great volume of water which flows beneath the overhanging trees, along its rocky bed, and the charm of that scene will linger in the memory for many a long day to come. 

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Blue Mountain Star (Katoomba, NSW), Saturday 26 July 1930, page 4, FISHING TRIP AT VICTORIA FALLS MOUNT VICTORIA, Friday. Mr. Tom Keegan, M.L.A., for the Glebe is spending a holiday at Mount. Victoria. Mr. Keegan was one of a party that went fishing for crayfish at Victoria Falls. Mr. Keegan made the biggest haul. Mr. W. Mathews. of the Urban Area committee let the secret out why Mr. Keegan was so successful. He used liver while the others used meat. And even politicians stole our wildlife… (had no idea of conservation). 

Plot of the walk overlaid on an aerial photograph. Recorded Brian Fox, Prepared by Yuri Bolotin.

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Plot of the walk overlaid on a topographic map. Recorded Brian Fox, Prepared by Yuri Bolotin.

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Step details old track to above Victoria Falls. Photo: Brian Fox.

The party at Victoria Falls Lookout. Photo: Kelvin Knox. Left to right Jennifer Tierney, Andrew Ford, Harold Thompson, Berenice Torstensson, Yuri Bolotin, Michael Keats, Robert Sterry, Kelvin Knox, Brian Fox, John Cooper, Suzanne Barr, and Onni Elliott. Photo. John Fox. Note the air was full of smoke.

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Jacky Lizard, Amphibolorus muricatus. Photo: Yuri Bolotin

Eastern Water Dragon, Physignathus lesueurii. Photo: Yuri Bolotin

Very young tadpole, Victoria Creek. Photo. John Fox.

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Brian Fox, Photo: John Fox.

The hair pin bend on the Victoria Falls Track where the very old track branches from the current track, GR 492 818. Photo: John Fox.

A very pregnant Red Belly Black Snake, Pseudechis porphyriacus enjoying the sun. Photo: John Fox.

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The Victoria Falls Track below the main cliff line. Photo: John Fox.

Track Notes

The mission of this walk was to find and walk a section of very old walking track, (c.1870s and definitely pre 1900) that may have been the original track to the several waterfalls above the main Victoria Falls.

Information had been provided by Graeme Holbeach who reported that the track was now very indistinct and overgrown. His recollection was that a set of stone steps was prominent.

After a briefing by leader Brian, we headed to the misnamed Victoria Falls Lookout, 0850. You cannot see the falls from here at all. The best view of the falls is obtained from

Asgard Head, a significant walk and scrub bash to the north. Very few people get to see the Victoria Falls in all their glory.

Leaving the lookout, we headed down the Victoria Falls Track that needs an upgrade. Rapid progress was made, and the possible search area for the old track head was reached at 0935 and the actual start point was found minutes later at GR 492 818. The track in many places has been washed away of is hidden under fallen debris and surface soil movement. Two non-perennial watercourses add to the confusion as they support stands of Sword Grass that are thriving. At 0948 we had our first major find- a short flight of stone steps and drystone wall at GR 492 817. This discovery was followed a little later with a much longer flight of more than a dozen stairs at 0955. We cleaned these stairs of debris to take a good photo.

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We kept following the track to GR 492 816 where it apparently ends at Victoria Creek. Successive floods over the last 100years plus have removed any constructed stairs near the water flow area. In length the track is probably no more than 200m. Why it was built and then abandoned is uncertain.

From 1011 to 10 33 we spent in (for Onni who went for a swim) and about the Victoria Creek having morning tea and doing a bit of exploring. The area was delightfully cool. Wildlife was abundant with scores of tadpoles and numerous crayfish, (Euastacus australasiensis) being found in the rock pools. After morning tea, it was time to explore Ma Belle Cascades immediately upstream and then the downstream sequence of small waterfalls including the Silver Cascades.

At 1133 we commenced the climb out. Negotiating the old track back to the current track took some effort as the track is so ill defined that we took nearly 15 minutes to find the current track. As we climbed so did the humidity and it was a slog up to the top. A delightful hand/foot waving show was put on by a bearded dragon trackside. Several species within the genus Pogona engage in this behaviour. Bearded dragons display a hand-waving gesture to show submission (most often when acknowledging another bearded dragon's territory), and a head-bobbing display to show dominance between dragons.

Lunch was taken at the Victoria Falls Lookout at 1308. Total walk distance 5.1km, total ascents 328m.

Michael KeatsBushexplorers3rd December 2019

UBMBWC Silver Cascades, Horseshoe Falls and Ma Belle Cascades 251119 -track notes

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