Mount Victoria


A small township and the westernmost locality in the City of Blue Mountains. Mount Victoria is located on an escarpment plateau extension of Mount York, the site of a camp on the original Blaxland, Wentworth and Lawson 1813 crossing of the Blue Mountains.

Location: 120 km from Sydney; 17 km north of Katoomba; 1,043 metres above sea-level.

One Tree Hill, near where Mt Piddington Rd intersects with Apex Avenue, is the highest point in the entire Blue Mountains.

There are a number of historic buildings in the town, including the Imperial Hotel (1878), St Peter's Church of England (1874), The Manor House, built by John Fairfax in 1876 and the Toll Keepers Cottage (1849).

Mount Tomah Botanic Gardens: this 252 hectare garden sits on the summit of a basalt capped peak 1,000 metres above sea level in the World Heritage listed Greater Blue Mountains. The Garden is home to a world class collection of plants from the cooler southern hemisphere.

The Great Train Weekend: held annually in May because Blaxland, Lawson and Wentworth first crossed the area in May 1813 and in May 1868 the railway arrived in town. The event features a model train exhibions, ood, markets, children's activities, excursions to the Zig Zag railway and an antique toy and model train auction.


Victoria Pass: even today, the pass seems like a masterpiece of engineering as it winds down the western slopes of the Blue Mountains crossing a narrow ridge at Mount Blaxland. There is a stone column which records the completion of the pass in 1832 - a triumph to the engineering skills of the early 19th century. The equally famous Convicts Bridge, an outstanding engineering achievement, is still used by all traffic travelling across the Blue Mountains. It was completed in 1832.

Walks
Track notes, maps etc. of the walks featured are on the Wildwalks app.

Mt Victoria is the starting point for many bushwalks and features several lookouts over the Kanimbla Valley including the lookout from Mount Piddington.

Pierces Pass to Blue Gum Forest: Time: 6 hrs 30 mins. 8.4 km E of Mount Victoria. Length: 14 km. Blue Mountains National Park. Climb: 812 m

This walk explores a beautiful section of the Grose Valley from Bells Line of Road. The walk heads down Pierces Pass and follows the magnificent Grose River to the Blue Gum Forest. The Blue Gum Forest is an icon of Blue Mountains bushwalking and this track gives you a great way to reach it. You then return the same way, or alternatively, finish by climbing to Perrys Lookdown, to make this a one-way walk.

Kanimba Valley

Kanimba Valley Walking Tracks: Along Kanimba Valley Rd it is possible to pick up a couple of walking tracks which extend along the cliffline of the Kanimba Valley, taking in Bede's Lookout, Pulpit Rock, Reinitz Pass and Ross Cave. For further information ring National Parks and Wildlife Service on (02) 4787 8877.

Blue Pool Track: Time: 20 mins. 8.4 km E of Mount Victoria. Length: 0.5 km. Blue Mountains National Park. Climb: 812 m

This short, pleasant walk, starts close to the Glenbrook entrance of the Blue Mountains National Park. The walk follows a staircase and track down to Blue Pool. The blue colouring of the water can vary in intensity, depending on water and weather conditions. A popular swimming hole, this creek is particularly dangerous after rain, take care when swimming.



Berghofers Pass walk

Berghofers Pass: About 1.5 km west of Mount Victoria Village, there is a turnoff on the right into Mt York Rd. Mt York lookout is along here to the left. Further along the road is a sign indicating the start of the Berghofers Pass Walk on your left. This 3.2-km return walk is considered one of the easiest and most pleasant bushwalks in the mountains, offering lovely views.

The walk is based on an early road which leads down from the mountains to the western plains. It was built 1907-1912 by John William Berghofer, chairman of Mount Victoria Progress Association, because Victoria Pass was too steep for the new 'motor cars'. From this road it is possible to see the convict-built ramparts supporting the Great Western Highway and a drovers' dog trough cut from sandstone.

Lawson's Long Alley: Directly opposite the start of the Berghofers Pass Walk is the start of Lawsons Long Alley, an early road along the east side of Mt York descending to the old shale mining town of Hartley Vale. In Hartley Vale you will find the Comet Inn (1879) which was the headquarters of the Comet Kerosene Company who mined shale in Hartley Vale from 1865 to 1913. This road was used by the early Mail Coach to Bathurst.

Lockyers Road Walk: This walk also starts opposite the start of the Berghofers Pass Walk. Lockyers' Pass follows the final section of the original road across the mountains and it provides access to convict-built elements such as steps and the enormous boulder located 100 metres from the top of Mt York which was cut back to allow Governor Macquarie's coach to pass. Because Victoria Pass was opened in 1832, this road was never completed. 11 km, medium difficulty.

Cox's Road Walk

Cox's Road Walk: In July 1814, Cox took a convict gang of just 28 men and they laid 160 km of road - the first over the mountains - in just six months, an amazing feat for such a small team, in such difficult conditions, using primitive equipment. For their efforts, the convicts gained their freedom.

Governor Macquarie travelled down the new road in 1815 and the road had to be widened for his carriage - the pick marks at the top of Mt York were made by the convicts when widening the road, however it was not used after 1824. The walking track begins right at the end of Mt. York Road. Tracks left by loaded bullock wagons can still be seen today in the form of gouges in the rocks. On Mt York Road are traces of two wells thought to be the site of a construction camp for the making of Cox's Road. Again, the views to the Valley and beyond are beautiful.

Old Shale Railway walk: This walk follows the path of a railway which until about 1913 used to bring the shale up from Hartley Vale. It starts beside Hartley Vale Road and the Darling Causeway junction. The walk is to the top of the cliff where the railway carriages plunged steeply down to the shale works in the Hartley valley below - remains of railway workings can still be seen.

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