13 February 2018

Exploring...The Rock Lookout, Mulgoa

A couple weeks ago we took the girls and my Mum on a little outing. It was a beautiful morning for a bushwalk, so we headed to the historic village of Mulgoa to visit The Rock Lookout, which is a short drive from Penrith.

It was the first time the girls had been there. Mum and I couldn't remember the last time we had visited (Hubby assures me we had, but it was back when we were dating, so long ago!) 

We all enjoyed taking in the beauty of the Mulgoa valley, and the quiet bush setting. 




The Rock Lookout is located in the Blue Mountains National Park, but situated in Mulgoa, a 30 minute drive from the centre of Penrith. 


Cherub all set for a bushwalk

On arrival, you can see the remains from a recent bushfire that swept through this section of the national park. We found a fire extinguisher that had been left behind, hundreds of burnt trees, and unfortunately people's rubbish that had been dumped.





Although it was sad seeing where the fire had ravaged the forest, it was lovely to see new growth already popping up, and colours which were beautiful. 





After a short stroll, and climb up some rocky steps, you are lead up to The Rock. 




Once you are on the lookout there isn't any barriers, so you need to be extra cautious especially if you have small children or elderly parents with you (we should have realised before taking Mum!) 




The rock face has a very steep drop so we took in the views metres away from the edge.



The lookout overlooks the Blue Mountain's forestland, along with sweeping views of the Nepean River gorge. We could just make out where the bushfire started and jumped over the river.


The burnt trees on the left is where the fire had started


The girls enjoyed the view, but were keen to leave as they were a little scared. 




After a lovely visit, it was time for some morning tea at our favourite cafe in Luddenham...I'll tell you about that another time!


Does your kids enjoy bushwalking and visiting National Parks?

7 comments:

  1. We love exploring the National Parks around Wilson's Prom. Just a beautiful area and lots to see.

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    1. Sounds lovely! I will have to add it to our bucket list for the next time we are down that way.

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  2. The contrast between fire and new growth is actually quite pretty!

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    1. I agree Vanessa, while its sad, the colours are quite vibrant and the contrast looks lovely.

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  3. Gosh we are fortunate to have so much natural areas surrounding our cities. I have driven through Mulgoa many a time but not known about this. Just lovely. Coming from where we used to live I would sometimes go up via Yarramundi and then look down at the horse properties on the outskirts of little villages including Castlereagh. The fires sure do cause damage but the original owners of the land would say that is what fire is meant to do. Lovely snaps Julie! Thanks for linking up for #lifethisweek 7/52. Next week's optional prompt: February Is...

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    1. Thanks Denyse! Yes lots of people believe a fire is a good thing, esp to stimulate new growth and reduce the amount of trees, but it can be a bit scary when you live so close to one, esp. in the mountains (trust me!) :)

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  4. Oh wow! What a view! Stunning photos. Even the burnt tree ones look rather beautiful - the colours and new growth! We explored parklands close to us recently, such a wonderful family day out xx

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