From Little Capertee campsite, cross the river and walk to the ruins track and turn left (right takes you to the glowworm tunnel) - follow the track to the ruins and take the uphill track to the big wall - after marvelling at the big wall keep going straight ahead and you will find yourself on what seems like a fire trail. You can walk for hours and hours on this trail - through wonderful valleys filled with bell birds - they were feeding their young as I walked through last weekend (21 October 2000) - the native flowers were out in all their glory - I walked through the lower ruins before finding the big wall, then walked along the trail for two hours more (4 hours in all) before coming back to camp. It is well worth spending several days at Newnes so you can explore the ruins and then walk the trails. The National Parks has done a wonderful job of putting signs with lots of information through the ruins, explaining about each area..
There are two very steep, luckily short climbs on this track the rest is easy going. I did not come across the gate marked on the map above - I did cross the two creeks marked but did not walk as far as the old farm house.
You can do a three day hike along this trail to Rocky Creek and Annie Rowan Creek if you are feeling adventurous.
I was away from camp eight hours in total - taking out about an hour and a half for photographs and marvelling the ruins (this is my ninth trip and I am still finding new areas) and half an hour for lunch - I would have walked nearly three hours along the trail before turning around to come back to base.
Footnote: I was just around the corner from the old farmhouse - my next trip I walked past it. |
