Heath on the Kings Tableland walk, Wenthworth Falls, Blue Mountains NP

Kings Tableland, Wentworth Falls, Blue Mountains NP

By James Stuart · On 13 November, 2014

For a different view of the iconic Wentworth Falls area, take your children on this clifftop walk, which crosses heath replete with wild flowers. Your destination: a lesser-known (and less crowded) lookout over the Jamison Valley.

The upper Blue Mountains is renowned for dramatic vistas across the Jamison, Megalong and Grose valleys but head away from the main car parks and you’ll find special places like the Kings Tableland.

Jane and I took Marilla (aged 5) on her second attempt at this short walk. Our goal was to make it to the end unlike our previous attempt, when Marilla was 3.5 years old and we stopped about half way.

Verdict

The walk will allow you to experience sandstone heath not found in the main Wentworth Falls areas, with the benefit of fewer people and a great lookout at the end.

It follows an overgrown fire trail then a rough bushtrack all the way down to Rocket Point. Small children or those less confident on their feet will need a bit of help over the rockier and steeper parts of the walk (namely on the initial descent from the car park and the bushtrack leading to Rocket Point). However, the flat section through the heath is sandy and has lots of great spots to stop and, quite literally, smell the (native) roses.

Wildflowers were out in full bloom when we walked there in early October (different species were out when we had walked it the previous May). We were treated to grevilleas, orchids, boronias and rush lillies, to name a few.

Marilla and Jane look out over the Jamison Valley, just shy of Rocket Point, Kings Tableland, Blue Mountains NP

The Walk at a Glance

Park next to the gate at the end of Chester Road and then walk down a relatively steep and rocky firetrail, lined by Blue Mountains Mallee, hakea and banksia trees
First 800 metres take you through scrubby heath country before you arrive at a signed turn-off to Rocket Point (this section feels a lot longer as you accompany a pair of little legs along a rocky and sandy firetrail which has tall grass growing along its “median strip”)
Bushtrack down to Rocket Point is quite rough as it moves through dense schlerophyl forest
At a fork in the track (on top of a big flat boulder, which makes a nice rest spot) turn right and continue for a few hundred metres more to Rocket Point where you will be rewarded with views back to Wentworth Falls and also west towards Sublime Point
To return, retrace your steps
In the end, Marilla only got as far as the flat boulder and Jane and I took it in turns going to the lookout

Access and duration

Access: you’ll probably need to drive (or cycle) here – the turn off is a few minutes down the road from the station (look out for the garden pots shop with crazy animal statues)
Duration: with two adults, the walk would probably take you 1-1.5 hours. With younger children, allow 2-2.5hours.
Length: 2.1km – about 800m, to the turnoff and then another 450m return to the lookout. Return the way you came.

Wildlife

There would be birds galore if you walked here in the early morning or evening. We saw a lot of New Holland honeyeaters but not much else
Wildflowers, as mentioned, were the stars of the walk

Conditions

We walked the track in early October and conditions were perfect – low- to mid-20s
The walk is pretty exposed for the most part as it moves through open heath: there’s not much shade so would be pretty hot in Summer

Resources

Full track notes at Wild Walks (this describes a slightly different circuit walk, which exits at another road and requires you to walk back to the car; we just returned the way we came).