Grieving losses: Fire along Bowen Creek Road, Mt Irvine to Bilpin, NSW

We did this drive the morning of our Mt Banks walk, in 2010. Sadly this area was burnt in the huge Gosper's Mountain mega fire that took out an area the size of Singapore this summer, starting at a single ignition point. This is my tribute to one small area of bushland in a vast area of beautiful Australian Bush.

The Bells Line of Road initially took us steeply up Scenic Hill, through Clarence, alongside the Zig Zag Railway, past Bell Railway Station and past the turnoff to the darling Causeway. Shortly afterwards we entered the Blue Mountains National Park and gained fleeting glimpses of the Grose Valley to our right as we zoomed through native forests before turning off to Mt Wilson.

Soon the cool ferny rain forested glades of the basalt soils of Mt Wilson replaced the drier open woodland forests, blocking out all but filtered sunlight, until we emerged to autumn trees and the civilisation of larger landscape-gardened estates. This time we merely drove past and continued onwards to Mt Irvine and back into the dark, dank, ferny rainforest.

The residents of Mt Irvine were mostly hidden behind dense forest, and signs inviting us to purchase chestnuts were plentiful. The road then ended abruptly at the entrances to two properties, whereas we were expecting it to end at a lookout! So we retreated back to the Bowen Creek Road.

Here an elderly sign indicated passage right through to Sydney, but now the road had deteriorated to a 4 WD track with winding descents and a locked gate indicated at Bowen Creek. As we lowered in altitude, the jungle transformed to dense forest which was dotted with Banksias and sandstone outcrops. Ribbons of bark hung vertically from trees, forming scanty tattered curtains over our track.

Further along, on a section which switched back and forth, we had spectacular views over the narrow steep-sided valley that had presumably been carved out by the creek. And lower still, we wound through lush green bracken which carpeted the tall straight-trunked rainforest trees.

Upon reaching Bowen Creek we discovered a bridge and an open gate, so after a brief wander on foot, we proceeded on over the bridge and along and up the 4WD track on the far side. Our sense of freedom to trespass on forbidden territory lasted until we encountered a badly eroded section of track and from here onwards we were crawling up a serious 4WD section which required maximum skill and concentration!

However further along, after some intrepid motor-bikers had passed us from the opposite direction, the track improved, as did the views as we rose high up over the valley which was flanked by rock walls on one side and sheer drops to the narrow creek way below us on the other.

Then we rounded a bend and edged a less spectacular valley, although here the 4WD challenges continued in abundance and we finally encountered a vehicle coming the other way. The driver did not appreciate our warnings re: the state of the track, informing us that he had lived here all his life and knew what he was doing – fair enough! He also told us that the gates were never locked.

Past the other potentially locked gate we assisted an Asian couple in a small 2WD who were searching for Chestnut farms, directing them back to the Bells Line of Road to access Mt Irvine via Mt Wilson.

As we ourselves emerged onto the Bells Line of Road at Bilpin, we discovered a permanent sign which indicated that the road we had just traversed was closed – so obviously traffic along it was not encouraged!

Remember: We are often the victims of our own expectations. Set them aside and just let things flow, you'll get where you want to be. Gratitude App