Grieving for losses: Fire in Torrington National Park, Tenterfield, NSW

The Tenterfield area was hit by bush-fires right at the beginning of the fire season, and the lesser known Torrington National Park did not escape the burning. We visited this National Park in June 2018 and were amazed at the diversity of granite formations in the vast area of granite country around Tenterfield.

We drove south down the New England Highway to Deepwater, where we turned to Torrington and travelled on a single-laned rough tarred road with rough edges. This took us through dry grazing land and across dry creeks (although there had been water in Deepwater River), before winding us through hills to Stannum (a collection of a few dwellings), across to forested ranges, and on to Torrington (a ramshackle collection of buildings).

Here a sign pointed to “Mystery Face” (the only indication of the way to Torrington State Conservation Area), but after we passed a sign to Thunderbolt’s lookout (hidden in the bush) and consulted our map, we returned to Torrington and found a clearer sign, and then followed a track to Nomad’s Picnic Area and the other end of the walking track to Thunderbolt’s Lookout.

This 1.6 km return well-formed track took us through fields of massive boulders and then steadily upwards to an impressive outcrop of granite, which we then navigated through via natural tunnels (stone steps had been constructed where needed), to reach a steel ladder, which we climbed up to a steel-sided lookout on top of the outcrop. From here we had extensive views over the ranges beneath us, out towards Inverell and down over Torrington – an interesting and exhilarating walk.

Returning to Torrington, we once again turned onto the road to Mystery Face and this time, further up the road, found a clearer sign into the Conservation Area. Tin mining used to occur in this whole area and signs warned us not to venture off roads and tracks, and the road to Mystery Face took us past small-holdings squirrelled away in the bush.

The 2.6 km Mystery Face Walk was one of the best that we have done in granite country, taking us past (and over) a number of granite outcrops, all of which had interesting formations, and some of which had clefts to walk through and/or explore. Some formations were named: Mystery Face (of course), The Brain (near Mystery Face), Westminster Rocks (where many clefts and cavities could be explored) and Boarhead (but only recognisable if viewed from a particular angle).

We had a late lunch back at the car park, sitting at a picnic table overlooking a small perched swamp, and then drove back out to the road up to Blatheram Camping Area. A side track took us to a small parking area for the less well marked walking track to Ugly Corner Falls (2.6 km return). This track took us steadily downwards on an old fire-trail, past a picnic table, and then onto a narrow footpad that descended more steeply into the gorge formed by the creek, downstream from the Falls.

We then edged the creek (where only a few pools of water lay in the smooth granite slabs of its bed), before crossing the bed of the creek and toiling up eroded steps on the other side to a natural rock platform lookout across from the face of the dry, but high and impressive, two-tier waterfall.

 After puffing back uphill via the way we had come, we drove to the first camping area and discovered that these had been placed here for fossicking in the nearby small creek (which was currently dry).

Then we took the gravel Silent Grove Road north, following an impressive wall of fractured granite and passing through more outcrops, and then along a range (difficult to discern due to the dense forests), through a forested valley and over another range to reach Mole River Road, and then, finally, the Bruxner Highway.

Remember: Don't be the reason someone feels insecure. be the reason someone feels seen, heard, and supported by the whole universe. Cleo Wade