Ngiyampaa walking track
As a part of my outback New South Wales walking series, one of the walks I wanted to do was near Cobar. It is located within the Mount Grenfell Historic Site. And an hour's drive from Cobar. With some lovely sunny weather, I set off to do the Ngiyampaa Walking Track.
After the long drive from Sydney, I was ready to get out and about bushwalking. I was a little worried about the remoteness of the walks I would be doing. So I had prepared for each walk weeks in advance, with paper maps and GPS waypoints. Now I was at the trailhead, and all those uneasy feelings were gone. It was bush, just like any other bush, but a little different and very red.
Within the first few meters of this walk, I was greeted by a Central Bearded Dragon. One which I had never seen before. The start of the walk is relatively easy, and it takes you to a few cave art sites. I visit all the art sites that have amazing paintings. There are hand stencils and human figures in White, Yellow and ochre colours.
After taking the art, I reach the end of the initial walk to the cave art. I now find the track for the loop walk, and I'm pretty happy that it's well-marked with signs, as the trail is quite faint and getting lost out here could easily become a very bad day.
As I walk along the trail, the dirt beneath me is that outback red colour you see at Ularu or The Kimberly. I can't help but smile. This is like nothing I've walked on. With the recent rains, this bushland is lush with native grasses and healthy trees.
Part of this walk is summiting Mount Grenfell. The walk now starts to climb up the 361m mountain. The ascent is relatively easy. Looking around the bush, I notice that the environment I'm in is quite harsh. There are lots of dead trees scattered about.
I reach the lookout, and I look out at a very flat landscape with shallow hills with no signs of human impact. The sandstone boulders around me are tinged red.
There are no signs of the TS1476 Choy trig station, so I enlist my digital maps and get a bearing for my compass. I soon arrive at the TS1476 Choy trig station, and it's in superb condition. I find a rock with a nice view and have lunch.
After the trig station, the trail heads down the mountain and back to the car park. The walk is pretty easy and worth doing if you're in the area, even just for the art. I would avoid walking this trail in hot weather.
