Around Moss Vale

Had planned a full day out featuring the many high waterfalls around Moss Vale. Ended up disappointing due partly to the lack of rain and partly to Carrington Falls road being closed.

Started early with a walk along the Berrima River Walk, being along the Wingecarribee River. Not much life but the river is quite picturesque.

Then whipped up, before the Sydney folk arrived, to Berkelouw Books, now in the Bendooley Estate vineyard cafe about 5 km north of Berrima. Still lotsa books including a few new ones. Selected some more early Australian history: John Macarthur by M H Ellis; Phillip Gidley King journal; Matthew Flinders by Tim Flannery; Alexander Maconochie of Norfolk Island and VDL; and the Life and Times of Captain John Piper (Norfolk Island commandant when my ancestors were forced to leave).

Then drove out north of Robertson on the Mount Murray road and down into the Jamberoo Mountain Road to Carrington Falls. The highly acclaimed Nelly’s Glen, supposedly a rock surrounded swimming hole fed by a 2 metre high water fall was rather subdued due to the lack of the waterfall – subdued to the extent of green algae riddled indeed.

Clearly, there is a hell of a lot of water flowing through here at times:

Then I got to the Carrington Falls road to find it shut for re-building.

So back into Robertson to Belmore Falls. The highlight, if you could call it that, were these kiddies playing with death. I do hope they got home, and I do hope they never go here again. No risk I guess because it is only 100m to the first ledge. I particularly like the laissez faire approach of standing in the water just before the fall, albeit I guess concentrating hard – but not on their surroundings, on their phones! They seemed to be daring each other to sit on the edge.

Despite the lack of water, these falls, along with Carrington and Fitzroy, and Fairy Bower Falls in behind Bundanoon, are all high drop magnificent falls.

To add to the disappointments, the Robertson Nature Reserve is now an overgrown jungle, and essentially impenetrable. Last stop was the Cecil Hoskins Reserve on the north of the Wingecarribee, just over the bridge out of Moss Vale. It had a walk looking down over the river and the wetlands created by the slow bend. Despite my plans, I was there early afternoon, so not much to see bird wise. Worth going back though one morning I think.

I have seen about 10 Yellow-Tailed Black Cockatoos flying over at various times, but didn’t find any sitting around.

Michael Monaghan