31-08-2024

Dick, Kylie and meeeeeeeee

A long, long time ago… Well, not that long ago!

Ok it’s nearly 40years ago which sounds like a long time when I think about it but I was and young whippersnapper out on a Jeep trip with dad and his mates. Day 2 we visited a bloke by the name of Col Ribaux.

As well as being a fellow connoisseur of ex-millitary vehicles, 4wd drive enthusiast and diamond miner, Col was an all around top bloke, legendary character and, the “Guardian of the Mountain.”

After admiring the assortment of old Jeeps, trucks and tracked personnel carriers he fired up one of the old tanks and we followed him up the steep pass through the cliff line of what we knew as Airly but is more properly Airly Turret (Confusingly there is Mount Airly slightly to the West, then Airly gap, then a small bump call Airly Mountain then Airy Turret on the way up to Mount Genowlan (Not to be confused with Jenolan, different spellings of the same aboriginal word for high point/place).

After the steep drive up and a look around the mine we camped the night out at Genowlan Trig.

Col has since passed and the area with it’s plethora of Aboriginal and European heritage sites and stunning natural beauty has been taken over by National Parks and named, Mugii Murum-Ban after local elder Uncle Charlie Riley. Mugii being a type of owl and Murum-Ban being eldest sone.

While always a favourite spot in 4wd circles it’s a bit further from Sydney so hadn’t attracted the bushwalking crowds of the Blue Mountains. That’s changing as walking clubs and fellow bloggers discover just how magical the place is.

Anyhoo, in the ensuing years I’ve driven passed it a lot and even driven up Mount Airly a time or two but it was time for a return to Genowlan.

Kylie and I had scoped it out a couple of weeks prior on a day when she also flew over it with Capertee Valley Helicopters. Remembering the steepness of the road and the old rock steps I opted to park part way up and walk. Finding the road recently graded and, while still steeeeeeeeep we thought it easily doable in the triton.

And so we came back and Dick joined us.

Plan for the day was to have a look around the old mines, enjoys the views and check out some of the slots the walkers had cottoned on to.

First stop Ultimate Slot.

From where we parked I was expecting a bit of a scrub bash but

There a bit of a trail here, called Kylie

We follow a well defined trail for about 2mins and… BAM

After phaffing about for ages we head back to where we parked and head in on the other side of the road. In less than 20 steps from where we parked we were in the “Grotto”

Back to the cars and we head back up past the main diamond mines. Our next stop was Gnomes pass, AKA Ladders Defile. This is another slot/micro canyon that Col had set a series of Ladders in to make it easier for his kids to get through. He also added a bit of a fairy tail touch.

The old ladders make it easy to negotiate the slot which soon opens out to a amphitheatre that would make a great spot for a picnic.

We scramble up onto the pagodas and admire the views

We then continue out to soak in the views from Point Hatteras

And to round out a relaxing but rewarding day we poke around the old mine site

All up a nice soulful day exploring some of the more easily accessible sites and barely scratching the surface of what Mugii Murum-Ban has to offer.

Rough diamonds might sometimes be mistaken for worthless pebbles. T Brown.

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