Blue Mountains – Hanging Rock – Baltzer Lookout

It’s not the hanging rock from the movie. This Hanging Rock and the Baltzer Lookout are in the Blue Mountains, so it’s not that remote, and only a short hike away from civilisation. Blackheath, to be precise. It is still about 120km from Sydney, but well within a day trip from the big smoke.

Again, it took us about 2 hours to get there and as usual, there were only a few people there. A bit more than at Mount Banks because this trail was much easier to walk, and also very close to a bicycle hire shop. We saw dozens of riders on the track. In fact, had I known about the bicycles, I would definitely consider them. Still, it was a very pleasant walk.

We saw a lot of flowers on the way to the Baltzer Lookout. Most distinct was the Golden Wattle. Australian National Flower. They are so easy to spot because of their very bright yellow color and they were everywhere.

8km return, so it took us about 1h each way to walk the trail, and we stayed about 20 minutes at the summit to have our customary hiking sandwich. Avocado, egg, cheese, and vegemite. Every time we go for a walk we try to find a good spot to have our lunch. A 5 star restaurant without any tables, but with the greatest view.

The view from the Hanging Rock did not disappoint. Well, to be honest, very few lookouts in our Blue Mountains disappoint. I don’t think I’ve been to a spot where I’d go… Meh.. nothing special. They are all very special. Even the lookouts in Katoomba, where you’re surrounded by thousands of bussed in tourists area great.

The lookouts we’ve seen lately are, however, nicer. Very few people bother to walk the 5-10km track, and that is exactly how we like it. We see a few hikers on them, but never more than a handful.

This walk is one of the easiest we’ve walked. No special gear is required. It was a bit cold and windy, so a good jacket and a beanie were necessary, but in summer, I think a t-shirt and walking shoes are enough. The surface of the trail is a bit rough, so good walking or hiking shoes are recommended.

Here are a few images from the walk.