Bathurst (Australia) people deprived of the outdoors in the Blue Mountains and its surroundings will soon satisfy their cravings after one of the most well-known walking trails was reopened to the public.
According to a report, after countless hours of laborious work, one of the Blue Mountains’ most popular walking tracks has been reopened for visitors after the bushfires damaged it in 2019-2020.
Minister for Environment James Griffin said the beautiful Popes Glen track at Blackheath was rebuilt by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) to resist future problems.
“It’s taken our team a huge amount of effort to repair this track, laying 631 new stone steps along two kilometers and delivering more than 700 helicopter loads of material,” Griffin explained.
“Where there were wooden bridges and timber steps, we’ve replaced them with stone to make the track more resilient to the impact of floods and fires in the future,” he added.
Griffin also highlighted that the Blue Mountains National Park receives more than eight million visits every year have been working hard to ensure its visitors can enjoy the spectacular walks once more.
Efforts to repair and upgrade the National Park section of the adjacent Govetts Leap to Pulpit Rock Track also called the West Rim Track are scheduled to be completed this month.
Another major track-building project is revamping the 20-kilometer Grand Cliff Top Walk, running along the escarpment from Wentworth Falls to Katoomba, is scheduled to be completed in 2023.
In the Wollemi National Park, a AU$450,000 NSW Government upgrade has delivered an accessible campground situated at the base of the spectacular sandstone cliffs of the Capertee Valley.
“The work to refresh the Coorongooba campground has delivered better access and facilities, including dozens more picnic tables, barbecues, more toilets, and wastewater disposal,” Griffin explained.
“This campground gets booked out during the school holidays, and now those families will be better able to relax and enjoy their World Heritage-listed surrounds next to the river,” he added.
The projects are part of the most significant infrastructure investment ever made in NSW national parks history, providing AU$450 million in work that will create jobs for local communities and boost nature-based tourism throughout the state.
The 2019-2020 bushfires caused a trail of destruction across NSW with an estimated loss of 24 to 33 million hectares, destroying over 5,900 buildings, and killing around 34 individuals.
According to reports, three billion terrestrial vertebrates (the majority reptiles) were affected, and certain endangered species are believed to have been threatened with the brink of extinction.
This article originally appeared in Lithgow Mercury.
Let me tell you about the fantastical journey awaiting on the Blue Mountains Walking Track! The trail received a magical makeover with new stone steps and sturdy structures, showcasing nature’s resilience. Join me in embracing the joy of exploring while enhancing the visitor experience, like the creation of a new campground in Wollemi National Park. Let’s immerse ourselves in this enchanting world of restoration and natural beauty!