Views across Cumberland Plain and to Sydney CBD in the background from Poets Rock
The revised walk at Bowen Mountain didn’t put off the thirty five walkers who were ready to enjoy the Southern and Western Ridge Tracks in this beautiful area of the Blue Mountains NP. These tracks were last walked in 2017.
With the briefing over, we set out on the Southern Ridge Track which is a return walk along a fire trail to Poets Rock a sandstone rock overhang with views across Cumberland Plain and to Sydney CBD in the background and wonderful views of the Burralow Gorge and the Grose River below.
The briefing takes place......
........and Southern Ridge Track here we come Walkers ahead on the Southern Ridge Track
Morning tea was enjoyed taking in the views at Poets Rock.
Views to the east and views to the south
Returning to the cars, we drove a very short distance to the start of the Western RidgeTrack. About fifteen minutes into the start of the track so did the misty rain which continued until we reached our lunch spot at the end of the track. The Western Track is the longer of the two tracks.
Walkers at the track head of the Western Ridge Track Here comes the rain.....rain jackets on!
No one wanted to linger too long over lunch as we were cold and damp.
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On a fine day views of the Burralow Gorge below, to the right views of Mt Tomah and to the left the Grose Valley are worth the walk to the end of this track. Disappointingly with the wet and misty weather these wonderful views weren’t able to be enjoyed by the walkers today. The rain stopped not long after we started our return walk back to the cars. 
Disappointingly misty views and what we should have viewed on a clear day - Burralow Gorge, Grose Valley and Mt Tomah 15kms in the distance (recce 12th May) 
Purple Flag Lily Patersonia sericea Grass Tree Xantorrhoea White Fingers or Lady's Fingers Orchid Caladenia catenata A delightful stop on Grose Vale Road at the The Enniskillen Orchard café which was a former fruit packing shed was very welcoming to the cold and damp walkers who ordered a variety of hot drinks and homemade scones. A great spot for our post walk chat! 
Some walkers chose to enjoy the warmth inside while other walkers enjoyed the views from the verandah
View across the Enniskillen Orchard Fresh fruit, jams, chutneys and other local fare were purchased at the store
.......and for some HISTORY of the area (Sue S)
GROSE RIVER - From where we looked down at Poets Rock, the Grose River had travelled 54kms and dropped 953m from its source north east of Mt Victoria. For thousands of years, the Blue Mountains have been home to Aboriginal peoples, particularly the Gundungurra and Darug tribes. In 1793 the Grose River was named in honour of Lieutenant Governor Francis Grose, Lieutenant Governor of NSW.
BOWEN MOUNTAIN - The hamlet of Bowen Mountain is named after Lieutenant George Meares Countess Bowen, who was born on 14th January, 1803 at Wells in Somerset, England. He went to school at Richmond, England and in 1816 entered the Royal Military College at Sandhurst. In 1826 he was put in command of a convict guard detachment of the 39th Regiment going to Botany Bay arriving in Sydney on 13th February, 1827. For his services in His Majesty's Army for upwards of ten years, Lt Bowen was granted 2,560 acres near Mount Tomah. The land was called "Bulgamatta" Aboriginal for "mountain water". He sold the property in 1836 and around 1848 he started to purchase land in the Bowen Mount area where he built a house for his second wife and children.
Deidre and Sue assisted by Bert and Kurt led 31 walkers - Nick B, Chris B, Don B, Susan C, Jenny C, Lydia and Tim, Elaine, Vivienne, Anne G, Ros and John, Mary, Celia, Chris McA, Hazel, Margaret P, Wendy P, Pragati, Barbara R, David R, Anne R, Nick S, Lyn, Cleona, Louis, Peter T, Pauline, Don Wa, Don Wo and third time visitor and new member, Margaret M.
A BIG ‘thank you’ to Bert and Kurt who assisted on the recce and for their invaluable assistance on today’s walk and to First Aiders: Anne R and Mary and Tail End Charlie, 'red socks' Don B.
Words by Deidre
Photos Peter T (1, 3, 7, 8, 13, 17), Don Wo (2), Sue S (4, 9, 10, 15, 16 and flower identification, 18 and flower identification..taken on recce 12th May), Louis (5, 11), Pauline (6), Hazel (12, 14, 19, 22, 23), Chris McA (20) and Deidre (21)