Pipeline Track & Pipeline Pass

Today, after a hearty breakfast, we take the historic Pipeline Track to the top of Pipeline Pass, where a lookout on the towering cliffs provides a majestic view over the wild Wolgan Valley and a great place for a well-deserved morning tea break. The steep and rugged track follows the route of an old oil pipeline that once ran between the shale mining communities of Glen Davis in the Capertee Valley and Newnes in the Wolgan Valley. Remnants of the pipeline can still be seen along the way. The first few kilometres of the walk meander beside the beautiful Wolgan River past some of the other industrial ruins of Newnes, but the final kilometre to the lookout climbs more than 300 metres from the valley floor to the top of the sandstone escarpment. On the way up and down this very steep section of track it is at times necessary to scramble with hands and feet. We return in time for lunch back in Newnes. Our 4WD vehicle then escorts us back to Katoomba.