Overview

Wentworth Falls has several well travelled passes above and below the clifflines including Undercliff, Overcliff, National Pass, Shortcut Track, Vera Falls and Hippocrene Falls Tracks. Stonehaven Pass is a little visited pass between them.This very short trip visited the Pass and its lookouts as well as the hoist that was used to build National Pass.

Aerial View

The route starts at the Wentworth Falls car park at the end of Falls Road. It follows the track past the old shelters down towards Den Fenella. After less than 100m a reasonable looking pad appears on the left - this is Stonehaven Pass.

Stonehaven Pass

There are several short tracks off to towards the South that terminate in old lookouts. There’s a small swamp crossing where Bewleys Creek descends from the plateau, but otherwise easy and level.

The 2nd lookout is Bill Wilsons Lookout, reminisence of Tarpian Rock. The remanants of old railings remain.

Followed shortly by Cashmans Lookout with chipped stone steps.

Then comes Murphy’s Spiral Lookout, a cosy lookout with room for one at the top.

These are all within 60m of each other, and sometimes visible from the previous one.

Next time you’re on the Undercliff Track glance up and you may spot some of the old railings.

The end of Stonehaven Pass comes quickly at the Princes Rock tourist track. It would be impossible to spot Stonehaven from that end as there’s no sign of any track.

20m up the tourist track is one of Mulherens Wells.

But following down towards Princes Rock Lookout the Undercliff Track crosses.

Turning right at Undercliff back towards Den Fenella another Mulheren Well is quickly reached.

Hoist

Directly opposite it is a faint track that heads towards the clifftop. Following this soon leads to a tiger snake warming itself in the sun underneath a rudimentary hoist, right on the edge of the cliff.

The hoist is an amazing piece of abandoned equipment and still in relatively good order. Most parts are still moveable. The boom reachs out over the precipice and was used to lower materials down to the National Pass builders 100m below.

It possibly dates from late 1940s to early 1950s. The shoe brake would probably now be ineffective, but the cable and gear mechanism would still move.

Leaving the hoist and passing the bridge at Den Fenella, we continued along the Undercliff for another 100m to a faint track towards the clifftop. It soon got us to Lady C Lookout, a spacious lookout with excellent views, and an old wall rather than railings. Three large ancient banksias would provide shade on the level area.

Stats

45 minutes to an hour
Distance 3km
Ascent 120m
Time: 1:00