A Lockley Story EarthCache
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Lockely's Pylon is in the Blue Mountains overlooking the junction of Govett's Creek and the Grose River.
“A Lockley Story”
Lockley’s (or Lockley) Pylon in the northern Blue Mountains National Park is a small peak atop a sandstone escarpment. To reach Lockley’s Pylon, an approximate 4km bushwalk from the Mt Hay Road near The Pinnacles will be required. A parking area with signage is at the walk start. In order to complete the cache, note will need to be taken on the walk from the Mt Hay Road of a number of features as well as observations from Lockley’s Pylon itself.
The National Parks Association of NSW’s “National Parks of Southern NSW” write concerning the Blue Mountains (pages 3 and 4)
“The vast bulk of the Blue Mountains comprises sedimentary deposits which were laid down in estuarine conditions…
As new layers were dumped on top, the underlying ones were compressed into solid rock. Later earth movements gave the Sydney Basin an eastward tilt, so that in the Blue Mountains the youngest rocks are those atop the plateau in the east, while the oldest outcrop in the floor of the western valleys.
…Before the uplift there was a series of minor volcanic intrusions. Magma was squeezed under pressure into small fissures in the rock, where it solidified. Being less resistant to weathering than sandstone, these fissures eroded first,….
The final stage in building the Blue Mountains involved a series of lava flows that covered the entire region…. The lava solidified to form basalt, a very fine grained rock which erodes to a rich red-brown soil. Over most of the area the basalt has been eroded away, leaving it as the uppermost layer on only the highest peaks: Mount Wilson, Mount Irvine, Mount Tootie, Mount Tomah, Mount Bell, Mount Banks, Mount Caley and Mount Hay in the north….
The famous Blue Mountains cliff faces form along joint planes, lines of weakness that divide the bedrock into roughly rectangular blocks.”
It will be best to do this walk/cache in clear weather. The Lockley track passes next to “The Pinnacles” (which afford magnificent views from on top) high on the side of the Fortress Creek valley. Note the vegetation deep in the valley. The track will ascend and descend about 30 to 50m in sections along this track which should cause little difficulty to anyone of moderate fitness. Note how the vegetation changes as you walk to Lockley’s Pylon. A sign on the track (which can be followed to Blue Gum Forest deep in the Grose Valley) will indicate Lockley’s Pylon.
A short ascent will bring you to the top, and in similar manner to The Pinnacles, you are afforded an uninterrupted 360º panorama of scenery which might only be described in terms of superlatives!
In order to complete the cache, you will firstly need photographic evidence of either your GPSr or both yourself and your GPSr on top of Lockley’s Pylon. Secondly, email me (via geocaching.com) the answers to the following questions.
1. Name three vegetation types passed on the way to GZ.
2. What might account for the vegetation types?
3. Most of the Govett’s Creek and Grose River valleys are lined with two distinct layers of sandstone. How might you account for the visible benches between layers on Mount Hay?
4. Looking slightly south of east, the buildings of Central Sydney can be discerned (on a clear day!). What does this tell us about the Blue Mountains uplift?
Please take care when completing this cache to remain only on formed tracks, particularly in heathland areas because of the very fragile ecology. Also note that the western side of Lockley’s Pylon (looking towards Govett’s Leap) rolls off to a vertical cliffline. The area is unfenced and care must be taken with children.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Abgr lbhe fheebhaqvatf naq ubj gurl punatr
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