We stopped to climb Killiekrankie Mountain while touring Horseshoe Road.
Killiekrankie is a steep trachyte dyke that forms part of the anicent Ebor volcano, active 18 million years ago. Even if you aren’t a geologist or amateur rock-lover, its hard not to notice the dyke as you climb the spine to the lookouts.
Though this walk is short, the vegetation is diverse and interesting. The track climbs first through wet sclerophyll forest of brush box, tallowwood and Sydney blue gum. There is a pocket of rainforest below the cliffs, including in the picnic area where we enjoyed our lunch. At the summit, small hardy mountain mahogany has adapted to the exposure and soils.
The Gondwana rainforests, including New England National Park, were added to the World Heritage List in 1986 in recognition of their outstanding natural heritage values. Looking out from the 1013m high summit of Killiekrankie Mountain, you will gain an appreciation of the large New England wilderness area that provides undisturbed refuge for fauna and flora. A second lookout toward the south east follows the Nambucca valley to the sea.
