The Mann River was roaring down the valley, some 400m below our perch at the lookout. With recent rain, we could both see and hear the rapids. We also climbed to the trig beacon, for more views.
We didn’t see any of the brush tail rock wallabies which frequent these granite rocks. Once common, rock wallaby populations crashed after they were hunted as a pest by settlers, eaten by foxes, and forced to compete with feral goats for food resources. Only small colonies survive in national parks today. We were fortunate to see some inquisitive rock wallabies on the Green Gully Track in Oxley Wild Rivers.
Tommy McPherson was a local Aboriginal stockman, bushranger and gold digger. Born near Guyra in 1840, he was educated by his adoptive settler family. In 1877, he killed a man and lived as a fugitive until he was shot dead by police in 1879 at a the Bald Nob hotel some 10kms from this spot. His spirit lives around here in the form of a Wallaroo guarding his secret gold mine.
We visited Tommy’s Lookout by 4WD (no trailers), but it could also be tackled on an adventure motorcycle if conditions are dry and you are comfortable with the steep ascent and descent. NPWS advertise it as a Grade 5 bush walk, but a 9km dirt road with huge erosion humps would not be my idea of a fun walk.
