| Time: | 8 hrs |
| Distance: | 20km |
| Fitness: | M |
| Skill: | M |
| Ascent: | 440m |
| Maps: | LPI Milton 8927-2N 1:25000 |
| LPI Tianjara 8927-1S 1:25000 | |
Introduction
Mt Talaterang is the impressive triple-layered peak visible from the Castle and Pigeon House Mountain. It can be reached by a reasonable walk from the Mt Bushwalker car park. There are good views from the various cliff edges along the way.
The walk is fairly well marked and signposted out to the lookout near Mt Bushwalker. Beyond the lookout, the track is rough and somewhat overgrown, and can be fairly difficult to follow. This section of the walk is wilderness and parties should be prepared accordingly. The track notes are less detailed than usual as a result.
The walk is good at most times of the year, but largely follows ridges so is best avoided in summer or on very hot days.
Access
The walk starts from the Mt Bushwalker car park on Little Forest Plateau.
Access is via Pointer Gap Rd. This is on the right about 50km south of Nowra, and 2.2km south of the turnoff to Fishermans Paradise. If you are coming from the south, it is on the left about 8km north of Milton, and 1.4km after the Lake Conjola Entrance Rd and turnoff to Yatte Yattah.
Follow Pointer Gap Rd as it winds around and up through Pointer Gap. Generally speaking it is good quality dirt road. Just after passing through the gap, there is a turnoff on the left to Pointer Gap Lookout. Keep going straight ahead for another kilometre or so to a T-intersection, where you turn right (left leads to Porters Creek Dam). It is about 4km from here to the Mt Bushwalker Car Park.
Track notes
From 26 Sep 2010, last checked 26 Sep 2010
Follow the tourist track out to the Mt Bushwalker lookout. This is easy going, across well graded fire trails, rock platforms and sections of duckboards. It is about 3.5km, or an hour's walk, and the views from the lookout are spectacular. The track does not actually cross Mt Bushwalker, and the lookout is actually on the western side of the mountain, on the cliff edges.
From Mt Bushwalker, backtrack about 20m and look for a faint track that leaves heading south east. If you can't find it, stay relatively close to the cliff edge and you should be able to pick it up. It drops down once to cross the creek that cuts through the cliff line at AGD537962 - avoid continuing down this gully as it will eventually lead to Claydons Creek. After about an hour or so you should reach Gadara Point.
The descent off Gadara Point via Gadara Pass involves a few rock scrambles. Scramble down into the slot next to the point, and head down the slot to the right. There is another scramble, and then a steep chute takes you to the bottom of this line of cliffs. Head along to the left for about 80m until you can walk down to the right through one more line of cliffs. Head SW under these, picking up a track leading down into the saddle. This passes around to the right of the obvious hill before dropping into the saddle on the far side of the hill. It is then a steep climb up to the northern point of Talaterang at Pallin Pass.
Pallin Pass is fairly easy, with just a couple of awkward spots. There are several small clifflines, and the route is essentially to keep to the left of the cliffs where there is any difficulty. The top section involves a narrow chute and possibly a crawl under a boulder.
Climb over the knoll, and along the ridge to the south to the upper cliffline. Follow the cliffline along to the SW for about 200m until you can scramble up through the cliffs and on to the top. There is a log book in the summit cairn on the SW side of the summit plateau.
After a break retrace your steps back to the Mt Bushwalker Car Park.