RPM Twilight at Wentworth Falls

20 January 2024 / Story & Photos by Chris Wyatt

McDonald's at Emu Plains was a first for the chapter meet-up point. Off the highway but near to the best routes means, that it is a quiet starting point for a trip up the mountains.

The usual suspects arrived in the late summer afternoon heat to enjoy light refreshments and a catch up before following Graham and Gillian west up the Old Bathurst Road.  This was the route of the first commercial road up the lower mountains but was soon replaced by the Mitchells Pass as the hair-pin turns were too sharp for the Oxen carts. No trouble for the MX-5 though.

Reaching Blaxland, we crossed the railway bridge to queue at our first traffic lights to join the tail end of the evening peak hour up the Western Highway through Warrimoo and Springwood to the historic town of Faulconbridge, site of not only The Corridor of Oaks but the homes of Sir Henry Parkes, Sir James Martin and the infamous Norman Lindsay.

The heat was still too much for a few of us running top-up and air on, but I noticed at least three of the six cars with the tops down, true stalwarts. We snaked up through the mid mountains with the sun slowly setting in front of us. Turning into Wentworth Falls village and over the railway we turned left to follow the railway and find the lovely Wentworth Falls Lake. Originally a swamp fed by a creek it was dammed to provide water for the steam engines pulling the trains up the mountains and soon became home for a multitude of fauna. Council has over the years developed a park and picnic area attracting people from miles around to a most pleasant outing.

Arriving around 6:30, we parked our cars in line and wandered over to the picnic area to find a waiting table with a great view of the lake. Setting the table with the compulsory cloth, Jacqui broke out the cheese and biscuits sharing them around as we all made ourselves comfortable. Everyone had brought along a range of cold foods and salads consuming them as the conversation warmed up and the day cooled down. Catching up with each other after the long break we were entertained by the children around us chasing and feeding the ducks as the sun slowly dipped over the horizon.

The dark was approaching as we returned to our cars and enjoyed a top-down descent of the mountain in the pleasant evening air.

Thanks to Ron and Jacqui, Jackie, Rob, Jason and most of all Gillian and Graham for letting us enjoy a great twilight run. Barbara and Chris.