To eat our Malaysian feast, we had a beef brisket curry. The flavour is actually subtle – definitely more subtle than its cousin the rendang. I can taste lemongrass and can see curry leaves. By this time we were all actually very full, but I’ve had a nice dinner or three since from the leftovers.
The Wentworth Falls area is criss-crossed by walking tracks. I hadn’t been on the Undercliff walk before and used it to get from the top of the falls to Princes Rock Lookout. It’s a fun little track that winds its way in and out of overhangs.
Princes Rock Lookout is probably the best in the area as it juts out into the valley, giving a real bird’s eye view of things.
I also got a look of just how many steps I’d climbed that day.
The discovery of the meal was salt and pepper eggplant. It was absolutely delish. The batter was light and not too oily or salty. The eggplant inside was soft and gooey. All in all, very more-ish. Pity that the waiter was over enthusiastic in disposing of it at the end of the meal or I could’ve enjoyed it for a bit more at home.
It’s been years since I’ve gone down the stairs from the top of Wentworth Falls. I’ve forgotten how step they were! My legs were a bit shaky by the time I got to the middle of the falls, where I could rest and soak up the view to the top.
It’s pretty standard fare. The prawns were lovely and crisp, but Om nom nom nom thinks the garlic isn’t strong enough. I think it’s nice but doesn’t really shine next to the chicken rice and satay.
I eventually ended up where I was a couple of months ago, back at the top of Wentworth Falls.
This time I wanted to see if I could get an alternative view, so I went around to Rocket Point Lookout, a little round walk above the top of the falls.
It gave not only a bird’s eye view of the falls but of the surrounding cliff tops. I like the white trunks of the gums. It reminds me a bit of the ghost gums in the Territory.
Ah, Hainan Chicken Rice… I had this dish last time and was so enthusiastic that Om nom nom nom wanted to try it, too. Well, they’ve maintained the standard (although it was strangely missing the soup this time). Still, it’s definitely the best chicken rice I’ve tasted recently. The tender chicken and flavoursome rice beats all the well-known city Malaysian outlets hands down.
At the end of the Charles Darwin walk I came across another waterfall, this time with a name: Weeping Rock Falls.
I suppose it’s because it falls rather gently over the rocks, or perhaps it’s a place of great sadness to someone or other? You decide.
I was back again at Satay Inn (seems like I can’t stay away). First up was a couple of skewers of chicken satay, or sate ayam in Bahasa. This satay has got plenty of ground coriander, tumeric, and of course, lots of ground peanuts.
I made a lunchtime visit to the State Library of NSW a few months ago, and was wonderfully surprised to find an exhibition about Charles Darwin, in particular, the time he spent in Australia while voyaging on the Beagle. It describes a visit he made to Wentworth Falls in 1836 while on the way to Bathurst. He wrote:
An immense gulf is suddenly & without any preparation seen through the trees… The class of view was quite novel & extremely magnificent.
High praise indeed from a man who had travelled extensively and was about to write a book that would change the world.
Having been to Wentworth Falls back in the autumn and seen the sign to the walk, I wanted to explore it for myself. It surprisingly starts off in the midst of civilisation – by the tennis court near the Great Western Highway.
I suppose there would have been no tennis courts back in 1836, nor would there have been any pine forests that the track passed through near the start, but it was quite lovely to have Jamieson Creek flowing alongside as it passes under overhangs and down little waterfalls.
It was also lovely to see the banksias and wattle out in force. Of course, there were plenty of birds taking advantage of the nectar. This one’s a lovely rosella.
Static and Silence 