Stopping for the views en route
to Pigeon House Mountain
“Seemed like a good idea at the time, didn’t it fellas?”
We agree, having a chuckle, but then cursing this group of clearly much fitter walkers as we quickly lose sight of them up the steep track.
Greg (my brother in law) and I have stopped for a drink, panting heavily, only about 10 minutes into the climb from Pigeon House carpark to the distant summit.
“Mate, this is like a baptism by fire,” I remark. “There’s no easing into the climb, is there?”
“At least it’s only uphill for half the hike,” he offers.
We continue upwards, struggling for breath, but still managing to hold a conversation for the most part. Living so far away from each other, it’s great to be able get out and have some bonding time. He makes an excellent hiking buddy, especially since we’re both a bit out of shape .
As we approach the 500-metre mark, which feels like at least twice that distance, the relentless uphill dirt track gives way to a rocky scramble.
“Now we’re talking,” I exclaim. “I don’t mind the climb so much when it’s interesting like this.”
About half way into the scramble, there’s a large flat rocky section off to our right. We’re both more than happy to have a break at this point, so we veer off the track to check out the views and catch our breath.
When we decide to start climbing again, we’re pleasantly surprised to find that the track quickly flattens out. It’s a welcome relief, so for another kilometre or so we happily stroll the winding trail between wattles and banksias.
We even catch the occasional glimpse of the nipple-shaped summit. That’s right, I said nipple. This mountain looks unmistakably like a breast. Why’s it called Pigeon House then? Well, old mate Captain James Cook thought it resembled the top of a pigeon house from back home, when he spotted it from the HMS Endeavour back in 1770. It seems Cook was a frightful bore. Knock me down with a feather.
The local indigenous people, on the other hand, had long referred to the mountain as Didthul. This is said to be their word for its more obvious resemblance, so it’s probably no coincidence that the mountain was a special women’s place to Australia’s first inhabitants.
Whatever it resembles, it still seems like a bloody long way up from here.
Soon the flat, windy trail gives way to another steep section, where wooden steps supposedly help prevent erosion and help walkers negotiate the trail. They don’t actually seem to achieve either of these goals terribly well. Despite this section being less steep than the beginning of the trail, the steps seem to make it harder for me.
We’re thankful when we find ourselves at the base of an exposed rocky escarpment, with a steep staircase as our only way up. After climbing that, we walk a short distance to a series of staircases and even a couple of ladders, which take us very quickly up a crevasse to a spot near the summit.
“I’ll take ladders and staircases over those wooden steps any day!” Greg exclaims.
Knowing that we’re close to the summit now, we take our time and admire the views, the vegetation, and the wildlife. There are Monarch butterflies everywhere. We joke that all of our photos will probably be ruined because it’s hard to take one without a blurry butterfly or two in frame.
We spot a Cunningham’s Skink (one of the larger lizards in the Skink family) on the track in front of us and spend ages trying to get a decent photo of it without scaring it away. Unfortunately, we’re not very successful, so with the path to the summit unblocked we carry on.
We both gasp as the full view from the summit reveals itself. Nothing could have prepared me for this. The Budawang Ranges look spectacular from here, and we can clearly see their most well-known features – The Castle, Byangee Mountain, Shrouded Gods Mountain.
On a good day, they say you can see everything from Jervis Bay to Bermagui from Pigeon House Mountain. I’m not that familiar with the area so I don’t know exactly what I’m looking at, but it’s all incredible.
Need to know
Time (hrs/min): 3 - 4 hours
Grade: Moderate to Hard / Grade 4 (According to the Australian Walking Track Grading System)
Style: Return
Region: New South Wales
Park: Morton National Park / Budawang Wilderness Area
Closest Town: Milton (30 km)
Map: No map is necessary
Further Info: Best taken on in the warmer months, and definitely not during rain. Bring sturdy footwear, sufficient water and snacks. Children must be supervised at all times. There are many cliffs along the walk, and to reach the summit you will need to climb steep staircases and ladders. Do not walk off track in this area as it was once an artillery impact area and unexploded ordinance remains. A long-drop toilet is available at the carpark.
Getting There: From the Milton traffic lights, turn west into Croobyar Rd. At the junction follow Woodburn Rd. Turn right into Clyde Ridge Rd then right into Yadboro Rd. After 4.4 km take the signed turn-off to Pigeon House Mountain.
Have you visited Pigeon House Mountain? Got it on your bucket list? If you have any stories, updates or corrections, please let us know by commenting below.
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