Berghofers Pass
Early motor vehicles could not cope with the steep grades on Mitchells Victoria Pass. Berghofer’s Pass was built as an alternative route.
Work started on Berghofer’s Pass in 1907. The route was opened in 1912 and it was the only route used until newer motor vehicles were developed that could handle the steeper grades on Victoria Pass.
Victoria Pass was reopened in 1920 and both routes were used until Berghofer’s Pass was closed in 1934.
Address:
Easiest place to park for this walk is the small parking lot at the beginning of Berghofers drive, a dirt road off of Mount York road in Mount Victoria.
Distance:
-Bergofers pass is a chill and easy 4.5km return Easy track. About 90 minutes to complete. Downhill one way and up on the return. Quite kid friendly.
-To make a loop of it, walking Berghofers pass, Great Western Hwy and returning down Lockyers Road is about 17km & 8 hours. Hard
-The Loop of Lawson’s long Alley and Lockyer’s road is 11 km. (Medium)
-Cox’s road/Mt York road/Lockyers road is 12km (Medium/Hard) and follows the final section of the original road across the mountains as well as providing access to some convict built elements.
These longer walks all explore some great historic early European routes.
On this day we done the Berghofers Pass walk. An easy walk that is perfect for meandering and mind wandering. Lots of pretty views with a little bit of a history tour to entertain. Signs are posted quite regularly to tell the story of the road, why it was built and how.
Did you know Mount Victoria was originally called One Tree Hill but was renamed in 1868 to honor Queen Victoria?
The Blue Mountains Shire and Blaxland Shire boundaries were made solid during the building of the pass.
Berghofer was the first president of Blaxland Shire and of German descent. In 1916 the people Successfully lobied the state and federal governments to have the rights to vote or serve in council removed from anyone of German descent. His name carved in the cliffs above was deliberately defaced during the second world war. It was not until 70 years later that his descendants recarved his name into the rocks.
This stone viaduct is a part of Mitchell’s 1832 Victoria pass. Known in the past as Vittoria Pass
Some interesting and very old hand layed stonework still exists in good condition today.
Lovely colours and textures on the cliff faces. Both the carved ones and the natural ones.
A beautiful carved trough in the cliff face. For the watering of horses and border collies.
And here we are at the bottom of the road.
The car is up there somewhere :).
So now there is nothing to be done except turn around and do it all in reverse. Up we go!
Definitely one of the more chilled out walks I have done and I leave here just a little bit smarter then I was when I started the day!
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