Tuesday 20th January found me joining up with a couple of Shoalhaven Bushwalkers for a private walk near the town of Berry. Christine Huddle was keen to get a couple of steep walks under her belt before she heads off overseas to participate in some strenuous alpine walking and I had a good walk lined up just for her. Nicky Beardmore joined us when she heard we were walking to one of the Shoalhaven District's most famous walks and one she hadn't done before. Despite the forecast for an extremely hot summer's day I was confident we would have few problems on this short but very scenic walk to Drawing Room Rocks in the Barrengrounds Nature Reserve.

It was certainly a hot morning as I waited for Chris & Nicky to arrive at our designated meeting place next to Apex Park at the northern end of town at 9.30am. Not a cloud was visible in the sky, but there was also no breeze of any kind. Once they arrived we drove out the 7km to our starting point along the narrow (and in places) winding Woodhill Mountain Road. I had to be careful as I myself had only been on this walk once before and being about 18 months ago I was still uncertain about the exact location of the starting point. I knew our turnoff was on the other side of the Kangaroo Valley turnoff at Woodhill. The intersection on the right 200 metres later is not signposted at all and to the casual eye, looks like someone's private driveway. The road winds uphill for about 300 metres until we reach a private locked gate. Parking is on the narrow grass verge on the right and there is space only for about three small cars. A sign next to the gate proclaims "Drawing Room Rocks Bushwalk" the first signpost promoting the walk during the entire drive from Berry.

The walking track initially runs parallel to the fence line (350 metres above sea level) to the right of the gate and we made our way slowly uphill, first across a grassy area which soon becomes thick bush. We have a 250 metre ascent ahead of us. The track now ascends through the forest. It is shady and cool out of the sun, though the steep grade soon warms us up. We take time to rest during the climb. Obstacles include a number of fallen trees which have to be negotiated and a few rocks to step up over. At the first level area a signpost has been erected that states we are now entering Barrengrounds Nature Reserve. The track continues to ascend immediately afterwards.

The narrow track passes above steep scrub covered slopes and above are large rock formations. There are a number of false tracks heading off in different directions and we have to be wary on the return walk to avoid these. Soon we notice the track is utilising switchbacks to ascend higher. One false track worth following though was a narrow track heading at right angles to the right and uphill. This leads to the cliff edge and some nice views and has been dubbed 'False Lookout' after our leader took us up here by mistake 18 months ago. The narrow ledge gives views down to Coolangatta Mountain, but is really just a taster for what is to come.

Getting back on the main track we come to what appears to be a crossroads. A steep descending track appears to the left. To the right a faint track appears to head uphill across rocky steps and the occasional tree root. The track straight ahead lasts for 10 metres before disappearing at a rock slab. Our route is the one to the right, uphill and isn't too difficult despite the heat of the day, the canopy of the forest still providing cool shade. The vegetation suddenly changes from eucalypt forest to heathland shrubs and we find ourselves following the track through a tunnel of overgrown melaleuca, banksia and hakea as the track levels out and the canopy opens up to clear sky. The heat immediately hits us. A set of rocks to the left mark a narrow track which links this track to the main trails of Barrengrounds. Originally planned as an alternative route after Drawing Room Rocks, today's hot weather would have us deciding to take this trail another day.

The narrow overgrown track now crosses the plateau for 100 metres to come out at Drawing Room Rocks, and what a view awaits us (600 metres above sea level). We find ourselves standing on a cliff edge high above the surrounding countryside and the views are truly magnificent. We have a full coastal view from Gerroa all the way to Jervis Bay. The townships of Gerroa, Berry, Gerringong and Nowra stand out on miniature and the Shoalhaven River snakes its way to the ocean. Broughton Head (sometimes known as 'The Wedding Cake' due to its tiered appearance from certain angles) dominates to the south while to the east we can easily pick out Coolangatta Mountain and Moeyan Hill.

The view from Drawing Room Rocks looking south east to the Shoalhaven Bight with Mount Coolangatta dominating in the distance

The cliff edge itself though provides much interest as the weathered rock formations right on the edge resemble tables and chairs that give this viewpoint its name. We decide to stop here for morning tea and enjoy the views and locate a nice shady set of rocks to sit on. Despite the high elevation there is no breeze yet, though we notice clouds gathering in the west, all ready for this evening's forecast thunderstorms. Below us we can hear everyday sounds coming up from the valley below, everything from the mooing of cows, cars on the road and even the exited chatter of children in an unseen back yard. Occasional light breezes feel great on our sweat soaked backs, but not regular enough to keep us cool.

Our attention is now centred on movement on the rocks behind us as a number of skinks come out of hiding. These have to be the largest skinks I've ever seen, the bodies are quite thick and the length of the biggest were over 15 inches long. We watched entranced as these skinks chased each other or sun baked on the rocks not 10 feet from where we sat. Research later revealed these were Black Rock Skinks. Before moving off we had a look around the cliff edges to the south before returning to our packs.

The return journey was uneventful and certainly much faster than the walk in had been, or was it just the fact we were chatting so much we just didn't notice how far we had walked. As soon as we hit the shade of the forest we noticed a change in temperature and the going was made so much easier using trekking poles which took a lot of stress off our knees as we descended the steep slopes. We exited the forest and arrived at our cars just after midday where we decided to sit in the shade and enjoy out lunch on the grass before heading down to Berry and a well earned drink at the local pub.