Manning Lookout Track

[Hughmac]

I notice there are no posts on this track, so thought I would just give a quick rundown for anyone unfamiliar with it. Went out this morning on one of those cracking Highlands mornings with frost everywhere and impossibly blue skies and it was just magic. The track is about 5km return along the edge of the escarpment overlooking Kangaroo Valley. I haven't been able to find much on its history, but I suspect it may have been built as an employment project during the depression - it has an amazing series of hand cut and hand built steps, most of which are still in very good order, and make the track fairly accessible - would probably be a NPWS G3 (except they don't acknowledge its existence, and actually tried to close it 'for regeneration' about 5 years ago. However walkers chose to vote with their feet, and they now actually maintain it). It consists of a series of five lookouts, only the first of which is securely fenced. Two and three have had their fences removed, while the framework remains at four and five, with the cyclone mesh mostly detached.
The vegetation along the walk is interesting if you're that way inclined. Starting off it winds through a large thicket of tea trees before opening up to a forest dominated by Sydney peppermints and silver-top ash. There are mallees growing along the clifflines, and a profusion of ferns and mosses in different parts of the track. There is also a beautiful rainforest gully dominated by coachwoods between lookouts 3 and 4, with a 10m waterfall at its head. The forest appears never to have been logged, which is pretty unusual of itself - there are some magnificent Sydney peppermints and big coachwoods still growing that would almost certainly have fallen to the axe had the forest ever been logged back in the day. It also obviously a very long time since the forest has burned - also quite rare in this day and age.
Between lookouts 4 and 5 you come to a small waterfall dropping into a lovely rockpool that makes a great spot to cool off on a Summer day - you'll know you're getting close when you reach a thicket of tall, thin Melaleucas growing in a muddy swamp (you will get muddy feet here). About 30m below the rockpool the stream runs over the cliffline in a waterfall very similar to Fitzroy Falls, and about 50m high. Getting a clear look at it will require a short bush bash around a gully to the north of the falls, which brings you to a couple of rocky points overlooking the falls.
Lookout 5 has only recently been re-discovered, and is accessed via a less distinct track, that is however marked with the ubiquitous pink tape if you do start to lose your way. It leads up to a rocky ridge covered with scribbly gums, exhibiting all the quirks they do when growing in poor conditions. After these the track winds past a couple of interesting, wind eroded rock formations, then through a stand of lush grass trees, before reaching the lookout. From here its a return trip to the carpark.
Despite being a short, relatively easy walk, it is one of the most rewarding walks in the Highlands, and well worth spending half a day on. Unfortunately it would not be suitable for young children due the numerous potentially deadly falls you encounter along it.

[DJ Wombat]

I've done this one a few times. Farthest I've reached was an unnamed waterfall 1.5km passing Lost Lookout. That could be the one you mentioned as similar to Fitzroy Falls.
I'm yet to try keep on bashing along the cliffline until reaching Millers Creek then Blakemans Lookout/Hole In The Wall then all the way down to Upper Kangaroo Valley, however need another car pick up at Bunker Hill Rd.

[johnw]

Thanks Hughmac, nice report.
I tried to walk this track many years ago.
Back then we were only able to travel a fairly short distance before it became horribly overgrown and impossible to continue.
Sounds like things have improved, so I'll put it on my to-do list.