It would be a "real local tragedy" if the Sublime Point walking track weren't to reopen, said a Wollongong man who's climbed it more than 300 times.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The extremely steep path from Foothills Rd in Austinmer to Sublime Point at Bulli Tops is hugely popular for the intense exercise it demands, with the upper part of the track consisting of steps and ladders bolted into the escarpment rock.
The track has been closed since August 2022 after heavy rains produced landslides and the closure has now dragged on into 2023, with the track regarded as too risky to safely open.
But the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) is now having to consider whether the repair works needed would be too difficult and too expensive to be worthwhile, with a geotechnical investigation to report in the coming months on whether it can be stabilised - or stay closed for good.
Austinmer dad Andrew Wade estimates (conservatively) he has made the climb more than 300 times - including when he has climbed it 20 times in a week to raise money for poverty alleviation projects in Tanzania.
"I think it would be a real local tragedy to lose it," he said.
"It's such a unique place to go. It's really great bang for your buck if you're doing it for fitness, and it's a really accessible way to get to the top of the escarpment and check out the view over our awesome local area.
"It's been an incredible drawcard over the years, with many people coming from Sydney or the state to check it out, and it's been the site of hard yards in fundraising for great causes.
"It's been a place I've taken my kids when they were really young on an adventure, It's a place where I've spent many laps getting myself ready for an overseas snow trip, getting the quads in order.
"So we'd lose a lot if we lost Sublime Point."
It would be a real local tragedy to lose it
- Andrew Wade
NPWS said the problem was not any specific damage to either the track or the ladders, but rather the chance of land and rock slipping had been judged too risky to allow the track to open.
"The significant rainfall events in 2022 [have] increased the instability of the Illawarra Escarpment, particularly around Sublime Point, and the risk of rock falls and landslides," a NPWS spokeswoman said.
"In the interest of public safety, NPWS took the decision to temporarily close the track in August 2022 and has engaged a geotechnical expert to review the risk assessment.
"The report will be finalised in the next few months and will include estimated costs of any works required to safely re-open the track."
Some devotees of the track ignore the "closed" signs and slip around barriers to make the climb, but NPWS advised people not to do this.
"Public safety of visitors to national parks is NPWS highest priority and we ask that no one accesses the track while these safety assessments are underway," the spokeswoman said.
Closing the track for good would be likely to be met with an uproar, as hundreds of people make the climb each day when the weather is good.
- Our news app has had a makeover, making it faster and giving you access to even more great content. Download The Illawarra Mercury news app in the Apple Store and Google Play.