Mystery Faces, Torrington State Forest

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Posted 2023-05-06 by Susan J Bowes ⇒ follow

The Torrington State Forest and Conversation Area is situated southwest of Tenterfield . If driving from the north, you will turn right onto Stannum Road, just before the town of Deepwater. As you drive through the small village of Torrington, there is a sign showing you the way to the Mystery Faces. The road at this stage is still bitumen but narrow.

After approximately two and a half kilometres, you will come to the Butlers Road turnoff where the road becomes unsealed, and you may require to change to two or four-wheel drive.

Torrington is the place where the Aboriginal Dreamtime stories come alive through the traditional owners are Ngarrabul, Marbul, Bigambul and Jukumbal people. The area is significant for waterways, wildlife and plants. There are more than seven hundred and fifty plant species in the area including some forty-five threatened species. Spring is always the most beautiful of seasons there; however, my visit was in May when the air was fresh and the days were not so hot for climbing and hiking.

After parking my car in the parking area, I started on the grassy/sandy path towards the rock formations. There are barbeques and wooden tables and chairs on the grounds; however, they are chained to a block of concrete, so they cannot be removed. It is a shame that the necessity of this level of security has come to state forests.

The first part of the trek was approximately six hundred metres before a fork in the bush depicts different routes; one directly to the Mystery Faces , which was another two hundred metres or one via Westminister Rocks and would take approximately one point four kilometres. Whether you are a regular bushwalker or not, this is a pleasant walk but there are times when you need to walk over rock boulders, ascend or descend rock steps, so always be vigilant and if the area has experienced heavy rain, perhaps it is better to wait until another time.

When I started walking across the boulders, arrows on the rock surfaces showed me the way. Although I did not come across any wildlife on my journey, the bird calls within the park were unique and loud.

It was quite with awe that at the end of the loop track, I came across several Mystery Granite Rock Faces depicting man, sheep, and dog or perhaps when you take this trek, you will see something else in the Faces. I felt transported back in Dreamtime when giants roamed the Earth as this was truly a remarkable experience.