WITH the State re-opened for travel anywhere the urge takes you, the Hassans Walls Reserve has re-emerged as Lithgow's most visited tourist attraction.
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Over the weekend there was again a constant stream of tourists mixing it with the locals and enjoying the ambience of what is surely right up there with the most inspiring panoramas in our region.
(It was disturbing to note that despite the popularity of the cliff top gift of nature there was not a single litter bin to be found when the column dropped in).
Recently there has been a suggestion that the road on the western side of the reserve, from Hassans Walls Road, should be reserved for cyclists and walkers with vehicle access only from the Vale of Clwydd end.
It's a suggestion with some merit but not really practical; tourism is the name of the game and detouring visitors away from the city centre would not go down well with the business sector.
But there's no denying that section of road is narrow and potentially dangerous with no safety rails on the worst mountainside locations.
If change is needed then a better alternative would be to introduce one way traffic west to east and even that might not go down well.
In the short term some safety railing and litter bins would be a big help.
No one's helping
THE Landcare group seeking to protect the Turon River from the degradation by out of control elements of the off roader fraternity is between a rock and a hard place.
No one in authority wants to know them. The problem is the area along the river is a mix of crown and private land and the Crown Land people are notoriously difficult to deal with.
The EPA and National Parks are no help either. Quite rightly Lithgow Council can not spend money in such circumstances but we would have hoped State Member Paul Toole could have pulled a few strings.
The Turon River is in real and present danger from off road hooning, a danger well known for years to anyone game to venture into the Newnes Plateau at weekends.
Bitter memories
IT'S the half year anniversary of the most destructive bushfires in Lithgow's recorded history. It was an exercise in sheer terror that will forever linger with those who lived through it and those who battled to control the rampaging beast. Six months on and many who lost everything are still struggling with the aftermath.
Sardine Central
THE scariest piece of news in recent days was not the epidemic but the confident prediction that Sydney will need another million homes in less than twenty years. More featureless tower blocks and equally bland new suburbs blotting out what's left of Sydney Basin farm land. They really are trying to squeeze two litres into a one litre jar to see when it will break. It's coming.
Dumped by 'Mum'
YOU know who your friends are when the important issues are at stake. When the two way vote was called last week for the women's soccer World Cup venue our good old Mother Country voted for the other side, Colombia.
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China voted for Australia and we won despite Britain's treachery. I knew we couldn't trust the Poms. Bring on the republic.
Easily spooked
IN the pandemic world it doesn't take much to cause a stampede in the herd.
Infection figures on the rise in Victoria and almost overnight our supermarket well stocked toilet paper shelves were stripped bare, forcing the reintroduction of purchase limits.
Where will it end?
