A discussion was held between friends, and the options for the day were laid out. It was either we play Dungeons and Dragons (DnD), or we go on a hike. Just as a point of clarification, I have never played DnD before, and I don’t think I quite understand it. I also can’t quite wrap my head around how these were the two (polarising) options for activities, but I guess that’s the perks of having cool friends. What was set in stone however, irrespective of the chosen activity, was the apple pie that we would be sharing, from Taste of Aromatic Bakery at Revesby.
Given the immaculate weather on the day, the decision was made to do the hike. The hike was more so an excuse to catch up with friends, and thus it was decided to do the brief and straightforward trail to Mermaid Pools. The walk was also a further excuse to travel south, and pass the aforementioned bakery.
Getting There:
The trail for Mermaid Pools begins from the Southern side of Rockford Road bridge. Here there is a carpark which is 2WD accessible (though I wouldn’t recommend driving here with a Porsche) with ample parking available.
The Eats:
Taste of Aromatic Bakery in Revesby is your traditional Sydney-based Vietnamese bakery. With all manner of baked goods (including the best apple-pie in town), and Banh Mi, it was our first stop on the way.
The eats for this hike were split. Given how hungry we all were, it was decided to have a quick picnic of Banh Mi by the Bargo River before we started the trail. The world-class apple-pie would be left for our return. A selection of chicken schnitzel and lemongrass chicken rolls was consumed (with the latter being my pick of the two).
The Hike:
The hike itself is a more a walk in the park. The trail is situated on the eastern banks of the Bargo River, and follows the river north. Being a popular and accessible trail, be prepared to share this path with all manner of civilians (and their dogs). There are a few notable spots for swimming in the river, with swinging ropes hanging from picturesque trees.
There are a few minor areas of easy climbing (with a total elevation change of 70m metres) where the path veers north-east and away from the river, before the trail descends again to the famous Mermaid Pools.
Accesst to the pool is limited to two cliff jumps There is ample signage warning of the dangers of jumping into the pool, as well as the limited access out again. I personally have too many commitments to entertain the idea of a broken arm or concussion, so I didn’t jump. Nor did any of my friends. Maybe it’s a side effect of being over 30?
In any case, the pools were very pretty. As opposed to extreme rock-jumps, we took the opportunity to do a group meditation session, guided by our very own Valerie. It was a little difficult to focus on ones breath between the constant barrage of mosquitos, but I’m glad we shared this experience anyway. From the pools, there is the opportunity to continue the hike further onto Tahmoor Canyon, however this is a much more demanding walk, and we were in company. We’ll save this one for another time when it’s just Ira and I.
We followed the trail back the same way we came, for a total there-and-back-again length of just under three kilometers.
The Eats (Again):
This was the highlight of the day. This apple pie, had inspired the gathering. The rest of the plans were irrelevant, everything was centred around this particular event. The most perfect apple pie. Pastry so crumbly and buttery it would bring tears to Adriano Zumbo’s eyes. Even George Calombaris would pay his staff proper wages if they could prepare a pie-filling so perfectly balanced between sweet and tart, so impeccably spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg. Suffice to say, the pie did not disappoint. I also hope this apple pie keeps bring my friends and I together for years to come.
