The 2025 Nightgaine will be held in the part of Springwood that is north of the Great Western Highway.

There will be a variety of terrain, with urban areas linking parks, creeks and gullies. The trails range from fire trails to narrow bush tracks, linked by footpaths and roads. With the bush tracks never being too far from civilization, this is an ideal location to try a Nightgaine for the first time or test your skills on some of the more challenging sections.

Note that there will be no solo option available for either event due to safety concerns. Furthermore, a condition of gaining approval from Blue Mountains City Council to conduct this event is that when you are on the road after dark you must utilise your head lamp and either wear a top with reflective material back and front or a high vis vest. Some of the roads that you may travel on for short distances are narrow and poorly lit.

For any newbies to Nightgaines, there will be a fun section of the course along safe, easy to follow bush tracks that will still challenge you to pay attention! There will be some suggested routes to take if you need help planning.

The features of the course include:

• A super loop trail along two creeks.
• Possibility of seeing glow worms (you’ll have a better chance of seeing the glow worms if you choose the 5 hour event, unless you are quite speedy).
• The extensive bushland grounds of St Columba’s Catholic College, a Seminary from 1909 until 1977 and a High School since 1979. (Note: St Columba’s Catholic College grounds are usually not open to the public so we are grateful for the access for this event.)
• Other less travelled tracks through bush areas and gullies behind local parks and reserves.
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Why “A Spring in the Woods”?

The earliest inhabitants of the Springwood district were the Darug people who populated the area for many thousands of years before European settlement. Beginning in 1789, several explorers passed through the area and a road was built under the direction of William Cox. In May, 1815, Governor and Mrs Macquarie set out with a large party on a twenty-one day trip over the Western Road. One of the places chosen to make a camp is now called Springwood. Macquarie wrote in his diary:

“We then halted at three o’clock in a very pretty wooded plain near a spring of very good fresh water, and pitched our tent near the side of the road. This stage is 12 miles from Emu Ford and our first on the Mountains. This place being very pretty I have named it Spring Wood.”

(Note: Evidently the purpose of the journey was the first attempt at setting an Explorergaine at Mount Victoria.)