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Sugar Pine Walk Memories

Acknowledgement of Country The State Forests of NSW are home to Aboriginal people from many nations, countries and tribes. As managers of the forests today, Forestry Corporation of NSW acknowledges and respects the traditional lore and First Nations people whose land we work on and will continue to do so.

Written and compiled by Forestry Corporation of NSW. Design – Ross Longley. Published by Forestry Corporation of NSW. FCNSW0738 © State of New South Wales through Forestry Corporation of NSW 2020. www.forestrycorporation.com.au This publication was produced to mark the loss of the Sugar Pine Walk, with a limited number printed and distributed to finalists in the commemorative photo competition. The ebook version is freely available from our website.

Foreword The Sugar Pine Walk was a special place. Anyone who visited the site will have appreciated the majesty of the towering pine trees. The 2019-20 bushfire season sadly destroyed the Sugar Pine Walk. While our thoughts remain with those who have lost homes and even loved ones through bushfires, we wanted to mark the passing of this iconic landmark and the connection and memories shared by those who have visited over the years. The commemorative photo competition and this resulting book were our way of highlighting its beauty and passing. We were overwhelmed by the response and the stories people shared with us. My appreciation to everyone who contributed and shared their experiences of the site. While the former Sugar Pine Walk is now removed, a replacement is in the planning. Seeds and seedlings from the former site have been collected for propagation and replanting. While it will take many decades to regrow, we are pleased to have started the process for future generations to experience. Dean Anderson Snowy Regional Manager Forestry Corporation of NSW Photos © Forestry Corporation of NSW

The Sugar Pine Walk The iconic Sugar Pine Walk was one of the most striking spots in the NSW forest estate, with majestic pine trees nearly a century old. Sugar Pine (Pinus lamertina) is native to the west coast of America and is the largest and tallest of all pine species. The Sugar Pine Walk site was planted in 1928 when a range of different exotic species were being trialled by the forestry industry. The Sugar Pine Walk was a special place for many of us and one of the region’s striking tourist attractions; some of our staff were even married there. In January 2020, the Dunns Road bushfire swept through 330,000 hectares of land in the Snowy Valleys. The devastation of the 2020 Dunns Road bushfire sadly meant the Sugar Pine Walk was destroyed and had to be removed. This photobook captures some of the magic and memories that made the Sugar Pine Walk such a special place for so many in the community.

The commemorative photo competition To commemorate the Sugar Pine Walk, Forestry Corporation held a photo competition, inviting photographers to share their favourite memory of the Sugar Pine Walk with an image and short caption on what made it so memorable. Photographers have each managed to catch a different aspect to the forest, with the 383 entries each demonstrating the beauty of the former site. The top 60 finalists are featured in this photo book to commemorate the iconic walk. Congratulations to overall winner Michael Harris for his photograph ‘Winterlong’, on page 49 and the other finalists featured.

Trunk to Canopy Courtney Whitton This photo was taken on December 25, 2019. Special to see as I had been wanting to visit for some time and to hear they had been burnt just one week later made it even more memorable because I would not have that opportunity again.

From Little Things… Big Things Grow Brad Smith I enjoyed a weekend in Tumbarumba with some photography friends and we made several trips to the Sugar Pine Walk, including one at dawn. While the scale of the fully grown trees is amazing, I was drawn to some of the smaller seedlings sprouting on the forest floor. I wondered who was here when these huge trees started life this size, and who would be here from another generation when this seedling was fully grown. I also remember humming the Paul Kelly song to myself as I took this photo.

First Snow Jeanine Avery In August 2019, I travelled to the Sugar Pine Walk from Sydney with my husband Steven after seeing the weather forecast for snow. This was our second visit to the Sugar Pine Walk and the thought of experiencing the walk in the snow was well worth taking a day away from the office. When we arrived we could see a light fall of snow had covered the forest floor and during our walk it started to snow. We are so grateful to have enjoyed this magical experience.

Sitting in Forest Snow Jeanine Avery In August, 2019, I spent a weekend in Tumut my husband Steven. We awoke to falling snow and headed out to the Sugar Pine Walk where we found the forest floor covered in snow. It was such an amazing sight. We walked through the forest and found a log to sit on to enjoy the view together. We felt so small amongst the forest giants. It was a truly memorable experience!

Beyond the Lens Annemarie Bolduc The Sugar Pine Walk has been the muse of many photographers and filmmakers, and we are from those who participated in the immortalisation of this forest. In between rides from home in Tumbarumba and the family farm in Batlow, we sometimes just stopped for a walk through the pines. Once stepping in the forest, time stopped, like a picture made through a lens. But there is no better souvenir than the ones taken with all our senses at 360 degrees. This photograph, captured in September 2019, was in our last session.

Fallen from Grace Nahum Ferguson This image was taken in early July 2019 during a family adventure to the Sugar Pine Walk. The sugar pines and this image in particular remind me of this family outing and of the beauty of nature in its entirety, every little intrinsic detail complementing each other to develop a majestic landscape. This image reminds me of the joyous experience which was walking along the snowy path and soaking up the beauty of the world and how lucky we are to be a part of it.

Untitled Marko Babic This photo was taken on my first and only visit to the Sugar Pine Walk. I had seen photos of the walk online and decided I had to see it and photograph it for myself. I took this photo early in the morning and I remember that it was freezing. There was nobody else around and the thing that stuck with me was how peaceful and quiet it was.

Untitled Marko Babic

Saudade Jess Bowen Sugar Pine Walk was one of my most treasured places as a child. My family and I used to camp nearby and the Sugar Pine Walk was our second home and constant playground. My brother and I revisited it for the first time in 2015 and it immediately took us back to nostalgic moments in time, where we were young and free. We’ve named this photo ‘Saudade’. Saudade is a deep emotional state of nostalgic or profound melancholic longing for an absent something or someone. We will forever remember and cherish our times in the Sugar Pine Walk.

Stairway to Sugar Pine Heaven Ya Lang Enke This photo was taken on our way home from a snow trip to Mount Selwyn. It was a cold and windy day driving to the Sugar Pine Walk and we were super excited to see snow falling along the way. When we arrived, we were in awe by the size of the trees, the beauty of walking through the Sugar Pine Walk and the light dusting of snow topped it off for us. A very beautiful location which will be sadly missed.

Timber Jessie Cacafranca The natural mossy green you can find in the Sugar Pine Walk. I can’t help myself but to capture the beauty of nature.

The Magic of Sugar Pine Sandra Dann “Into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul.” - John Muir This image was taken in 2018 and I wanted to share how magical it felt in my creative mind. The forest had a presence that was calming and surreal, there are not many places that give this feeling of “being one with nature”. I felt these trees could reach that inner part of the soul and invite me to come back to photograph time and time again. Never will I feel that magic again. RIP old friend.

Fallen Jim Gavin En route to the Snowys in 2019 I visited the Sugar Pine Walk for the first time on September 25. Arriving before first light in the crisp morning air, I wandered in awe amongst the giant pines. For three hours I had this place all to myself, taking in the quiet, the beauty and chasing the golden rays of sunlight as it filtered through from the distant horizon. I vowed to return this year hoping for a dusting of snow. Sadly January’s devastating fires put an end to that. So grateful I have this to remember my only experience.

Amongst Giants Jim Gavin

Engagement Tiffany Hulm This photo captured the day I said yes to the love of my life on February 9th, 2019. Sean chose to propose on the day that marked our half a decade together. He dropped to one knee in the forest where we had always anticipated we would get married. It was a truly beautiful place and although we were unable to tie the knot amongst the tall pines due to the January 2020 fires, it will always play a massive and magical part in our love story.

Grandeur Marianne Fowler This photo is a self portrait I made on my first ever visit to the Sugar Pine Walk. I decided to take some self portraits and put on a long red dress for it because I liked the drama it adds to an already dramatic location. I also like the way adding a figure to the scenery shows the scale and grandeur of the sugar pines.

The Path Less Travelled Marianne Fowler This image was taken beyond the iconic aisle through the centre of the Sugar Pine Walk, up the top where not everyone ventures. This spot is just as special to me as the main aisle. I love the way the afternoon sunlight is hitting the tops of the trees, that you can see their glorious greenery and the path to me looks so inviting and evokes feelings of curiosity to explore.

Sugar Pine Jimmy de Wall The Sugar Pine Walk was one of the first local attractions I was shown, when I first moved to the region back in 2004. For me, a mist-shrouded Sugar Pine leaves more to the viewer’s imagination, asking questions of itself in the process.

Comfort - Forest Floor Craig Green I grew up in the Southern Highlands - I’m a Robbo Boy! So many hours playing and exploring the many pine tree patches me around definitely left an impression on me - a place I feel truly comfortable in. I moved to the South Coast/Illawarra in 1980 and developed an appreciation for the coast, the beaches and the ocean, and a love of photography. How great it has been to be able to visit the Sugar Pine Walk over the years and rekindle that deep appreciation for the forest!

Tree Magic Craig Green The Sugar Pine Walk was and is one of my most favourite places — it was a place my son Mitch and I would always visit on the way back from our road trips. On this occasion, sadly our last visit in 2018, we had driven down from Berry specifically to take some more pics. We’d slept in the car nearby, had wild brumbies come visit us during the night ... magical. And then THAT golden light just after sunrise .... truly a magical place!

Evening Star Craig Green This shot was taken in 2018 — I’d just purchased a new lens for my camera and was keen to try it out — my son mentioned that it had been a while since we had visited the Sugar Pine Walk. We drove down Monday afternoon, straight to the forest and made it in time for a quick sunset session — this is one of those shots. We then headed to the Tumbarumba Hotel, and had two of the best schnitzels for dinner we’d ever had! Later we headed back to the forest and slept in our car, woken just after midnight by the sound of wild brumbies nearby. Next morning, we woke early for sunrise walk through this magical place!

Self Portrait Craig Green From a visit in 2016, one of my favourite images and memories. That golden light was just streaming through — I wanted to capture how serene and special this place really is to me!

Untitled Annamaria Hall Photo taken February 2019. A portion of the pines as seen through my crystal balls.

Enchanted Couple Fallon Hamilton It had started to rain when I took this image. All the other visitors had gone home and it gave these two a quiet moment to enjoy the beautiful Sugar Pines and each other’s company.

Untitled Fallon Hamilton My friend Chelsea and her horse Junior enjoying an afternoon snack together in a winter wonderland… I do whatever I can to make the trip to the Sugar Pine Walk when there is snow falling. The snow takes what is already a spectacular location and makes it magical. As a photographer I loved that the Sugar Pine Walk was constantly evolving thanks to Mother Nature, every visit meant there was something new to explore. The trees being perfectly lined up, so tall, solid and imposing made the area remain visually remarkable day and night, no matter what the weather was doing.

Untitled Fallon Hamilton A winter princess and her noble steed enjoying the gentle sounds of the pine needles rustling, the trees creaking and the snowflakes falling... The snow takes what is already a spectacular location and makes it magical. As a photographer I loved that the Sugar Pine Walk was constantly evolving thanks to Mother Nature, every visit meant there was something new to explore. The trees being perfectly lined up, so tall, solid and imposing made the area remain visually remarkable day and night, no matter what the weather was doing.

Untitled Kate Hanton Arriving late in the afternoon the fading light left me feeling like I had walked straight in to a fairytale land. Such a magical place.

Untitled Kate Hanton In the mystical world of the Sugar Pine Walk in the fading light you feel so insignificant against these magical giants. The most amazing experience.

Untitled Jon Harris Experiencing the quiet of pre-dawn in this peaceful forest was amazing. I was the only one there, and strolling in between the trees was incredible. Even better was this beautiful sunrise which filtered in through the trees.

Untitled Jon Harris I was hoping for snow on this midwinter visit to the Sugar Pine Walk, but just had to settle for a very cold night instead. The forest felt so isolated at night, but I had fun taking these photos.

Untitled Jon Harris This peaceful pocket of forest had such an amazing presence. If you were lucky enough to visit with noone else there, you could feel incredibly small and insignificant among these giant trees.

The Grove Damien Petfield The attached sugar pine photo was taken on the 7th September 2018. It was taken on my Samsung phone on a work visit with Duncan Watt. It was freezing cold and if you look closely the little streaks in the sunlight is snow falling. It was a great day out with Duncan, one of many days I pinch myself - “how lucky am I to work at Forestry with these people and such grand trees!!!” So I glad I have this photo as a memento and would love to share it with you.

Winterlong (Winning entry) Michael Harris I’d first visited the Sugar Pine Walk in October 2013 and I knew I wanted to visit again to shoot a similar photo after a rare snow storm. The following winter, after months of checking the weather every day, one Friday looked perfect. A snow storm down to 1000m all day clearing to blue skies the next morning. I jumped in the car after work and made the five-hour drive, arriving in darkness to catch a few hours’ sleep before sunrise. This was what greeted me in the following morning, the fresh snow and crisp air are something I will remember forever.

Little Things Amanda Hobson “Enjoy the little things in life for one day you’ll look back and realise they were the big things”. This saying means so much to me now. The Sugar Pine Walk took my breath away each time I walked the magical cathedral. The towering tree tops slowly swayed back and forth above you, as you cast your eyes to the sky above. But it was just as spectacular at your feet. With the cooler autumn weather, came the enchanting Amanita muscaria. We spent countless hours searching for fairies and all things magical among the mushrooms. Memories my family will treasure always.

King Keiko Kerry Martin I’d heard of the Sugar Pine Walk the year before, but when I realised that you could visit with dogs it become a ‘mustdo’. I still remember that feeling of grandeur, awe and magic the first time you enter the cathedral canopy there. While we walked through the plantation the dogs enjoyed a good sniff and then I photographed them in few spots we’d found. I’m a dog photographer, so you can imagine the number of photos I’ve taken of my own dogs — my muses and location scouts — and still, this is one of my favourites of Keiko.

A Japanese Collie Dachshunddog! Kerry Martin It was getting dark. Time to leave after our exploring and photographing. As we headed back for the car Keiko and Summer had taken my husband on a detour from the path. The last sniff of giant pine. I turned back to see what was keeping them and this is what I saw. A furbulously lucky moment and always makes me smile. I call them a Japanese-Collie-Dachshund dog in this photo. My dogs’ breeds plus the long Dachshund that must be part of the mix for such a long dog. Keiko - Japanese Spitz & Summer - Border Collie x - 4th January 2016.

Sugar Pine Winter Thomas Pesce This photo was taken in the winter of 2019. I‘ve been keen to snap a photo of the Sugar Pine Walk during winter ever since first visiting a few years ago. After spending years watching the forecasts we were lucky enough to witness fresh snowfall during a winter morning – a moment that can only be described as magical.

Sugar Pine Sunrise Thomas Pesce As one of my favourite spots in NSW, I’ve always taken the opportunity to visit whenever possible. During the 2019 Australia Day long weekend I left Sydney at 2am to catch the sunrise at the pines. A clear day providing perfect conditions for the golden hour light to filter through these incredible pines.

Sugar Pine Adventure Daniel Hayes This image was taken in 2013 and shows my daughter with her bag packed ready for adventure. Despite the height of the trees and the unknown terrain she is determined to go exploring. This is how she has been all her life.

Reflection Glenda Pym A remnant tree’s pool of water provides a mirror for the giants that survive around it.

Untitled Stephen Millar I was strongly attracted to the silent air which left me at peace in the forest. I tried to capture it in a photo. It is truly beautiful there, with the golden colours and dark mysterious light. It was totally captivated by the feeling it bestowed upon we, I hoped as soon as I left to return there soon. Unfortunately such a magical place is no long available to us. I truly hope another walk can be replicated for others including myself to enjoy.

Stump Emma Johnson We loved to visit the Sugar Pine Walk as a family. The moment you drive into the forest it feels magical and when you step out of your car you immediately feel so tiny surrounded by the towering trees. Stepping into the trees is like a new world. Full of little red mushrooms that you see in picture books, beautiful pockets of light falling through the trees onto the forest floor, fallen trunks to be used as beams to balance on, leaves and branches to collect. We will miss you Sugar Pines. - The Johnsons.

Picnic Emma Johnson

Untitled Morgan Dennis Growing up in Tumbarumba, the Sugar Pine Walk was always the one place I wanted to visit on those snowy winter days. Every time I visited this magical place, it was just as breathtaking as the first time as a little kid. This will forever be my favourite place in our part of the world.

Untitled Morgan Dennis

Sugar Pine Orchyll Mamburao It was an amazing, beautiful and wonderful experience with the whole family last September 2019. Walking into the middle of the Sugar Pine Walk was breathtaking. It feels almost like it was a magical fairytale forest than reality, a fantasy looking pathway. This was one of the best kept secrets in NSW.

Sugar Pine Symphony Cheryl Rummery Coming from Batlow, I’m very proud of the district and often bring friends from interstate and overseas to experience my home town. No visit is complete without going to the Sugar Pine Walk just down the road as it is memorable to me from playing among the trees in my childhood and it is surreal and unique. On this particular visit, Ciderfest was on as well and we were lucky enough to witness an impromptu practice from The String Family who had performed at Ciderfest the day before. I told my visitors it was all part of the tour of course! The sound within the Sugar Pines was incredible and it was another surreal and unique visit.

Sugar Pine - Drip Deanne Salter This photo was taken in the Autumn of 2017 after a massive clean-up of the area. At first it was shocking to see how the area looked, but after closer inspection it provided a new perspective of the Sugar Pine Walk. I had always thought sap was amber coloured but not so, the sap dripping from the Sugar Pines was crystal clear like water. The best feature of the clean-up was the exposure of a stump. You could count the age rings on it which was fantastic to see. Within a few short months the area once again looked amazing.

Untitled Adele Pardy Exploring Australia on my husband’s big 40th birthday. Stewart, myself and our four children arrived at the base of the Sugar Pines and nobody could wait to jump out of the car. Everyone was obviously in awe because I just kept hearing that sound coming from everyone. The kids all run off in different directions and I start photographing all the beautiful things around me and the camera barely stops. The kids are smiling, the sun is shining through the tall trunks and this one of the moments I’d like to share with you.

Bliss Loren Shoemark Sugar Pine Walk was one of the most magical corners for me, not only as a child, but right through life into adulthood. As a child I remember bouncing across the pine needles, like a trampoline, with the trees swaying overhead. It was a place you could lose yourself for hours on end without realizing, until you resurfaced to find the sun falling. I have always felt that the trees whispered to each other. As an adult, I often found myself standing amongst them, still in awe. With every season they disclosed something so rare and majestic, whimsical, and unforgettable. The Sugar Pine Walk was a place where you could forget the world outside of them and find yourself within them. The Sugar Pine Walk was like a family member, I had to go see them whenever I came home. I missed them, and always will.

Elegance Nicole Atkins My family discovered the Sugar Pine Walk on a camping trip in the autumn of 2019. We were returning to Sydney via a different route from the Victorian High Country and we are so blessed that we stopped that morning to experience it. This place was magnificent and we were blown away by the sheer elegance of the Sugar Pines. Our teenage daughter tried to emulate their elegance with her handstand. We were saddened to hear that the Sugar Pines were destroyed in the recent bushfires but we will always remember this special place.

Hide n seek Michael Reid The first and only time I visited the Sugar Pines Walk was on 4 May 2019. As a hobbyist, a visit had been on my bucket list for a number of years. I was filled with a sense of awe and wonder as I arrived. I spent a couple of hours wandering around this beautiful, daunting and at times haunting forest. I vowed to regularly return. So sad…… but so happy to have the memories.

Untitled James Starr

Heavenly Alex Upitis Beautiful. Impressive. Mysterious. Incredible. Heavenly.

Sugar Pine Bruce Williams There are countless other images just like this one, taken on 3rd June 2012. I lay on my back next to my wife. My son Robbie, tall, strong and full of life, lay with his fiancée Claere as they dreamed of their futures and decided to get married in the very same spot on January 2nd 2013. Our dreams were shattered when Robbie died in August, just two months later. Since those terrible fires have destroyed the trees we can no longer return to lie down and remember him. Bittersweet memories.

Two Tiny Travellers Lisa Wilkinson My first campervan adventure, just me and my boys, in April 2019. From Sydney to Melbourne, we took the scenic route via Batlow, where we heard about the Sugar Pine Walk. I got out our winter coats — it was so cold we could see our breath — and we wandered into the fairytale forest. We lay on the pine needles, looking up at the giants towering above us as the sunlight danced between the trees, and I answered important questions like “who would win, a T-rex or a shark?”, “what is the moon made of?” and “can I have a snack?”

Forestfloor Phil Winterton The beautiful images I had seen of the Sugar Pine Walk urged me to make visiting the area a priority. I organised a three day road trip to explore it as soon as I had the opportunity. I have to say that it didn’t disappoint — it was spectacular to walk through the forest amongst the huge towering pines, breathing in the fresh air and scent of the wood, the stillness and peace, and watching the sun set filtering through the leaves and between the trunks. It’s a memory that will be with me forever and one that I am so grateful to have experienced while it was there. I hope that my images will be a reminder of the beauty and serenity that the Sugar Pine Walk once was, and hopefully what to look forward to in the future.

Sugar Pine Phil Winterton

Epilogue After the fire Following the Dunns Road fire, the entire forest and the Sugar Pine Walk were unsafe to enter. Forestry Corporation commissioned local photographer Robyn MacRae to safely take some final photos of the walk before its removal, to capture the final images of the trees and the impact of the fires before its removal.

Robyn MacRae The landscape has changed considerably since the fires and I do feel privileged to have had the opportunity to be able to capture some of the last shots of the forest before it is removed. Unfortunately the hazards of working in a burned forest meant I could not get the shots within the forest and under the canopy that were possible previously, so the shoot did provide new challenges. I feel content that I have been able to capture shots that the community can share to remember the Sugar Pine Walk without visiting the site themselves.

forestrycorporation.com.au