07-08-2016
Mandy and I
Another last minute decision on where to head for a Sunday walk had us heading for a small canyon where we knew we’d be getting out feet wet. Oh well it wasn’t that cold.
No really.
Anyhoo. The trip out was uneventful and we head down to the creek and do our best to stay on either bank for as long as possible.
Eventually, after crossing the narrow stream a few times there was no choice but to roll up the pant legs and step in…
It wasn’t that bad. It was cold but not freeze-your-arse-off-that’s-so-cold-it-hurts type cold. More a refreshing cold.
It’s an interesting bit of creek this. It ducks in under these long overhangs and at times disappears altogether as it runs through tight tunnels.
Just after this cool little arch the walls narrow up and it gets canyony
There are lots of canyon sections on this particular creek and it’s tributaries but this is the easiest to get to and despite being fairy short it is very pretty.
Just before the canyon open out we veer up a narrow side canyon. I was expecting it to be nice but it blew me away a little by just how pretty it was.
This might be the nicest canyon we’ve ever been through, says Mandy.
Big call, but for ease of access while still maintaining the off track exploratory feel coupled with a stunningly beautiful canyon formation I’m not sure I can argue to much.
We head up through the side canyon and it opens into a cliff lined amphitheater which is every bit as stunning. It truly had a magical feel to it. I could have spent all day there in that cave. I’ve lived in worse…
But we need to move on. We continue down stream a bit but the good flow of water plunges down a hole and disappears again. We can hear it gurgling through the tunnel below us but there is no room for us to squeeze in.
We follow the now dry creek bed down another couple of hundred meters, scrambling over boulder chokes and some of the biggest fallen trees I’ve seen, to the point where the water reemerges for it’s subterranean wandering but the canyon has opened out into a wider, scrub filled gorge and we decide to retrace our steps back up through the canyon to a camp cave for lunch.
Along the way we come to a small pool of crystal clear water, the allure was too much for Mandy who decided to strip off for a quick dip. She didn’t long in there before needing the comfort of dry, warm clothes.
We stop at the cave and enjoy some ham sandwiches and fresh walnuts before, reluctantly, leaving this magical place behind to head back to civilization.
Party size: 2
Time: 3hrs car to car with lots of photos and a bit of a swim
sleepwhenwearedead 
xxxxxxx and xxxxx?
*editted by Mod to keep creek names secretive
LikeLike
The tunnels and part there off. Turned back this >< early
LikeLike
Yes, I went down there about 12 months ago, following directions in the Michael Keates book looking for these amazing tunnels – got through the canyon section not realising they were the tunnels and kept on walking thinking that I’d missed them. xxxxxx is very nice – I was actually on an overnight down Dumbano and 2 of the people I had with me weren’t up to it, so I exited right (at a convenient spot), if I’d know I was going to pull out I would have spent more time in xxxxxx. Still have plans to go down xxxxxxx probably from where I exited the last time all the way down to Cesspit.
LikeLike