19-11-2016
Tim, Sarah, Mia, Poppy, Tal and me
River Caves canyon was originally called the Water Tunnel by the people who first described it, Rus and Alan May and John Norris (Who built the now burnt down hut in deep pass clearing under and occupational permit back in the 40s or 50s) Apparently they didn’t like it being called River Caves but that is the name that has since stuck.
Anyhoo my original plans had fallen through so a quick text Friday night to see if anyone wanted a lazy stroll down to the River Caves got a couple of takers.
E.Spinifer, the Giant Spiny Crayfish. No where near the size of the ones at Mt Wilson last weekend but this is my favourite colour morph. They come in a range of greens and reds and blues and blacks and can weight up to 1kg. The old tales goes if the creek flows generally east they are red and if it flows generally west they are blue
Part size: 6 2 experienced 4 beginners
Time. Couple of hours car to car
sleepwhenwearedead 
The ‘Old Hut’ was called ‘Guzzler’s Gulch’ It was built by Bill ‘Weir’ Pearson and his Brother in the 60’s both originally from Lithgow. You could drive an EH Holden down to the hut when we would stay for weeks with kero fridges, gas lighting, running water and flushing toilet. It was 4 bedrooms main lounge/kitchen and utilities room plus carport. We camped well into the 80’s when it became national park and the hut mysteriously burnt down???
LikeLike
Hi Gary, Sorry I missed your comment somehow.
There were a few different huts in that area. Guzzlers was the one off Natural Bridge. Or you could come down the 4wd rocksteps further up the hill. I still tell people about that flushing toilet perched on it’s little pilth, it was still there along with the hut in the early 90s. (possibly taken out in the 94(?) fires), and the rickety old wooden ladder up the cliff line down behind the hut.
The Mays and John Norris had a lease at deep pass clearing and built the hut there which burnt down sometime before 88.
Then there was Yah hut. built by the catholic bushwlaking club on Nayook creek down stream of Natural bridge.
Thena few smaller huts dotted around build by drovers and stoners and people just looking to get away from people
LikeLike
Hi mate,
We camped at the hut down from the Natural Bridge from 77-90 with Alan Pearson son of Bill one of the original lease holders. We we’re all 18 with VW beetle, Datsuns and a small nissan. No 4×4 so each visit was an adventure getting in and out. In the late 70’s you could drive all the way in to the carport off the hut.
Many a great weekend was spent walking the area from the River Caves, Deep Pass and the Glowworm Tunnels. Occasionally up to Mt Cameron.
We pretty much had the area to ourselves for years but it sadly began to be discovered as we noticed on each visit things going missing or destroyed.
I took my son and two nephews up at the end of Feb and we trekked into a very overgrown River Caves to camp for the night.
I’m 64 so the legs felt the walk out.
Great memories and cheers for posting the history.
Regards
Gary
LikeLike
That’s awesome Gary. It would have been a great time to be adventuring in that area.
LikeLike