Gaz, Lauren, Renee, Jodie, McKennzie, Rob, Sav, Dick, Luke, Swav and me
I think I have mentioned before that Rocky creek canyon is my all time favourite. I’ve no idea how many times I’ve been through but I still get goose bumps every time we get to the spot on the entry track where you start to hear the little waterfall at the start.
Anyhoo
We leave town at sparrows fart and make our way up to the carpark. We are early but there is one other car already there. It looks vaguely familiar but I don’t take a lot of notice as we gear up and swing down the entry track towards Twister (not Sheep dip).
I’m a bit excited.
Wet suits get donned. stuff gets crammed into dry bags. For some reason I always seem to get a lot of go pro footage but not many photos in Twister and the opposite in Rocky but I digress.
Rob double checking where to aim. Yep that big wet bit.
For quiet a few of the group this is their first canyon and despite a few nerves on the jumps the smiles are big
Curro getting into the swing of it.Macca taking the leap with out hesitationSoon she is styling it upLauren was probably the most nervous on the jumps but she didn’t let the nerves get the better of herJump. Slide. Jump. Slide. Repeat. Twister is a hell of a lot of funBut all too soon it’s over and we have a 30min walk down to the Junction where the little stream that the entrance track follows meets with RockyThe soft morning light on the way in promised some thing special once we hit the canyon
Up ahead the waterfall can be heard. My pace quickens. And then Rocky creek comes in on the right and where our little stream meets it it plunges into an inviting slot
I realy can’t describe the feeling I get looking in here. Must be a bit like a coffee addict catching the aroma of the best coffee they have ever smelledIn we goRocky creek never disappoints meIf they thought the water in twister was chilly they are in for a surprise. I feel a bit sorry for curro who was toughing it out in a rash shirt.One of the small drops in the canyonThe swims start short but get longer towards the endAfter a fun constriction the canyon opens up breifly and offers a fun slide or small jump in a sunny poolThe walls soon close in again and up ahead the sun beams look magicalAnd they keep getting betterAnd better
It was about here I walked around the corner and see the light of a camera ahead. Think I might have walkedinto someones carefully composed long exposure shot.
Sorry, calls I, How awesome are these rays.
Is that you Flynny, comes the reply.
Oh Autal. I couldn’t see who it was, how are you mate.
We have a quick chat. He has been in there for a while already and is keen to stay a while longer chasing the changing light. We leave him to his snaps, can’t wait to see them, and continue down.
The soft morning light casts and etherial glow
The lower constriction really is sublimeAnd just before the junction with Budgary( originally Buggery) creek we emerge back into the light.
We do our best to catch a bit of sun to warm ourselves while having a quick snack.
Now it is posible to continue down the creek aways and then climb out via a break in the cliffs then follow the ridges back to the car. I prefer to reverse back up the canyon. In the little time it takes to turn around you can guarantee the light will have changed. Plus you see things you missed on the way down.
We grab packs and head back up the canyon
As I said the light changesAnd you get to experience the canyon from different angles
The sun ray were awesome on the way down but not half and hour later they were on a complete other levelRocky creek canyon dwarfs you, engulfs you and reminds you your troubles aren’t even a blip on the geological time scaleAnd the beams progress from sun to tractorBeam me up, ScottyStep into the lightAlmost need UV protected sunglassesLight behaves both as a wave and a particle and sometimes like a solid bar of awesomeEverytime I turned around I though I have to get a photo of those raysAnd still they got betterI could have stayed here all day. I was wishing I’d set up the camera on a tripod in a time lapse and could just sit and watch it all unfoldThe little TG-4 was pushed to it’s limits with the contrast but did a reasonable jobOk the others are well ahead of me now I tear myself away and continue up the canyon
Renee negotiating on of the little cascades on the way upCurro feeling a tad shivery in his rash shirt by now but not far to goI can see the exit up ahead. I assure himLauren is keen for a swim under the falls
Back where it all began.
All in all a great day out.
With the early start Autal was the only one we saw in the canyon itself. A few groups walking in as we were walking out and a few cars in the car park but much quieter than I thought i would be on such a nice weekend near christmas.
Party Size. 11. 4 experienced 7 beginners though most of them have experince in varying outdoor activities
Time: 4hrs 20min car to car
Rocky creek canyon dwarfs you, engulfs you. Your troubles fade in the face of it’s grandour. They aren’t even a blip on Rockys geological time scale