COMPLETE(ISH) IN A DAY

Kylie, Hywaida, Kris, Jason, Aimee, Tash and meeeeeeeeee

19/02/2022

I’ve done the lower section of Bell creek a couple of times. It’s beautiful.

Like really, jaw droppingly beautiful

But the first time it took us 3hrs to walk into the start of the access canyon, Bell Fry(which is a pretty little canyon in its own right)

Next time we knew where we were going and a hazard burn had taken out a lot of the scrub on the ridge. So we cut that down to just under 2hrs.

But it was still a difficult walk, having to scramble into the start of Du Faurs creek then climb up the other side.

Anyhoo, the Jamieson guide says a good overnight trip is to include the upper section. It also suggests you could do both in a very very long day.

Myself and Madie had mentioned a few times about having a crack of doing it in a day. But we never got around to it

This year a trip got planned. Unfortunately last minute I had to work

I get a text. Ok we are heading in.

Just over 6hrs later. We are out.

Wait! What?

Anyhoo I finally got the chance to give it a crack.

Now I’m not as quick as Madie and Russ but a 30min walk down a fairly easy ridge, with me just following my nose until Aimee checked the map and corrected my course and we slipped down a short side canyon and entered Bell creek just upstream of where it canyons up.

So the girls hadn’t caught up for a while and there was a chatter. Well, I say chatter but it was more weird noises and giggling. And, I say giggling, but it was more like cackling. Like b grade movie witches planning downfalls.

TBH I wasn’t expecting the upper section to be so good.

“Upper sections” as described in the book can be hit and miss around here. The upper section of Du Faurs creek is good. The Bowens (North and South) have upper sections that contain pretty canyon sections but they pop in and out and there is scrub and scrambling between. Upper Wollangambe is basically a creek walk…. But this one has sustained sections of quality canyon.

Ok so there are no abseils… I get that’s what some people are after but it’s like 2 totally different sports. Vertical canyoning and this.

Maybe the old skool bushwalkers had it right when they described these trips as Swalks (Swim/walks)

Because I knew it wasn’t the very very long day Jamieson suggested we weren’t rushing at all. We even stopped for little lunch… I never stop of little lunch… but we still managed get from the car to the junction with Bell Fry in just a bit over 3.5hrs. So not much longer than the standard way into the lower section and far more interesting.

As surprisingly nice as the upper section is the lower section really is special

and soon

The Lower Section just keeps going

Click the images to enbiggen ’em

We stop for a bite to eat and Kris finds this little beauty

And then the Canyon opens out a bit. It’s still grand and dwarfs us as we boulder hop down to the junction with Du Faurs creek. Then up to exit out Joes and up to the fire shed.

Group Size: 7

Time: 8.5hr car (Water Trough Hill) to car (Fire Shed).

Some of God’s children just are naturally wild: Ray Wylie Hubbard

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