This is a bit of a weird one because it is so subjective but people ask me all the time so I’m caving in.
As stated ranking a canyon based on quality is extremely subjective. A canyon that is full of sunbeams and stunning light on one trip might be dull on another.
Some canyon trips are thoroughly enjoyable simply because of the mood I was in or a weird humour in the company.
Some canyons such as Dalpura are absolutely stunning in the right light but can be a little bland on a cloudy day.
I’ll try to take into account a few factors when offering my rating.
- Depth, length, and beauty of the constriction (for sandstone slot canyons)
- Bang for buck (it might be the prettiest 100m of narrow canyon ever but if it is a 10hr scrub bash to get there it will drop down)
- Fun factor. Slides and jumps bump the rating up a bit
- Interest of abseils. Some abseils are fun or have unique challenges, others are just sliding down a rope with a wedgy
I’m rating each element out of 10.
The total will be out of 40 for canyons that contain all 4 elements or 30 for the ones where constriction is not applicable, eg Kanangra Main, or that don’t have abseils, eg Rocky creek. both of which I consider high quality but would be let down if I maintained a strict score out of 40.
| Canyon | Constriction out of 10 | Bang for Buck out of 10 | Fun Factor out of 10 | Interest of abseils out of 10 | Total |
| Acoustic | 4 | 4 | 2 | – | 10/30 |
| Alcatraz | 3 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 29/40 |
| Arethusa | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 39/40 |
| Artemis | 2 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 15/40 |
| Banks | 8 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 22/40 |
| Bangalore | 4 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 26/40 |
| Bell Creek | 10 | 8 | 8 | – | 26/30 |
| Bells Grotto | 2 | 2 | 2 | – | 6/30 |
| Bindook chasm | 6 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 26/40 |
| Bjelkes Mind | 9 | 6 | 6 | 9 | 30/40 |
| Box Creek falls | 1 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 10/40 |
| Bowen Creek, North, Gob Smaker | 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 35/40 |
| Bowen Creek, South upper middle | 9 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 31/40 |
| Breakfast Creek | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 17/40 |
| Bridge (Steep creek) | 8 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 28/40 |
| Bubble Bath | 9 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 32/40 |
| Butterbox | 6 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 33/40 |
| Clatterteeth (Du Faurs) | 7 | 6 | 6 | – | 19/30 |
| Claustral | 10 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 37/40 |
| Closet | 6 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 23/40 |
| Coachwood | 3 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 11/40 |
| Coin Slot | 5 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 27/40 |
| Crikey | 10 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 32/40 |
| Crystal Brook | – | 8 | 8 | 9 | 25/40 |
| Crystal Slot (Sleeper) | 3 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 17/40 |
| Dalpura | 6 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 18/40 |
| Danae Brook | 8 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 36/40 |
| Dargon Creek | 8 | 9 | 7 | – | 24/30 |
| Devils Pinch | 7 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 27/40 |
| Dione Dell | 3 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 19/40 |
| Doomsday | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 16/40 |
| Dove | 6 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 35/40 |
| Dry canyon (Nobles, Wolgan View) | 8 | 10 | 4 | – | 22/30 |
| Empress Falls | 6 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 32/40 |
| Fortress | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 9/40 |
| Four Dope | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 21/40 |
| Galah | 8 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 28/40 |
| Geronimo | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 28/40 |
| Grand | 8 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 27/40 |
| Great Uncle George | 4 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 20/40 |
| Hat Hill | 7 | 6 | 6 | – | 19/30 |
| Hole in the Wall | 10 | 6 | 9 | 9 | 34/40 |
| Jerrara Falls | 2 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 20/40 |
| Juggler | 3 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 20/40 |
| Kalang | – | 7 | 7 | 8 | 22/30 |
| Kanangra Main | – | 9 | 9 | 10 | 28/30 |
| Kamarah Gully | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 17/40 |
| Koombanda | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 18/40 |
| Long Gully | 1 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 11/40 |
| Looking Glass | 4 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 18/40 |
| Luna Park | 5 | 3 | 7 | 8 | 23/40 |
| Magnifying Glass (better offer) | 3 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 15/40 |
| Mares Forest Creek | 10 | 9 | 10 | – | 29/30 |
| Machinery Creek | 6 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 30/40 |
| Marihuana | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 24/40 |
| Minotaurs lair (Bell minor) | 6 | 4 | 4 | – | 14/30 |
| Newnes(Star light) | 9 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 30/40 |
| Nightmare | 4 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 19/40 |
| NoseDive | 8 | 4 | 8 | 9 | 29/40 |
| Pipeline | 7 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 28/40 |
| Ranon | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 34/40 |
| River caves | 8 | 9 | 6 | – | 23/30 |
| Rocky Creek | 10 | 10 | 10 | – | 30/30 |
| Rosewood | 3 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 27/40 |
| Serendipity | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 16/40 |
| Surefire | 10 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 33/40 |
| Tigersnake | 7 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 25/40 |
| Twilight | 8 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 30/40 |
| Urumbilum | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 30/40 |
| Water Dragon | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 28/40 |
| Waterfall of Moss | 6 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 25/40 |
| Watta | 6 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 30/40 |
| Wayper | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 16/40 |
| Wolgan Falls | 4 | 8 | 6 | 9 | 27/40 |
| Wollangambe 1 | 5 | 5 | 7 | – | 17/30 |
| Wollangambe 2 | 5 | 5 | 6 | – | 16/30 |
| Whungee Wheengee | 9 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 34/40 |
| Yileen | 6 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 28/40 |
| Zorro | 8 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 24/40 |
