australia

Morong Falls

| flynny101

13-12-2025

Kent, Pete, Joel, Tam, Cotter, David and meeeeee

I’m walking out of Butterbox and I get a missed call from Kent

I hadn’t heard from him for a while so called back straight away in case something was wrong.

Nothing is wrong he’s just been thinking about an abseil trip in one of his favourite places at Kanangra Boyd.

And so a trip down Morong falls is set up

Morong falls is a bit like big brother of Box Creek Falls.

But Having a much larger catchment it can be a disappointing trickle or a wall of white water death.

We got it almost perfect.

We meet up and waste no time walking to the end of the fire trail and making our way down to the upper falls.

We bypass the first cascade and its inviting plunge pool.

Kent leads us pass an anchor set mid river left to find another just to the left of the main flow.

All abseils except the big one have easy escape routes back to the exit trail so you can pretty much choose your own adventure with doing a part or the whole.

Our first 3 slabby abseils are between 8 and 15m high. They are a bit of fun and nothing technical.

It’s a beautiful series of falls interspaced with plunge pools

Joel and I have the long ropes and get sent ahead to set the big drop.

From Kent’s description I’m nervously looking for a narrow ledge I need to traverse across which may or may not be slippery.

I’m standing on the edge of a wide slopping platform with heaps of grip looking for something below.

Bolts are behind you. Says Joel

I look at the wall behind me.

On the ground.says Joel.

Oh

I know this particular drop was pioneered by members of one of the caving clubs a few years ago.

2 odd looking bolts are set on the ground 7 or 8m back from the edge. 1 is a 8mm cap screw. The other a type I’ve not seen before….

A nice shiney new glue in has been added and all 3 equalised using D shackles.

We set up and Joel leads the way down. We have about 76m of rope out and by the time he gets to the next big ledge and traverses across to the rebelay there is maybe 3m of tail left.

As Kent heads down the rope snags behind a nub of rock which gets dislodged as he traverses at the bottom. He calls up a warning over the two way.

Dave about to descend

The rest of us get down no drama but Kent is reluctant to pull rope from directly below.

Joel devises a plan which will allow us to descend the next 12m abseil on a biner block, tie the pull cord for the previous ropes to the biner and pull rope from both pitches together from a safe spot on the far side of the plunge pool

We all head down. Most swim across the pool. Joel does a nice traverse climb to avoid the swim.

Pete follows Joel but does not avoid the swim…

I stay dry, just

The main falls. Around 90m

We start to pull and the system works perfectly

1 rope down.

2 two ropes down

3rd rope clears the anchor the end tumbles down and lands in a ledge. I start to pull.

It comes.

It comes .

It does not come.

Joel and I spend a bit of time trying different angles and stuff and it’s stuck good and proper on the only ledge not accessible from the exit track.

Next time we think we’d set this drop, leave the rope there and collect it on the way out. Not only would it avoid a stuck rope but it would avoid the need for 2 x 76m+ ropes and carrying it out the bottom half of the exit.

Joel looking further down as storm clouds begin to roll in.
Kent on the next one which passes under big boulder halfway down
Looking back up the main series of drop. Can you spot Dave, Cotter and Joel?

Finally we get to the wetter part of the trip. We are not quite 3/4 of the way down, still 150m or so above the Kowmung.

Below a series of falls and plunge pools

Above thou, the sky is cranky.

Dark clouds, thunder and a spattering of rain.

Big storms were predicted for later in the day. It looks like they arrived early. Standing on exposed granite in a lightning storm probably isn’t the best idea so we opt to abort the trip and scramble out to the exit track.

The storm doesn’t really hit in full, thou I later learn it hit the mountain with a good smash of hail. While disappointed not to complete the trip to the bottom we are comfortable with the call.

Besides, it gives us a good excuse to comeback and finish the journey.

“A river cuts through a rock, not because of its power but because of its persistence.” – Jim Watkins

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Popeye Canyon Lower

| flynny101

23/11/2025

Jason, Kris, Hywaida, Kylie and Meeeeeee

Continued on from Banks Canyon

It teemed down overnight at camp. But our trusty tarp kept us cozy and by morning the sun was peaking through the clouds.

We had said goodbye to Levis and Monica and talked ourselves into another short canyon while we were out here.

Kylie, Jason and I had visited the top couple of sections of Popeye Canyon as a day walk a few weeks earlier which had some pretty bits in it, and so we were keen to have a look at the lower section.

I cooked up a plan to head straight down from camp to the grid reference that the Jamison guide lists as the start of Popeye (a kilometre or so below the upper section).

We start down a ridge in between two faint gullies. These soon join to become a stoney bottom creek that tumbles over a substantial cliff line. We only brought a short rope with us today so make our way a bit further long the left hand bank and find a way down into what we came to christen MCPCC. Mega Clear Path Creek Canyon.

heading out to enter via the upper section may have been easier.

Anyhoo we find ourselves in Popeye creek. It’s not looking like much but H and K don light wet suits.

Looks like there’ll be some more creek walking, I’ll suit up later, the rest of us say.

10 steps later, literally, like literally 10 steps babes, we round a bend and the creek drops into a tunnel like canyoney section.

This would be the theme for this section of Popeye. boulder hoping interspaced with tunnels and cavey bits. A few abseils and short swims
and awesome company

but not much quality canyon.

Plenty of weirdness thou

we head all the way down to the…… it hurts to say it…. Dingo *fugging* Creek for the final 10m of “canyon”

The plan is to head down said creek to an exit Kylie had mapped out opposite gateway canyon. I’m hopeful this section is similar to the bit below HITW and we can just float with the current.

There was a bit of floating.

A bit of boulder scrambling.

Some scrub bashing.

And lots of sinking knee, sometimes hip, deep into fine sand to have it defy the sand traps and fill the bestards.

I still have sand in places sand has no place being.

Still, it’s a wild and beautiful part of the Bungleboori system worth visiting. Once.

The bottom of Gateway canyon was a welcome site

The walls lining the creek had gone from broken slopes to towering cliffs and I’m wondering just how tricky this exit is going to be.

Surprisingly it’s straight forward, cutting back along a gentle ramp to a not too steep nose that avoided the cliffs altogether.

Nice one Gadget

All in all a fantastic weekend out in the wilderness with my kind of people.

just what the doctor ordered.

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Landers Falls Canyon

| flynny101

04-10-2025

Kylie, Kristo, Jason, Hywaida, Dave and meeeeeeeeeeee

This one had been on the agenda for a while.

Kylie had scoped out topos and satellite images years ago. Then it caught the attention of Laurie, the Victorians and others and the race was on.

I’m not sure who lead the first trip but they did a stella job. It then appeared in the Canyoning Around Victoria guidebook, Published by Rob and Sam. But being a little out of the way meant there hasn’t seemed to be a ton of repeats.

Anyhoo it was time for us to give it a shot.

Access is as simple as it gets. A 15min creek walk has us at pitch 1 anchors. ©Kylie

Our intel said to drop a rope to aid with the last little bit of the exit. Rope wiki said someone should descend it to make sure it’s in the right spot. But there was nothing to say what the right spot was. Asking previous parties gave mixed messages. Everyone said it was really obvious where to put the rope. Almost everyone said they put the rope in the wrong spot and had to free climb a bit…

The guide said the last 10m of exit was the tricky bit, ropewiki said setting a 20 or 30m rope in place to assisted existing would be handy.

Looking down the last 10m didn’t look that sketchy. We attach a rope to a tree and Me and Jason descend to have a look. There is another drop. Straight over is a 15-20m vertical face. Around to the right looks to be a grade 10 chimney. We put the rope to the right.

Again we descend. Straight ahead from here drops onto a narrow ledge that doesn’t look to go anywhere. Left is a scrambling climb from a large ledge. We drop the rope to the left so its now in a big zig zag.

One party we spoke to put a longer rope straight down from the top tree and prusiked up the vertical face. In hindsight this is probably the best choice.

We head back up to where Kris has set up P1.

eager beavers ©Kylie

We go over our plans and Dave leads down P1 to grab photos and Kylie follows to set up and control P2.

Kylie on P1 ©Dave

I head down next and lead P2 to set P3.

The descent itself is action packed, 6 abseils one after the other, at most there is a small swim between them. At these water levels you are either in the flow or crossing the flow on all of them.

Kylie on P2 ©Dave
Kristo on P3 ©Kylie

The first 3 pitches are the easiest and we regroup at the base of P3.

Top anchors were all good but with few repeat trips and snow melt we brought gear to replace things if needed. P4 drops to a narrow, semi handing belay above the 45m P5 money pitch. The plan is for Jason to go first with anchor gear, just in case, and a short rope for P6, and get himself safe. Then for me to follow with the long rope for P5. We had discussed leap frogging anchor duties to avoid 1 person exposed to the chill but the water, while cold, wasn’t as bad as expected.

P4 anchors are just over the lip for less rope wear and better pull down. Kristo secures himself on a semi hanging belay and off we go.

Jason signals that the anchors are good. I descend and replace him on anchor. The rest follow.

The bottom 3 pitches are fantastic, well they all are but the bottom 3 especially.

©Hywaida

Despite what I said earlier about water temps, I ain’t going to lie. Even with a spray jacket I was bloody cold by the time I got to the bottom of P6.

All pull downs were simple and hassle free for us, potentially with long ropes you could combine pitch 4 and 5 though the guides say there are lots of nubs and cracks that ropes could get jammed in so that may not be the best idea. These cracks are also a foot entrapment risk so take care.

Hywaida in the froth of P5. ©Kylie
Kylie getting rinsed in P6 ©Dave
Down and stoked

All that was left now was to haul arse back up.

45min.

They said

It will be fun.

They said.

Climb out as soon as the steep cliffs allow, is a bit vague. 50m down stream of the waterfall. Was more helpful.

We were about 50m down stream. A slabby corner crack looked scramblable. Scoping from the other side on creek, braving the scree slope of death Kylie spies and easy spur another 10m down though.

Guide mentions gaining a spur. We took the spur into a gully (if you could call it that) so far matching descriptions. to another spur to gain a ramp leading back towards the top of the waterfall. Well there looked to be a ramp there, it would be a scramble to get up on it but we head up.

Scrub was hectic. Every step forward was a punish. The ramp went up but it would come to an option of narrow, loose traverse that didn’t look like it went or a dodgy scramble bordering climb. Time and again we’d force our way up or along only to get cliffed out and need to retreat a bit and try again.

It was steep and loose and slightly terrifying.

It was energy sapping and soul destroying.

We were a long way up and had been forcing away towards the top of the falls, but it still seemed so far away.

Eventually after getting cliffed out again we retreated back slightly. There looks to be a ledge just below us. Said someone. Kylie and Kris find a way down to it. It might go.

Kristo pushes on.

Some time later, It goes calls Kris.

They had finally stumbled across the right ledge. We still had scrub to fight through and we still didn’t know for sure it was the right ledge.

I see the rope. called someone.

Releaf.

We emerge from the scrub only to find a gully between us and the rope. we drop in and discover we are at the base of a climb and the rope is at the top. Hywaida goats up. When it comes to exits it gets to a point where she transforms to superwomen.

Kris goes next, taking a rope to join to the one in place.

Dave disappears to the left and as Kris drop the rope Dave appears next to him. It’s an easy scramble around the corner. says he.

From there its 3 easy scrambley pitches which we punch up using our crolls on the rope as a safety, but tbh despite some grade 10-12 moves its the least exposed stuff of the entire exit.

3hrs later the battle to escape Landers was done.

I’m not 100% sure we won.

The Beast

There was a point to this story, but it has temporarily escaped the chronicler’s mind: Douglas Adams

A bit of an idea for those wanting to set a fix rope for the final bit of the exit

The following day we head to Clark Gorge

Back to the canyoning main page

Back to camp

Wild Swimming in the Wollemi

| flynny101

16-05-2025

Kylie and meeeeeeeee

Our weekend plans had fallen through so we thought we’d go in search of some waterfalls neither of us had been to before.

Kylie suggested a spot and during research got a tip off that the fire trail out to them had recently been gated.

So we put the mountain bikes in to help eat up the kilometres.

Not only are the swimming holes spectacular this could now be my favourite fire trail ride (Did I just say that? what have I become?) I have a feeling the guy who did the road work is a mountain biker. Each waterbar seemed to be a perfectly shaped step down. Even though recovering from a shoulder injury meant I couldn’t take to the air it was still a blast.

Anyhoo, that’s not what we are here for.

20min later we are stashing the bikes in the bush and heading down a steep trail cutting through subtropical rainforest quiet different from anything you usually see in the upper mountains..

This brings us to a pleasant creek and we head downstream.

the stunning cliff lines close in ©Kylie

And we reach the top of our first waterfall

It really is breath taking
stunning

We play around here for a bit then continue down stream.

At the junction with the next creek is another spectacular pool.

It’s a beauty

We slip up to a large rock shelf above the falls to find a bit of sunshine.

The shelf was riddled with keeper holes. ©Kylie
beautiful

We have some lunch and a splash then make our way out.

The Haul up the hill is steep but interesting enough that I wasn’t in a world of suffering. And while I thought the ride back to the car might be tough it was just as much fun as it was coming in, with some pinches to keep you honest.

On the way back we spy some interesting mushrooms.

So of course we had to head back in the dark to see if they still had a shine.

It was faint, barely able to be made out with naked eye but some long exposures brought up their beauty.

Click to enbiggen

Ghost Mushrooms produce bioluminescence for around 22hrs a day. And for 14 of those hours you would think they are just another mushroom. People are like ghost mushrooms, if you can’t see their glow you are looking at them in the wrong light: C Flynn

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Wild Wet Wollemi Wilderness 1

| flynny101

2025 Anzac Day long weekend.

Kylie and meeeeeeee

This trip nearly didn’t happen. I’d been coughing up a lung and had full body aches after Ashcroft Ravine. I was ummming and arrrring about calling it off, especially when the weather looked to be turning wet and cool and the rest of the crew pulled out due to illness and work commitments.

How about we do a shorter over night trip? says Gadget.

Um I’m not sure says I

Come on this has been on your list for ages, says she, Let’s pack the bags and decide later in the week.

I started improving and once the bags were packed it seemed silly to repack for a shorter trip.

Anyhoo

In 1904 or there abouts the bush poet, vagabond and phrenologist, Cecil Poole wrote a description of the creeks in the area we were headed “The term gorge is not applicable to the creeks of this district. They are true canyons.”

Early cattlemen, ruffians, vagabonds and rogues knew the wild, twisted beauty of this section of the Wollemi. Not as intricately as the natives who had travelled its passes and decorated its walls for time immemorial, but well enough to know it was a maze of ravines, canyons and complex spurs.

Still, being further from Sydney and with lots still to discover closer to train lines and highways the area was largely overlooked by modern canyon explorers.

Until, that is, legendary bushwalker, ecologist, and all round nice bloke, Roger Lembit, was leading a midwinter bush walk in the mid 80s and ventured down what he thought would be an easy pass and instead stumbled on a deep slot canyon.

With no ropes or waterproof gear they opted not to venture down. Instead, they retreated and found a spur that took them to the bottom where they camped the night. The next day Ian Wilson and Michael Donovan opted to brave a cold pool at the end of the slot and ventured up, finding an astoundingly beautiful slot canyon. (It has a total of 0 abseils but I still put it toward the top of my list of favourite canyons based on shear beauty.)

This sparked an explosion of canyon exploration in the area and it was soon found to be densely packed with canyons. Some more scrubby creeks but many containing high quality slots.

But all that is neither here nor there nor anywhere in between.

The fact is I’d barely dipped my toe into this region but had day dreamt of one particular canyon situated off an isolated spur, well off the beaten track. I was well overdue to go for a look.

As luck would have it both Kylie and myself had an extra long weekend to do just that.

We made a late start Thursday afternoon.

happy at the start

The walk into our first camp is along an easy fire trail. However, I soon had a bit of a niggle on my left heal. It’s been so long since I’ve had blisters and it was such an easy walk I didn’t even register that might be what was happening. Needless to say by the time I stopped to check it was too late.

Idiot.

But really, blisters! After a couple of kilometres!! I can’t remember the last time I had bloody blisters!!!

Anyhoo we press on.

We reach the usual camp site to find a family already setup. They had been there for the full week and the kids, 7 and 5, excitedly regaled us with tales of the canyoning adventures they had experienced. Legends have done more wilderness canyons than most adult canyoners.

We set up and snuggle in for the night. Gadget did an amazing job researching our light weight over night gear before settling on the Sea the Summit Escapist Tarp and Spark sleeping bags. I’ve always been a fan of the Nemo sleeping mats. It makes a great combo

Friday

Morning dawns and we have a lovely breakfast, repack then head off for our first canyon

Having done canyons either side of our target for today I had high hopes of it.

I pick a spot to leave the road and Kylie navigates down ridge.

Shelob was guarding the pass but we weren’t scared. Honest.

We gain the creek surprisingly easily and follow it down.

It soon drops into a narrow canyon.

With a bung shoulder I opt to abseil things I would usually scramble but we get down soon enough.

The expected chest deep pool had silted up to be ankle deep so we forewent the usual circus tricks of trying to bridge across and skipped on through.

Well, not skipped. The boys warned us last night of a brown snake lurking near the first pool so we went a bit cautiously.

No sneaky snek was spotted but the canyon snaked on.
then opened up a little
and closed back in
cameras at 10 paces
the walls soon open out to a wider canyon.

The slot had been nice and all but not mind blowing and a lot shorter than I was expecting. Compared to others in the area it was a bit of a fizzer. And we were still a fair way off the junction of the main creek below.

the gullies were brimming with ghost mushrooms. These glow in the dark but we’d be camping hours away so won’t be back to check.

We follow the the widening gully down, boulder hopping and creek bashing to the major creek below

A pretty spot for a picnic or sumfink

Long sidetrack: The names of the creeks around here have such evocative names, but that could have been very different had we had a different Surveyor General intent on mapping the state.

Major Mitchel, of the pink cockatoo fame, was by all accounts a bit of a cock. Invariably described as pigheaded, arrogant and boorish he was the protagonist in Australia’s last recorded pistol dual with soon to be NSW Governor Darling. None of this old west quickdraw Hollywood bullshit. The combatants stood back to back, marched out 10 paces, turned, and like the civilised gentlemen they were, took turns having a shot. Flinch or get shot (obviously) you loose.

Mitchell having thrown down the challenge by slapping Darling with his glove had to go second. Darling took a shot and missed. Michell then took his shot and knocked Darling’s hat off so was declared the winner.

Anyhoo none of that is important to this side story other than I found it fascinating. What is important is Mitchell also had a redeeming factor in that he insisted that, where possible, aboriginal place names were to be used on his map.

When an early sketch was sent in by one of his under surveyors making a nearby creek with the local land owners piss take of a name “The Upper Nile” he basically fired back words to the effect ‘stop being a dickhead and find the bloody native name for the creeks, and if you can’t do that don’t name them at all.’ (probably so he could name them after Macquarie or some shit…)

And thus we have the Coricudgy, Umbiella, Numietta, Coorangooba, and Capatee. (pronounced Kay-pa-tee by the locals and originally spelt Capata on the sketch map )

Of course we still have the Bogee Nile and the Capertee Nile…. but that’s not important either.

Too get back to the story, we’d be using another high camp tonight so we’d need to cart water up. Enough to get us up, cook diner, breakfast, and at least part way through the canyon the next day.

We fill up and start up a creek that should allow us to scramble out at the top. However, a couple of tangled tree falls at the bottom and Screw this shit, says I. I’m going up there.

And we forge a pass up the nose onto the spur.

A break in the cliff line lets us gain the spur with just a short, easy rock climb.

And Kylie leads us up the spur avoiding some minor cliff lines by simply skirting around them.

Up top we have astounding views including this one over the Numietta looking towards Pantones Crown at the other end of the Capertee Valley. This spot put us in mind of battleship spur in Carnarvon Gorge.
And sunsets over the stunning peaks. With Tayan Pic, Grassy Mountain, Mount Coorangooba and many others appearing in a 270° panorama on the other side of the peak.

Continue on to

Saturday

A grand way to juggle back into it.

| flynny101

08/03/2025

Gadget, Darcy, Charity, Jess, and meeeeeee

Maddy A was organising an introductory canyon trip for her friends and a couple of the 9D staff were coming up for it.

And, missing her former work mates Kylie was super keen to catch up with them.

Do you think you’ll be up for it? Asks she.

I’d been recovering for collar bone surgery and was recently free from the sling.

What are they doing?

Juggler

Hmm. I reckon I could handle Grand.

She is equal parts excited and cautious for me.

We meet Darcy and head to the car park.

There is a girl parking a very nice looking car a bit of a walk out.

We offer her a lift. Turns out she is Jess, a friend of Maddy’s who ends up joining us.

There’s a big group assembling.

Maddy gathers us in. We are splitting into 2 groups. Beginners will be with her

More experienced or those wanting to do Grand as well are with Kylie.

That’s Darcy, Jess and Chasity.

At the last minute I decide to join them in juggler as well

It was so good to be moving through nature with this amazing soul again.
Juggler can be a fun little trip
J

We are through juggler fairly quick and head for Grand. Charity has to get back to the big smoke so bids us good bye. The rest of us skip on

Kylie dropping to the slot
It’s a great little abseil into a very pretty slot
Just Jesting, Wild Elly, Darcy Dooley, and meeeeee
It was lovely moody light

We take our time descending the canyon and enjoying the company.

It was an awesome way to easy back into adventure life.

Grateful.

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Lower North Bowen

| flynny101

16/11/2024

Kylie, Jason, Matt, Jamelia, and me.

The “Gobsmacker” section of the North branch of Bowen creek is fun and spectacular.

And as a smaller day it was just the ticket.

Matt psyked

Woot
A little rain through the week had the water flowing nicely
Misty day made great light
You can see why it’s described as a mini Claustral
Fernilicious

And a steady hike back up to the hill. About 5hr car to car

They say a little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing, but not one half as bad as a lot of ignorance.

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Wee Jasper Caving

| flynny101

05/10/2024

Gadget, Leo, Madie, Russ, Gibbo and Vince with cameos from Aleasha, Random Chris, Pippa and Oban.

To be honest caving hasn’t really been on my bucket list. I had worked as an underground miner so time off in the sunshine appealed more than spending my time off in another hole in the ground.

Sure I’d done the touristy ones and crawled into some Glowworm caves but that’s different.

I’ve since moved to an above ground role but being a little on the portly side full on caving made me a bit nervous.

Anyhoo, I asked the crew, do you have any plans for the long weekend?

Wanna come caving at Wee Jasper, they replied

why the hell not. I thunked. Time to push my comfort zone a notch or two.

The hills around Wee Jasper are riddled with limestone caves. Some, such as Carey’s are paid tourist caves. Some are wild and technical. We were aiming for somewhere in the middle. Well explored holes requiring rope work for access and optional squeezey sections.

First stop was the Dip series.

At the car park we run into Chris who shall forever more be known as Random Chris. He is heading into the Gong Cave, which is connected to the Dip series but the connections are too tight for human passage.

We chat briefly and go our separate ways.

Dip is a series of 5 parallel caves with interconnecting passages. 1 and 2 are usually walk throughs but some low life dumped asbestos at the mouth of 1 so it’s temporarily barricaded up.

4 and 2 have openings to the sky so we set ropes in them.

About now I’m starting to think it’s a good day for fresh air and sunshine or sumfink

I absolutely do not bow to peer pressure and we drop into 4

Kylie in the first cavern of Dip 4

we work our way over to explore 5

It’s quite nice.
We play around crawling through passageways and poking around holes. In the immortal words of Garron Noon: this one is tiny and it has spikey things. It doesn’t want you in there sir!

There are all sorts of mnemonics to remember the difference between stalactites and stalagmites but the best one for me is to think of a ballerina dancing on a termite ridden stage.

When the mites go up the tights come down.

Anyhoo

Back to 4 and more exploring.

Then rather than abseil into 3 and be committed to whatever squeeze is required to get from there to 2 I opt to jug back out and Kylie joins me.

We meet the others a short time later as they ascend out of “the day light chamber” of 2

Of course they regale us with tales of magical chambers, wide, crystal filled passageways and a super easy ascent and sparkling unicorns farting fairy floss…

A quick bite to eat and we head into the Gong

We’d read the entry to the Gong was harder to find but it wasn’t. Grotty clothing back on and in we go.

I’d heard this one was a lot more straight forward with less crawling so I take the good camera hoping to get some pretty stuff. I did, but then somehow formatted the memory card 🤦‍♂️

The others go off exploring while I snap away.

A trail of fresh blood has us worried Random Chris has done himself a mischief
We explore on.
Before ascending out.

we head for the camp showers which were gloriously hot and clean.

Luckily we run into Random Chris and enquire about the blood. Seems he cut his finger on a shard and hadn’t realised it was bleeding so bad.

Day 2 and we go looking for the Devils Punchbowl and find it just as Random Chris arrives.

You might as well share our ropes if you want. We offer.

He has done the cave before and tells us the must do chambers. And we sort of just absorb him into the group.

Looking back I’m not 100% sure it was consensual.

Gadget dropping into the Punchbowl

I’m a little more comfortable after yesterday’s introduction but still not overly keen on the tighter stuff.

Luckily it starts with a massive chamber

There are passageways heading off everywhere

We crawl down a few before taking Random Chris’ advice and head for a great adventure

We get to a squeezey bit.

I baulk.

Common! It’s a short squeeze then it opens out and keeps going.

I suck in my gut, think thin thoughts and shimmy on through. It’s actually not too bad. If you are a bean pole.

Back into a passage of sensible dimensions I round a corner.

Manic laugher erupts. The crew is hiding with lights out. It’s a dead end but they knew I’d be able to do the crawl. it’s their way of safely encouraging me to push my limits. I laugh with them.

They are laughing with me not at me. Maybe.

The crew at the dead end. Random Chris at his rightful spot as a semi captive in the middle. Stockholm syndrome has well and truly kicked in
A more sensible sized crawl.

We explore more passages. Squeeze through gaps and clamber up and down ropes.

We are in a side circuit that’s quiet pretty

Um this is a bit tight says Russ

Um is it Flynny size asks Madie

Sure says Leo.

Hmm says Vince. Not sure if forward or backwards is best.

This is awkward says Gibbo

Hmm there use to be a wider passage up there says Random Chris. I don’t remember this.

Seeing them squeeze into a narrow hole. I’m out of here says Flynny. And I back out like Iggy Pop out of a shirt.

Gadget accompanies me back the way we came and we meet the others back at the start of the circuit.

Some more bats. More exploring and we head back for fresh air.

Ascending out. A largish scout group was coming in thus all the ropes.

And with that me and Gadget bid the others fair well. They were going to visit Signature cave in the afternoon but we decide to hit the road.

Another fantastic adventure and over due catchup with these awesome peeps.

Surround yourself with awesome people. Experience awesome things.

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Marihuana Canyon

| flynny101

18-05-2024

Gadget and meeeeeeseeee

Go Go Gadget had been in a moon boot with a broken foot for the last six weeks and now she was out we thought we’d ease back into it.

Or sumfink

We’d thrown around a few options and settled on Serendipity canyon at Mt Wilson. But, um well, Unpopular opinion: I’ve never been a big fan of Serendipity. Just always thought it was overrated. Gadgets wasn’t a fan either.

So we changed plans last minute and headed to a little one off the Bells Line that neither of us had visited before.

Named after an elaborate pot plantation in the head waters that got busted in the 90s I had not given too much thought to Marihuana Canyon before and had low expectations but it was something new so why not.

Scrub bashing down we avoid the upper cliff lines but get to the lower cliff and decide to rope up.

And we shall never speak about the tiny shrubs we used for anchors ever again.

As I use to joke with my old mate Della, if it’s wider than your thumb it’s ok. We never did clarify if you held your thumb vertical or horizontal.

Anyhoo

We enter the creek a little high (see what I did there.)

But it didn’t take long to start getting pretty

And before long it drops into a stunning little canyon.

The water was so clear.

And soon we reach the junction with South Bowen

We work our way upstream through some very nice canyon section.

A wider section of South Bowen

TBH it was hard work making our way upstream so we got to our exit and hauled out.

He felt that his whole life was some kind of dream and he sometimes wondered whose it was and whether they were enjoying it: D Adam’s

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