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.
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
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.
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.
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
This was suppose to happen before Christmas but a big rain event had NP jumping at shadows and closing things down.
Even though it stayed dry for the next 4days the parks were still closed and we had to postpone.
Until now.
Yeah baby
First up pizza and beerios at Evans lookout.
Oh, and as a 70s child a 70s theme seemed to make sense.
These lads
They really are a legendary bunch of humans
After posing and yakking and general shenanigans we make our way down the Grand Canyon trail under a setting sun and drop into the slot to say g’day to the glowworms.
I always forget the walkin/walkout to canyon ratio for Grand blows but it is a pretty little slot in any light
Night canyoning is a different experience
Space girl
Traversing under worms.
Dick glows as much as any worm
I really am lucky to be surrounded by amazing people and it was a great night.
And backing it up the next morning with a trip through Twister and Rocky Creek was a great idea
Entering the maw
It’s hard to describe just how much I love rocky creek.
How could the weekend get any better?
I’m glad you asked
Fill what’s empty. Empty what’s full. And scratch where it itches. A Roosevelt Longworth
BACK oh and once again I’m raising money fir the Westpak Rescue Helicopter so please consider a donation
