21/03/2025
Kylie, Jason, Vince, Darcy, Rakesh,Tanya and me
Twister and Rocky Creek at night is pretty special
We are all but worms, but I believe I am a glowworm: W churchill
Rocky Creek Glow worms
Canyoning
South Bowen, again
15/03/2025
Kent, Chardie, Louise, Scott, Geoff and Crew
I don’t usually like repeating these canyons that regularly but I’m still recovering from injury and have been meaning to catch up with these legends for ages so it seemed like to good an opportunity to miss.
How many worlds are in your world? Andy Anderson
A grand way to juggle back into it.
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
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
We take our time descending the canyon and enjoying the company.
It was an awesome way to easy back into adventure life.
Grateful.
Waterdragon
04/01/2025
Mark and meeee
It had been a couple of years since I had the chance to catch up with this legend so when he messaged to say he was in the Blues I was keen to get in a canyon with him again.
Mark was one of the first Blue Mountains canyoners to head over to Europe and bring back whitewater skills and more advanced rope techniques and he had a fair impact on my canyoning trajectory.
Anyhoo, We decide on a smaller day and head off to check out water dragon canyon.
The ‘Gambie is a popular spot today and we pass several groups starting the lower section, and another on their way to Water Dragon as we cross the river and head up the other side.
We drop in at the usual spot and make our way down to the canyon
I tend to forget how dark and pretty the main constriction is. Perhaps because it is so hard to photograph
When we get to the exit there is a rescue in place just down stream. We enquire if any assistance is required but are waved off. they have it under control.
Kanangra Main via the wall
03-01-2024
Jason, Vince, Hywaida, Kris, Dave, Kylie and meeee.
It had been a while since we did a trip down K-Main and with a little bit of water still about we thought it would be a great opportunity to go and get wet.
Water levels were lowish but still up enough for the falls to have reasonable flow
And then its a quick boulder hop down to the exit.
the overcast conditions were welcome on the climb but the route up the ridge was a lot looser than I expected with the soil very dry despite with the moisture in the air.
all in all another great day.
Lower North Bowen
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.
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.
Dargan Creek Photo trip
27-10-2024
Meeeeeeee
Got my hands on a reasonable camera so di a quick solo through Dargan Creek to learn the ropes… or buttons or surfing
I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be. D Adams
mugii murum-ban
31-08-2024
Dick, Kylie and meeeeeeeee
A long, long time ago… Well, not that long ago!
Ok it’s nearly 40years ago which sounds like a long time when I think about it but I was and young whippersnapper out on a Jeep trip with dad and his mates. Day 2 we visited a bloke by the name of Col Ribaux.
As well as being a fellow connoisseur of ex-millitary vehicles, 4wd drive enthusiast and diamond miner, Col was an all around top bloke, legendary character and, the “Guardian of the Mountain.”
After admiring the assortment of old Jeeps, trucks and tracked personnel carriers he fired up one of the old tanks and we followed him up the steep pass through the cliff line of what we knew as Airly but is more properly Airly Turret (Confusingly there is Mount Airly slightly to the West, then Airly gap, then a small bump call Airly Mountain then Airy Turret on the way up to Mount Genowlan (Not to be confused with Jenolan, different spellings of the same aboriginal word for high point/place).
After the steep drive up and a look around the mine we camped the night out at Genowlan Trig.
Col has since passed and the area with it’s plethora of Aboriginal and European heritage sites and stunning natural beauty has been taken over by National Parks and named, Mugii Murum-Ban after local elder Uncle Charlie Riley. Mugii being a type of owl and Murum-Ban being eldest sone.
While always a favourite spot in 4wd circles it’s a bit further from Sydney so hadn’t attracted the bushwalking crowds of the Blue Mountains. That’s changing as walking clubs and fellow bloggers discover just how magical the place is.
Anyhoo, in the ensuing years I’ve driven passed it a lot and even driven up Mount Airly a time or two but it was time for a return to Genowlan.
Kylie and I had scoped it out a couple of weeks prior on a day when she also flew over it with Capertee Valley Helicopters. Remembering the steepness of the road and the old rock steps I opted to park part way up and walk. Finding the road recently graded and, while still steeeeeeeeep we thought it easily doable in the triton.
And so we came back and Dick joined us.
Plan for the day was to have a look around the old mines, enjoys the views and check out some of the slots the walkers had cottoned on to.
First stop Ultimate Slot.
From where we parked I was expecting a bit of a scrub bash but
There a bit of a trail here, called Kylie
We follow a well defined trail for about 2mins and… BAM
After phaffing about for ages we head back to where we parked and head in on the other side of the road. In less than 20 steps from where we parked we were in the “Grotto”
Back to the cars and we head back up past the main diamond mines. Our next stop was Gnomes pass, AKA Ladders Defile. This is another slot/micro canyon that Col had set a series of Ladders in to make it easier for his kids to get through. He also added a bit of a fairy tail touch.
The old ladders make it easy to negotiate the slot which soon opens out to a amphitheatre that would make a great spot for a picnic.
We scramble up onto the pagodas and admire the views
We then continue out to soak in the views from Point Hatteras
And to round out a relaxing but rewarding day we poke around the old mine site
All up a nice soulful day exploring some of the more easily accessible sites and barely scratching the surface of what Mugii Murum-Ban has to offer.
Rough diamonds might sometimes be mistaken for worthless pebbles. T Brown.
Wolgan Falls, again
22/06/2024
Dick, Vince, Russ, Kylie and meeeeeee
The predicted snow didn’t come our way and I was keen to do something short and sweet.
Wolgan Falls seemed a good option.
Kylie and I had been searching for rock art in Kia Ring Gai NP and it occurred to me I hadn’t shown her some of the more prominent stencils around here so we met Dick early at Maiyingu Marragu (Black Fellows Hands rock)
Maiyingu Marragu was a meeting place for Wiradjuri, Gandangara, Dharug and Dharkinjung people. It was also an occupation site with a mens area, Women’s are and a special birthing place. Exisiting art layers are upto 1600 years old.
There are other art sites in the area but Maiyingu Marragu is the easiest to get to and one of the more impressive with over 50 motifs.
We take our time soaking in the ambiance then head back to the cars to meet Russ and Vince before heading up the hill.
I definitely didn’t take them down a wrong fire trail, twice… Shuddup
The trail in is reasonable and it doesn’t take us long to get to the views over the spectacular upper Wolgan gorge.
A couple of dry abseils gets us down to the shelf above the falls.
It is an awe inspiring place to be.
I sign the log book and, again we spend some time soaking in the special space
And then we rig the main drop.
Myself, Kylie and Dick are going to take the main drop in one 55M+ abseil down a wet line in the side flow. While Vince a Russ opt for the usual 2 stage dry line.
And then it was back up the hill.
Back at the cars it was still early so we headed off over the plateau to some other gems.
and we finish the day and get home just before the weather breaks.
What is clocks? Philomena Cunk.
Past trips to Wolgan Falls