Munmorah Sea Caves

January 14, 2020January 16, 2020 | flynny101

9-01-2020

Laurence, Chris, Tal, Della, Gabby, Ev, Matt, Adrian and meee

The bushfires that raged across much of Australia threw a spanner in the work of a family holiday to the south coast so some last minute phone calls were made to me old mate Della who generously offered us a couple of beds on the central coast, I threw the ropes in just in case

Laurence had been promoting some abseil trips to sea caves that looked quite alright and while under normal circumstances I probably wouldn’t have driven up just to visit them while I was in the area I thought why not drag Tal out of a mini adventure.

A quick message to Laurence to get some info and tips and he offered to meet us there and show us around.

Hey Dell, can you get Thursday off work?

It’d been about 20years since he’d done any abseiling but he was keen. A few other invites were sent out and before we knew it we had met up with the above mentioned folk and were setting up ropes above our first cave. The Nudie cave

We set ropes, and exit ladder and Matt even jumps in at the exit to test the water, then after a few quick tips and reminders me and Dell get on rope and drop on in

Me and Della dropping in, or “dangling for great whites.” as it was later described ©Laurence

Dropping off the end of the rope we swim into the cave and wait for the others

Inside was surprisingly large and the pebbly beach gave an awesome underfoot massage

As he was finding his feet on the beach the only wave we saw all week swept up to smash Adrian face first into the pebbles. We shouldn’t have laughed… but we did

What foul creatures lurk in the Nudie cave? Oh, those idiots…. ©Gabby

And then we swim out and make use of Laurences cave ladder to climb out of the water

Exiting without placing a ladder first would be difficult at best

Be a cool jump. Say I. Looking back up to the arch

Oh Coop jumps from that platform there, Says Laurence

I don’t take much convincing. Nor does Della

And then we make our way around to the next one, Pinney Cave. This is just a dunk in the ocean with a bit of a scramble out. By all reports the scramble out is much harder in normal conditions and out right dangerous if the swell is much over a foot. We must have got very lucky with not much swell at all as I found it much easier

But with Laurence’s warning only myself, Matt and Della decided to give it a crack, with Gabby and Ev opting for a dry landing on the exit route and the rest waiting for us up top.

Me scrambling out on favourable seas while Laurence descends the exit ©Gabby

And then we make our way a bit further along the coast to the Shark Hole. An ominous name for us country bunkins.

Actually this is the snake hole, explains Chris. The Shark hole is where u swim out.

Oh, well then. In we go.

So almost like a canyon I got a tear in my eye… or sumfink

What a top mob of fellow adventurers to spend a relaxing day with

And to finish things off we head to the Catho Bay hotel for a cooling beverage or two

Did I mention what a awesome mob this lot are? ©Gabby via Adrain

Group Size: 9

Time: I have no idea

Caution: You need low tide and a swell of under 2 feet to run this trip the way we did it. Also the rock is sharp as a finely honed cutty thing so rope protectors and good start technique are a must.

Adventure pushes your limits and lifts your soul or sumfink

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Deep Pass

September 2, 2019September 17, 2019 | flynny101

1/09/2019

Mandy and Meeeee

We thought we’d make the most of the pleasant first day of spring weather with a little jaunt down to Deep Pass AKA Gawaymbanha Ngurambenggu

Working your way up from the bottom this is the first pool you encounter.

Mandy at the base of the water fall. Its a great place to hang out on a hot summers day. WOuld the allure drag me in? I’ve been coming here since the 80s and that’s the least amount of water I’ve seen trickling over the falls. It doesn’t bode well for summer

The narrow bit. For as long as people can remember log have been tied across this narrow section to allow you to get across without getting wet.

It’s not exactly the prettiest and considering the water is only waist deep…

More rope to help stay dry. Where it crosses around the corner is the only spot where you have to get your feet wet

One the way back down I couldn’t help myself. Even in the height of summer I reckon the water at deep pass is some f the coldest I’ve swum in. Today was no different.

After a quick bite to eat in the warm sun at the camp ground we poke around some of our other hidden gems

There are various pieces of rock art around the site. A lot of it is genuine

There are little nooks and crannies and dry slots scattered around the cliffs

Split rock is pretty amazing. This narrow hall branches off at right angles from another hall that is only slightly less narrow

“If you don’t turn your life into a story, you just become a part of someone else’s story.”
― Terry Pratchett,

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Slavens Cave

October 1, 2018October 1, 2018 | flynny101

01/10/2018

Mandy Tal and meeee

There’s not much to see. Says Tal. It’s just a hole in the ground

In one sense he is right, it is just a hole in the ground.

But the hole had significance in a couple of ways.

As drab as it is it happens to be one of the largest sandstone caves of it’s type in NSW, possibly Australia (1 report I read claims 10th biggest in the world). From what I’ve been able to make out from what I’ve read sandstone doesn’t tend to form these large subterranean cavities that often.

and

ii. 25 years ago, when we first started going out Mandy dragged me out on a wild goose chase trying to find this cave that was suppose to be near her grandfathers property. Way back before we got really into the adventurous outdoors we had a couple of goes at finding it and never did

So when Tal comes home after a weekend of camping with his mates and nonchalantly announces they found the cave I was 2 parts proud dad 1 part jealous.

You’ll have to take us there one day. Says I

Meh, shrugs he. There’s not much to see. It’s just a hole in the ground

Any way with a bit of bunged up ankle and a free afternoon I con him into taking us for a walk. He and his mates had traversed quiet a bit of private property on their journey. We try the approach from the other side.

It’s further around then we thought and hard to spot until you are on top of it but he navigates us in with nary a wrong turn.

Like he said it’s just a hole in the ground.

But that’s not the point

Tal leading the way in. The big depression this hole lies at the base of suggests the cave was once much much bigger

A little witchcraft is needed to find it

Bad photo of a pit left over from an archaeological dig done in the 80s(?) Apparently nothing was found

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A wander around some Wollangambe wilderness

July 9, 2017July 9, 2017 | flynny101

08-07-2017

Ed, Etham, Ciaus, Jake and me.

Another trip to this short but pretty dryish canyon out the back of Clarence, and a stop at Goochs Crater on the way back

This is an awesome sheltered cave. The creek, when it’s running flows through the back of it.

Venturing up the stuning side canyon. First recorded exploration of this slot by a bushwalking club was a group from Sydney Uni Bush Walking club in 1962, though I suspect Col Oloman would have visited previously either on one of his solo trips or with friends as they explored the areas through here across to the Bungleboori and beyond. Neither bothered to name it.

I keep forgetting how short this slot is. You get caught up in the light and ambience and time ceases to have meaning

the large cave in a 180 bend in the canyon.It’s like another world. Ciaus and Ed desided when society falls apart this might be a good place to live

Ed in one of the more open twists and turns in the very narrow upper section of canyon

Ed on the peak, the canyon carves around either side of him. The cave at the bend can be seen in the cliff line, though the scale of it is hiddne by the trees

We seem to be climbing out to look down on the top of canyons a lot lately

Ciaus and Jake as the canyon opens out slightly near the cave

Then it was over the ridge and out to Goochs Crater

Ed looking down on the cliff lined swamp known as Gooches crater

Looking down on Ed and Ethan through the Sky light in Goochs arch

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA — Jake heading over to join Ethan and Ed under the arch

All in all a pleasant winters day in the bush

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“Life must be lived as play.” – Plato.

The River Caves

June 25, 2017June 27, 2017 | flynny101

25-06-2017

Devon, Catherine, Mandy and I

So the enviros at work expressed and interest in visiting River Caves Canyon. So I teed up a little trip

River caves-2.jpg — Catherine checking out the start of River Caves Canyon

River caves-3.jpg — Devon about to enter the River Caves

River caves-6.jpg — Mid winter water temps

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River caves-10.jpg

River caves-14.jpg — Easy to see why Rus May and John Norris originally called it the Water Tunnel

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It’s only a short trip

2 hrs car to car with a bit of time taking happy snaps so we decided on adding the Dry canyon to our trip

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“I go to Nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put together.” –John Burroughs

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blue, mts, canyon, canyoning, mtb, mountain bike, gardens of stone, Lithgow

cave

Munmorah Sea Caves

Deep Pass

Slavens Cave

A wander around some Wollangambe wilderness

The River Caves