Millie, Kylie, Jason, Vince, Russ, Libby, Russ, Brooke and meeeeeeee
Any one canyoning on Sunday. Asks Brooke
Not Sunday but we’ll be doing something Saturday says I
W’re taking Millie to the Glowworm Tunnel says Russ, We might stop by the Dry canyon but if you are doing anything in the afternoon we’d be keen.
So we pretty much invited ourselves on their trip.
First stop the Dry Canyon, AKA Wolgan View or Nobles Canyon.
Ans then we head off to find some honeycomb.
The facilities at the Glowworm tunnel has undergone an upgrade and the road it the best I’ve ever seen it so it was to be expected that the car park would be chokas on a long week immediately after reopenning.
But we found a park, grabbed the packs and skipped up the hill
Millies new bed room. She is quite impressed with it
Post 2019 fire scrub has grown back hard!
So much so we couldn’t see the canyon until we were right on it
Honeycomb is a pretty little pagoda canyon. Adventurous, with trick abseil starts but nothing overly awesome
Some people like chasing the big epic canyons, and don’t get me wrong I enjoy the long, sustained canyons as much as anyone but I get just as much joy out of the shorter ones too. They all have their own uniqueness, beauty and share of challenges.
I suspose being surrounded by canyon country I don’t need to justify the long drive up from the cities so am happy exploring the smaller stuff too.
Today was one of those days where we’d combine a couple of the smaller pagoda canyons. The first one dry(ish) the seond one wetter.
I’ve done both before but I’ll have to admit I had completely blanked out the amount of tea tree needed to push through on our way up the ridge on the first one….. Shorts may not have been the best bet…
Anyhoo. We all meet up at the car park and head off.
Wild flowers were out in colour
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
And after a hot climb through some scrub we arrived at our first slot.
Like a violent crumble bar without the chocolate
We wasted no time dropping in
Gaz likes to wedge himself in and film people from above
Our next obstacle was this very narrow cleft.
Last time we bridged out and then abseiled in at a slightly wider bit. The flaring nature of the slot meant the abseiler invariably swung in and cheese grated themselves. I knew it was possible to walk the ledges high above the canyon floor. Tiny ledges, wet feet. It makes for an interesting traverse.
Gaz bridging out on a section where the ledges all but disappear so the others could use him as a stepping stone if needed
Marchelle clinging to the rock face while the others watch on in trepidation.
We all make it. Somehow.
Gaz in the next section
And it’s just one more abseil and the canyon opens out
Last time I did this canyon we followed the creek down a bit and then around for a short dirty abseil off a lower cliff line. But I had soem beta that a better option was on offer so we follow the clifflines around past some stunning views
Then scrub bash a bit before dropping in to a lost world near a trouist destination
A stunning 25m freefall abseil greeted us.
Knowing how popular this spot is with tourist I was very careful dropping the ropes over, a carefull lower rather than a toss. Not a soul to be seen thou. It amused me a bit that on the way out we pass a steady stream of people heading in very all five of us abseiled down with only us as spectators 😉
We even had the place to ourselves for a selfie
It wasn’t just the tourists who on the exit track some of the locals were out too.
Anyhoo, after a spot of lunch it was back to the car and bike for a bit of a drive to our next destination.
I really do enjoy this one
It’s one abseil. but it’s a cracker of an abseil
Into the inescapable chamber.
Or sumfink
oh there is a way out
All in all an enjoyable day in the bush visiting two short but beautiful pagoda canyons
Party size: 5 all experienced
time: I have no concept of time….
Life is too short and the world too amazing to be bored