The next one is fairly basic down beside a smaller fall
A short hop skip and a jump down stream and we arrive at what we are here for.
The Famous chock stone abseil.
But to get there requires a short abseil and traverse
On their previous trips the water levels had been too high to attempt this one and there is the option to scramble out and do a dry line from high up just down stream of the chock stones.
Conditions today however are perfect so Jason sets a line and I traverse out and set the main drop
Jason follows me out and leads the big one
There are two redirects in place on this drop. The first gets you out, away from a sloping ledge that forms just as the water funnels into a ferocious torrent, the second keeps you out of the hydraulic that form in high flow at the base. Jason sets them both for us to follow
And the view back up tp it from just downstream is iconic
There was a bit of horsing around
It was still early in the day. We were tossing up the idea of continuing downstream and completing the lower section. Jason had done it before and thought it was interesting.
The other option was to play around here.
It would be cool to get on top of the chock stone say Wisey.
There is the dry line option, said some one.
We scrmble up the start of the exit track and find our way across to the dry line.
It’s a bit down stream of the chock stones but I manage to swing across to the upper stone to help the following party with a stuck rope (Notes say to throw the pull cord over the chockstone. This lead to the stuck rope. If the flow isn’t too high just bring the pull strand down with you. it pulls fine.)
then drop in.
Jas, Wisey and Dave follow me. It’s a surprisingly fun abseil and we opt to run repeat son it for funzies.
Over the years I’ve had a quiet giggle at the poor tourists hopelessly out of their way asking “is this the way to the campground at, um, New Ness.” their GPS’s having them very confused.
Today I gained a deeper understanding for those poor souls.
It’s pronounced “War” Gorge, said the amused cowcockie we waved down to ask where the hell are we. Turn left here and you’ll see the signs. he says but where did you come from?
I get ahead of myself. That came later.
We were doing a less than direct route from Cranky Rock to Waa Gorge as we wanted to use a free camp ground at Glacial Rocks to give us access to both Waa Gorge and Sawn Rocks without too much back tracking.
The road in to the Gorge from this end was touted as 4wd and fair weather only so we wanted to swing by the camp to see if it was suitable and make sure the road between was doable.
The camp looked great and we continued on. GSP signal was lost.
We get a couple of bars of signal just down the road and it screams to turn right.
Veering onto Terrergee road the signs matched what we were expect, other than not mentioning the Gorge, “Road Suitable in dry weather only.”
But the road was a lot better than expected.
Must have been recently graded, said we, if this is the rough road people whine about on trip advisor…. We should have shut up.
The road takes us across the top of some beautiful county and then down steeply into the valleys. It did get a bit slippy on the descents and you could see why it would be problematic in the wet.
So far so good.
Take the second left onto “Berrigal road” Says the nice lady in the GPS.
But the second road is signposted “Haven Home road” or sumfink and it’s the only road sign we’ve seen all day and the road looks like a goat track.
We pass it.
Go back says the GPS lady.
We go back have another look. Doesn’t look right. We try the other option.
Go back says the GPS lady.
I get out my phone and check the GPS topo app. I could see where the roads go but Waa Gorge isn’t marked and I’m not 100% sure where it is.
We take the goat track. It gets rougher and rougher.
There’s some dry creek crossing we need to engage 4wd for.
This is why we bought the ute. Says I
but it gets wilder.
Eventually GPS lady says, Turn left 100m ahead.
The left was even more over grown. I check the app again.
It opens out just through there but I’m 100% sure it’s private property.
Straight will skirt around the property boundary but add 18min to the drive.
Oh well we skirt around.
We are now in 4wd more than not.
It was a fun drive.
the road links us back onto Terrergee road, about a 5min drive further on from where the GPs insisted we turn off it earlier and still no signs for Waa Gorge.
We flag down a landcruiser coming the other way, the first car we’d see all day.
Um is this the way to “Wah” Gorge, say I sheepishly.
With a wry grin the afore mentioned conversation takes place.
The GPS took us down that road back there.
That bloody goat track!, it would have tried to take you across old mates property too.
I sense this isn’t his first of such encounters.
Anyhoo we are on the right track now. If the final little bit of bumpy road into the car park is what Tripadvisor folk are complaining about they don’t know what they are missing.
It’s 38°c as we pull into the car park.
By the way, it’s pronounced “War” gorge. 🙂
Sunscrees, hats, water, electrolytes, deep breath
Ok let’s head up. drink lots and if it gets too much say early and we’ll head back.
having suffered heat stroke and dehydration before I’m extra cautious in hot weather so we have a lot of water between us.
It’s a short walk up to the Mill-bullah water holes.
There is water in them but it has been in there a long time with no flush through to clean it out.
The top waterhole looks a little nicer but still stagnant.
The constructed tourist trail ends here but a well used ad hoc trail leads up through the cliff line.
The track skirts above what looks like would be a fun little canyonette full of jumps and slides, in the right water flow
Unfortunately we are here in the middle of one of the driest summers we’ve had since 2019.
Above the canyonette the gorge is shaded but the heat still oppressive
we find a clear pool to splash some water over us in an effort to cool off
We continue up, disturbing this lace monitor with his mouth full of a water dragon sandwich
Finally we get to the junction. Left takes us to the big wall .
A dry cascade greets us.
I head up, Kylie waits in the shade. The heat blasting off the stone is next level
The top of the gorge is impressive
We had a permit to fly the drone for 30min here so I get it out and try my hand at flying again
We slip back down to the junction, have a bite to eat and a big drink in the shade then explore up the other branch
another dry waterfall into a stagnant plunge pool greets us. It looks like there are some interesting levels above too. Definitely worth some exploration when things are cooler and wetter
We make our way back down to the car. And head back to the camp
the Ancient Glacial Rocks site on Rocky creek is interesting. Superficially it looks like another granite lined gorge. A closer look and the rocks are different. You can see how they have been churned up, smashed together and dumped out.
Once again the river is running through agricultural land and wild goat are everywhere but once again it’s too hot to be picky so we cool off in the rapids and then settle in for the night.
The camp site is basic but has bins and toilets. It’s worth checking out the toilet signs for a giggle.
There a 2 other campers set up. Flat spots are at a premium but we manage to jag a flat spot in shade
Winning
We eat diner with the goats. Tomorrow we head to Sawn Rocks.
There’s some great side canyons along the Wollangambe with the most popular ones clustered around Mt Wilson.
Of those accessed from the Fire Shed there are a couple of outliers that get less traffic due to being a little harder to get too.
Whirlpool canyon is one of these.
Expecting a stinking hot day and a long scrubby walk in we meet early and head off.
The others had obtained a GPS trace of the entry, I had my usual plotted way point for the canyon start and sometimes/usaul/mostly wackily off gut feel…
Banter made the walk in pass in a flash, well not really but it was surprisingly simple, even if I did get completely turned around at one point, thankfully Clare and Kylie kept us on track. Though when H suggested we try a short cut I was all in.
It was also relatively scrub free(ish)
Slipping down H’s side gully hoping to cut off a fair bit of the GPS trace.
And soon we find ourself at the start of the canyon.
We weren’t expecting much out of this one but a short abseil gets us into a surprisingly nice slot.
Kylie sussing out the first abseil
There was some interesting anchor set ups and a couple of the abseils have very tricky starts. This problem solving aspect is part of what I really enjoy about canyoning.
Don’t get my wrong, on popular trips where hordes of foot steps compact tree roots and pulling rope after rope wears grooves in the rock well placed bolts are a Good Thing (TM) but they do take something away from the overall experience of problem solving. That’s probably not a major draw for most, but for me it’s a big part of it.
Anyhoo that’s off topic.
Back in the land of dodgy anchors, we check each one carefully (as you should every time). Replace what needs to be replaced and carefully consider the remnant dodginess
Before lone you could feel the warmth chimneying up from the ‘Gambe
H leads the way down the last abseil and soon we reach the Junction with the Wollangambe
But the day is not over. Our exit is about a kilometre and half downstream.
Having pretty much traced this enigmatic river from its source at Clarence to below Mt Irvine on various trips over the years I reckon this bit is the most stunning section of the ‘Game
Deep walls and beautiful pools.
That’s said it’s not easy going with deep sand and boulder hoping between long swims zapping your energy after an already longish day .
Having less foot traffic it’s also a lot slipperier in spots.
Just before our exit we catch a group from the central coast who had completed Geronimo.
We chat at the exit, cooling off at the sandy beach before making our way back up to the shed.
All in all a thoroughly enjoyable day but it was also a long day for a shortish canyon so I wouldn’t rush back to repeat the trip.
Whirlpool itself was nice and as stated it’s a beautiful section of the Wollangambe so worth doing at least once.
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.
I hadn’t done Banks Canyon since the last time I had done Banks canyon.
At that time we had followed Jamison’s guide and went up North East Canyon. We repeated that route when we visited Nose Dive Canyon.
This time we went directly across and found a rough trail up the major north south gully. It was a bit scrubby to start but once we gained the base of the eastern cliff line it was relatively easy going and lead us up to the even fainter trail in from Rail Motor Ridge.
While slightly longer I think this option was a bit quicker as it avoided problem solving some sketchy scrambles in North East and was relatively easy going.
Banks is darker and more constricted than Hole in the Wall and the upper section is more sustained, it just seems to keep going.
And being a bit less visited it has a wilder, more adventurous feel. There’s a bit of problem solving in terms of anchors and down climbs and duck under and squeezes. Which I love.
It starts Green and Lush
and soon drops into a deep dark hole
deep pools lead to tight squeezes
Blue Mountains canyons often have short upper sections that cut through the Banks Sandstone layer. These are usually low quality. Occasionally, though, upper sections, like the ones in Hole in the Wall, South Bowen or Bell are surprisingly high quality. But the upper section in Banks is exceptionally good. Thus the name.
did I mention tight squeezey bits?
There are 3 or 4 short abseils in the upper section, some with tricky starts, some ending in tricky to get out of (unless you are skinnier than me) pools. Some end in dark holes. Some all three.
We had slowed down quite a bit in Banks. Partly because of the problem solving, partly just to soak it in.
But eventually we emerge back into the light.
We are just about at the junction, says someone. We’ll start heading down.
I’m sure there’s another abseil. Say I. I remember a longer one.
We begin boulder hoping and get out on what appears to be a track on the banks.
I dont’remember this, says I
and soon the creek plummets below us and we are forced to back track as bit to get back in.
A tricky down climb later we come to the biggest drop of our trip. An 18m abseil into the wider, shorter lower section
Kylie makes her way down
The water is so clear
1 more abseil gets us to the junction with the Bungleboori/ Dingo Creek
What’s with canyon rocks looking like hulk smash fists?
There is reportedly a tricky exit downstream but this section of the Bungleboori/Dingo creek from Banks upstream past Hole in the Wall to the exit is remarkably beautiful, especially in the soft light of a slightly over cast day. we go upstream.
From here we make our way back to camp to recover for Popeye
Kylie, Hywaida, Kris, Jason, Monhaka, Levis and meeeeee,
We were itching to just get out and soak up the bush.
We may have got soaked in the bush.
It was a drizzly start to the weekend but undeterred we found ourselves making our way along the entry route with overnight packs and a sense of excitement.
Kylie and I had been held up behind a traffic accident so Monica and Jason already had tents set up and camp established by the time we roll in.
We pitch our tarp, cook a warm meal and settle in out of the drizzle.
Levis arrives a bit later, the drizzle is a bit heavier so there wasn’t a lot in the way of introducing him to the gang.
Kris and Hywaida join us at the crack of dawn and we head off to visit Hole in the Wall canyon.
Hole in the Wall is a classic Blue Mountains canyon consisting of 2 deep, beautiful slots separated by a short creek walk.
Mon entering the upper constriction
The top sections contains some scrambles and wades between deep twisting walls, but no abseils
The bottom sections starts with an abseil into a very pretty pool
and then straight into the glowworm cave.
The glowworm cave is different every time I visit.
This time was probably the least spectacular display of worms. To be fair it was cold and wet outside, so potentially less insects to attract into their web, and it is early ion the season.
The hydrology of the cave also changes. The exit squeeze down to the left has long since collapsed. But what has been a deep swim requiring a difficult exit in recent years has silted up again resulting in a shallow wade.
Still it’s not as bad as it was in the early 2000s when you had to belly crawl in.
Then there’s the exit. Every year I think is this the year I’m too fat to make it. I’m not built for caving.
Jason in the green pool
Mon
Kylie in the lower section of the lower section
Levis’ mate Jackie
The final abseil
Lush green walls
And the final little waterfall before the Hole in the Wall of the Bungleboori
From here we head upstream.
Yeah yeah I know this creek has been officially renamed “Dingo creek” and has been since 2006 but that really is an unimaginative name for such a beautiful creek. On the old 1 inch to the mile Wallerawang map Dingo creek was marked as a small side creek (with an impressive rock arch). The major creek was Bungleboori Creek. The Southern branch that creek lower down was called Bungleboori creek, Nine Mile branch in reference to the Newnes Railway.
I’m assuming Bungleboori was the native name.
Anyhoo, we head upstream to the lunch rock at the usual HITW exit, we have made good time and enjoy a quick bite to eat in the drizzle before crossing the creek and heading up the other side for your next adventure.
Popeye creek pops in and out of canyon sections along much of its course and it’s one I’d not done before.
A big Saturday trip had been foiled by thunderstorms and we just needed to shake out the cobwebs but couldn’t be arsed repacking ropes and stuff so thought why not have a look at some non abseil sections in Popeye.
Meeting at the crack of 10am, or there abouts we make our way in in no time.
We’d be entering the canyon a long way upstream of where the jamieson guide recommends but not too far from the increasingly popular Popeye falls.
The creek cuts a deep, promising looking cleft in the sandstone.
A short section of narrow u bends hide a pleasant little canyon.
There’s a bit of bridging to stay dry above the knees. But the water is a pleasant temp anyway
Not the figure 8 pool
It is very pretty.
Parts very similar to the Dumbano tunnels.
We are already impressed. the canyon opens up a bit and Waratahs line the banks.
Waratahs along a spur off Waratah ridge? Who would have thunk it
And soon we come to the falls.
Most visitors to here avoid the canyon bit and keep their feet dry by scrambling down the nose.
It’s a funky little waterfall through an arch in a side creek
We phaff about with photos for a bit, we have to pool all to ourselves., but then push on downstream to the next canyon section.
A bit wider and deeper it’s a nice walk through section
It’s nice
Again the canyon opens out. We believe it’s a 1km scrub bash down to the next bit so, happy with our easy day, we retrace our steps back up to the waterfall. A crowd of people are here now.
There’s an easier way in, says old mate sucking in a vape.
We came that way, replies Ellie very politely. We just had a look at some other stuff while out here.
We leave the guards and scramble out into the cliff top for lunch.
Despite just getting back from Blue Lake hot on the heals of New Zealand we were feeling like we hadn’t been too active this winter. I hadn’t really been riding and Kylie was missing regular trips to the climbing gym and we were both missing canyoning.
We briefly considered a simple Empress run then I thought to myself, I haven’t done Hat Hill in like forever.
Hey Kylie, says I, I haven’t done Hat Hill in like forever.
Me neither, says Kylie.
So we put a last minute call out and H joins us.
Driving into Blackheath, Um, Does anyone know where we are going? say I
A quick check on Ozultimates to confirm the car park and we are off.
We had considered abseiling in via one of the side canyons but there had been a crap load of ran through the week and since we hadn’t done it in like forever we decided to stick with the standard trip as a reccie for later adventures.
We are expecting the water levels to be up and were prepared to abort the trip if it was too high.
The walk in is short and easy we get to the start of the first section now dramas
The water was a bit pushy, making the down climb a bit tricky
The first section is a nice little teaser, the walls close in then pretty much open out.
But it’s pretty creek walking in between the canyon sections
We take the time to explore up the side canyon on the right making plans for future trips before heading down stream
The high water made some features a bit harder to negotiate than usual.
We scope out the entry to the middle section and carefully consider it before committing.
A still from Kylie’s Video. Might not look like much but personally I would be reluctant to try it any higher. If you needed to reverse out for any reason it would be problematic
There is a lot of tree fall which would also create dangerous hazards in high water. the calmer bits between, though were noice.
The lower section was as pretty as ever with multiple side waterfalls
the infamous double arch waterfall in a side canyon
Making our way back up to the exit through the lower section was surprisingly hard work. The extra water flow and deep sand working like resistance training on every step.
And back at the exit there was nothing left but to have lunch then haul out.
I always enjoy discovering there’s hidden canyons in areas I thought I knew fairly well.
Suddenly finding ourselves with a spare day we organised a last minute semi exploratory trip to a little canyon none of us had been to before.
Vince had prepared the lidar maps which suggested the constriction would start a bit further downstream than the spot I had selected to enter.
The one source I had said the lidar hadn’t picked up a small cliffline near the creek. says I. I’d hate to miss something.
So we bush bashed in to the spot I had picked. Somehow picking a path to the only 2 cliff lines in that area, luckily there was a path down in-between the two outcrops that look surprisingly like a butt on the lidar. We went down the crack.
The first part of the creek was a bit of a scrubby dub dub with 1000 fallen trees to clamber over but then it opened up a bit
I’ve visited worse creeks
A nice spot for a dip on a warm day. Today was not warm.
and soon it dropped into something that looked very canyon like
A slippery scramble down brought us to a deep, crystal clear pool. Vince spidermaned across. Russ and Jas follow.
This is going to be a test for my shoulder.
I manage to bridge out but as I try the next move I feel the shoulder giving way….. In I go.
It was refreshing.
It should have been a simple bridging exercise.
Couldn’t support my own weight
Not overly deep or consistent but a canyon non-the-less
With some very noice sections.
the next pool looked less avoidable
Even Russ suited up and swam through
Jason decided to give traversing along the side a go. And very nearly made it.
And more pleasant canyon follows
Getting down this tangle of rotting logs and loose boulders was one of the biggest challenges of this little canyon.
And soon we came to the tributary we had planned as our exit.
A little bit of scrambling and a tad of scrub bashing and we were back at the road and quickly headed back to the car to pick up the ropes and harnesses then head off to visit another little canyon not too far away.
Everyone’s favourite squeezy canyon
Russ sitting on everyone’s favourite dodgy anchor
Jason on everyone’s favourite cheese grater abseil
Everyone’s favourite Go/No Go gauge. Don’t go down go over!
Everyone’s favourite helpful team mate
Everyone’s favourite return to the big wide world.
a noice ramp back up through the cliffline.
Then all the was left to do was to bash some more scrub to the main trail and a 3km walk back to the car.
Searching is half the fun. Life is much more manageable when thought of as a scavenger hunt: J Buffett
sleepwhenwearedead 