wet

01/03/2026

Dave, Jason, Hywaida, Kristo, Kylie and meeeeeeeee

A canyoning trip to New Zealand has been on the wish list for years but just hadn’t popped to the top of the priority list.

Until now.

The lead up was a bit chaotic and at various points it was looking like not all of us would make it but somehow the stars aligned and, thankfully, all 6 of us found ourselves making the acquaintance of every sand fly in Haast.

With the flies in a suitable frenzy over the taste of our blood we started our adventures off with a bang in Robinsons Creek.

a 15min walk up the hill and we are straight into it.

and some abseiling to check the depth first. This one was a bit too shallow to jump

The patterns and colours in the Schist was beautiful. Haast Schist is a metamorphic rock formed from sand and mudstones that have been reheated and placed under pressure then subjected to folding and uplifting to give it the patterns and swirls.

All good, gentle fun so far. A couple of small hydraulic features to be aware of.

The route is really well set. Unlike the typical Blue Mountain canyons we are use to there are times where you need to set traverse lines to avoid the hydraulics at the bottom of the waterfall, or loose log jams that act a sheives part way down. We are not unfamiliar with high flow canyons and practice this stuff a lot but it was a lot of fun putting our skills into practice in an easier canyon on day 1.

Then we come to the cavern pitch.

Jason sets the rope and I jump on, peering over the void.

It looks epic.

Then I notice a guy in board shorts below…. He’d scrambled up from the bottom but doesn’t hang around long. It was cold enough in the 5mm wettie.

Anyhoo, this pitch was amazebalz

Kylie at the top. The roar of the water beside you is awe inspiring.

More photos of this glorious little canyon. Click to enbiggen

Mine

Kylie’s

Hywaida’s

We scramble down the next drop on true right, walk around the corner and lo and behold there’s the car!

Fully psyched and eager for more we leave the wetsuits on and head down the road to Cross Creek

One touch of nature makes the whole world kin. Will I Am Shakespeare

Back to the canyoning page

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

BACK

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

	Magnifying Glass Can… on Yileen Canyon
	Doug’s Canyon… on A little Blue Mts surprise
	A dabble in Dalpura… on Easter Epic ride
	A peaceful dapple in… on Dalpura Canyon
	Aphrodite Abseil… on Winter Wolganfalls Weirdos

sleepwhenwearedead

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

Robinsons Creek

A wander around some Wollangambe wilderness