Langi Ghiran - November 2019

Langi Ghiran  or "Lar-ne- Jeering" to the Djab Wurrung people, means home of the black cockatoo. In 1836 Major Mitchell was the first European to climb the mount, he dubbed it Mt Mistake.

Part of Ararat's water supply the Langi Ghiran reservoir was built in 1880. The Mt Cole reservoir is approximately nine kilometers east of Langi Ghiran. A pipeline from the Mt Cole reservoir gravity feeds water to the ridge a kilometre or so from the Langi Ghiran reservoir, the water would then flow down the granite block lined channel to the Langi Ghiran reservoir. This channel is no longer used, a pipeline has been constructed for this purpose.

I started off from the picnic ground and camping area. Heading east and clockwise along a walking track, after passing the main reservoir I had planned to follow the disused open channel to the ridge where the the Mt Cole pipeline emerges, I had a little trouble locating the channel, so I was bushbashing until I  picked up the channel. While I was trundling through this off track section, I came upon the smashed wild life camera pictured below.

From the pipe outflow point I was on closed off four wheel drive tracks to within a couple kilometers from the summit, then rock scrambling to the summit and thence to the hidden lagoon. The Hidden lagoon is in the saddle between the Langi Ghiran peak and the lesser peak of Mt Gorrin. From the lagoon It was an easy dirt track back to the car. Then the start of my long drive back to Sydney.

The First Small Dam

A Granite Style near the Small Dam

The Main Reservoir

Somebody doesn't like being videoed

The disused open channel

 

Looking North from the Mt Cole pipeline outflow

The Dry Hidden Lagoon

  

Looking South From Langi Ghiran Summit

Stats,

distance: 16.3Km

moving time: 2hr, 32mins

Elevation: 700metres

Calories:1574

Tessellate Hill- October 2019

I was looking for something a bit shorter this time. I had heard of the tessellated rock formations a few kilometers north of Mt Irvine and had been thinking of having a look for a while now, so off I went. Mt Irvine is one of many volcanic capped mountains in the Blue Mountains. I continued north along a ridge extending from Mt Irvine. The ridge is bordered in the west by the Wollengambe River and in the east by the Bowen Gorge. The Wollengambe is famous for canyoning. Many years ago we did a lilo trip down the Wollengambe.
Mt Irvine is covered in lush forest. Further north the ridge is sandstone and the vegetation here correspondingly scrubbier. I took a bit of a look further on from the tessellate formation, after a few kilometers or so of bush bashing through the scrub not on a defined track I called it a day and retraced my path back to the car.

Tessellated sandstone

Another Rock Formation

Looking North into The Wollemi Wilderness, the faint Mountain on the horizon is Mt Yengo

Looking across Bowen Creek to Mt Tootie

This creature was enjoying the sun

Wollangambe River

Stats,

distance: 10.9Km

moving time: 2hr, 26mins

Elevation: 391metres

Calories:1862

Mooney Mooney to Wondabyne Station & return September 2019

This run started and ended at the Old Pacific Highway Bridge over the Mooney Mooney Creek, below the new multi lane freeway bridge. The out and back route was mostly over a section of The Great North Walk (GNW). The GNW is from the Sydney CBD to Newcastle CBD, a walking distance of approximately 250Km. Details of the GNW can be found here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_North_Walk
Many different species of wildflowers were in bloom, really quite beautiful.
I managed to get close to several Glossy Black Cockatoos, I wasn't able to photograph them.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossy_black_cockatoo

The turn around point, Wondabyne railway station. This station is one of the smallest in Australia. The only access to the station is by train, boat or walking, there is no road access. The station was built in 1889 and was previously know as Mullet Station. There is a working sandstone quarry here. This quarry has supplied sandstone for the National War Memorial in Canberra, and recently St Marys Cathedral spire in Sydney.
Usually during September the Terrigal Trotters running club conduct an Ultramarathon on parts of the GNW, the section I did today is used for of this event. Details here: https://www.terrigaltrotters.com.au/GNW/

The Under Belly of the Mooney Mooney Freeway Bridge

The Mooney Mooney Freeway Bridge from the Great North Walk

A Juvenile Goanna

Flannel Flowers

Wondabyne Station

The Intentions Book Container

Mooney Mooney Creek

Suspension Bridge over Piles Creek

Stats,
distance: 20.9 Km
moving time: 3hr, 31mins
Elevation: 637metres
Calories:1862

Heathcote, Karloo Pool, Waterfall & return via Lake Ekersly August 2019

I did this run the day after a dump of snow in the Blue Mountains. I had no desire to go anywhere cold, it turned out a magnificent day for a run in the Royal and Heathcote National Parks. My route passed by several rock pools, these pools in warmer times would have people swimming in them, I didn't meet a sole while in the bush, so close to Sydney. Lots of birds in the banksias and a couple of wallabies where the only wildlife I encountered. This was my last long run before the annual Bilpin Bush Run.

Memorial to Firefighters who died here

Water supply pipeline from Woronora Reservoir

This pipeline from the Woronora Reservoir supplies some southern Sydney suburbs. The reservoir also supplies some northern Wollongong suburbs. The reservoir is heritage listed and took fourteen year to build, commencing  in 1927.

Lake Ekersly (not actually a lake, but a pool in the Woronora River) 

Stats,
distance: 24.4 Km
moving time: 4hr, 1mins
Elevation: 522metres
Calories:2040


 

Wattle Ridge, Slot Way, Nattai River & Troy's Creek July 2019

From Wattle Ridge I took the Slot Way track to access the Nattai River. Needle Lookout is along this track, as the lookout's name suggests it provides a great view of Russell's Needle as well as a good look at this section of the Nattai River Gorge. Russell's Needle is upstream from where the Slot Way meets the river, I wanted to go the opposite way. So down stream I went, the track is virtually non existent along the river.   Progress was a mostly a matter of negotiating a water worn bed of rocks about the size of footballs.   
My route out was via Troy's Creek track and then onto the old Nattai road. Troys Creek track was once an access track to the farm house that was at Emmetts Flat on the river. There is some relics from this farm at the Flat, a rusty old stove and a rusty bed frame.  Troys track at the river is a little hard to find and the track itself is very overgrown, long trousers are recommended. I encountered a few Lyre birds on the way out.

Looking North along the Nattai River Gorge from Needle Lookout

Mt Jellore, with Russell's Needle directly below Mt Jellore, also from Needle Lookout

A better view of Russell's Needle from near the Nattai River

Ruins at Emmett's Flat

Stats,
distance: 20.8 Km
moving time: 3hr, 30mins
Elevation: 694 metres
Calories:1901

Overnight on Mount Cloudmaker June 2019

This is my second attempt at this route, my last attempt in November 2018 I turned back around midday due to storms brewing. Then I figured I would not reach a suitable campsite before the storms hit. This time the weather was quite different with sunny days and cold nights.  The temperature was predicted to drop to -5 overnight in the region. This was the the shortest day of the year, to enable maximum walking time I slept in the back of the ute the night before. I don't know what the temperature did drop to, but I woke to find my water bottle had ice in it. The rest of the day turned out to be perfect for hiking. After an uneventful day of walking I arriving at Mt Cloudmaker just before nightfall. After entering my intentions in the log book,  I doubled back 100 metres or so, to a sheltered saddle, where I set up camp. After a feed I was tucked in my sleeping bag by 6pm, it was just too cold. The next morning, after a good and long nights sleep my water bottle had ice in it again. It was a bit chilly getting breakfast, as soon as I got hiking I warmed up. The weather remained perfect for the rest of this day also.

 Mt Cloudmaker is the highest peak, the route I took follows the ridges. I could just see Sydney CBD from where I took this.

Looking up Gordon Smiths Pass

Looking West to Back to Kanangra Walls

My camp, near the of summit of Mt Cloudmaker

Mt Cloudmaker summit

Cave at the base of Crafts Wall

Looking  South from the Kanangra-Boyd Plateau, Mt Colong on the horizon

Ice on the puddles at 4pm

Stats,
Kanangra Walls to Mt Cloudmaker
distance: 11.6 Km
moving time: 4hr, 17mins
total time: 6hr, 50mins
Elevation: 704 metres


The return walk
distance: 12 Km
moving time: 4hr, 27mins
total time: 8hr, 21mins
Elevation: 663 metres

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Box Vale Tramway, Nattai River & Forty Foot Falls May 2019

After a break from my bush excursions I was looking for something less arduous, as it turned out I was a still a little sore the next day after doing this one.
The first four and a half kilometres was along the long removed Box Vale Colliery train line route. This line operated for eight years, closing in 1896. The line has a 84 metre tunnel on it. At its peak in  1888, 100 tons per week of coal was hauled along the line, that was during a Melbourne coal strike.
The coal seam is 158 metres below the northern terminus of the line, and is 25 feet thick of very high grade coal. The coal was hauled from mine to the line via a steep incline, that incline is part of the route I took.
After a quick stop to take in the view from the Nattai Gorge lookout, I descended the incline using the  cable  for assistance. On reaching the Nattai river I followed it upstream until the confluence of the Nattai creek, then up the Nattai creek passing Forty Foot Falls. The rest was fire trails back to the car park.

Nattai Creek down below the dam wall

Welby Reservoir, built to supply Mittagong

 

One of many cuttings along the train line

  

Looking North along the Nattai Gorge towards the Blue Mountains

  

 The Tunnel

 

The steep incline connecting the mine to train line and cable to assist walkers

 

Nattai River

Another tunnel  (cave)

 

Stats,
distance: 13.3 Km
moving time: 2hr, 6mins
Elevation: 513 metres
Calories:1269