Ben Cruachan Walking Club Inc - Walk Reports
| The Budawangs (NSW) — Wow
(Elaine Ferguson) DATE: Fri/Monday 02/05 December LEADER: Steve Whately Firstly, on behalf of our little group, I want to thank Steve for leading us on this spectacular walk and for taking us to this “other world” - like nothing we have seen in Victoria. An unforgettable experience. I lost count of how many times I looked up and said, “Wow!” The group consisted of our leader Super Steve (Whately) plus John Boyle, Elaine Ferguson, Oliver Raymond and Jack Winterbottom. Steve lead us on a hard (very hard?) but most rewarding walk. We began our adventure Friday morning when we left Maffra with ten hours of driving ahead of us! It was an interesting drive up the coast to Bateman’s Bay then inland to our camp on the Yadboro River. On the way we had several stops for the usual driver swapping, stretching legs, eating, etc. Between driving and sleeping, what I remember most are the cycads and spotted gums near Moruya, plus Oliver’s entertaining poems! From studying the maps we knew we were nearing The Budawangs, and finally along the last few kilometres, we caught glimpses through the trees of the impressive towering cliffs of “The Castle”. Wow! Tomorrow that was our destination. Way up there! We arrived at our Yadboro River camp at 6 pm to see dark threatening clouds surrounding The Castle above us and before we could erect the tents the rain started. Within a few minutes I discovered a tiger leech on the tent and not long after discovered another on my leg! Jack swiftly chopped that leech in half with his pen knife scissors and, fortunately, we saw no more leeches. We were entertained with thunder and lightening and the rain was not too heavy so we managed to cook tea and retire to our tents without getting too wet. Some very quiet kangaroos hopped about our tents throughout the night and the thunder and lightening continued and the rain became quite heavy. Next morning there was an inch of rain in Oliver’s billy! Saturday morning we started our walk about 8 am and our first challenge was crossing the Yadboro River. It was flowing swiftly and well above Jack’s knees. “This means a wet bottom for me”, I thought, “maybe this is my initiation to become a “Winterbottom”! Fortunately we all managed to cross without any mishaps (and thanks to Jack’s helping hand). Then it was dry off, boots on, shoulder packs and we were off! We were in the Morton National Park, to begin with, and we wound our way through a shady gully with lush, large fan palms plus other sub-tropical plants and lovely bird-song along the way. Then up a long spur we climbed through taller timber and past more inviting views of the rugged cliffs of The Castle. The spur led us towards the base of The Castle cliffs and the last section was very steep with several series of well made wooden steps to make our climb easier. These steps included the usual horizontal planks of wood across the track to reduce erosion and give us traction and also there were round “stepping stone” log sections. These were criss-crossed on top with chainsaw cuts to give more grip and they looked like apple pies with criss-crossed strips of pastry on top! After climbing up many steps we then (fortunately) had the assistance of a couple of chains on a steeper section - named “Two Chain Road” by John. Then we arrived at the foot of the cliff and proceeded to follow a track around the base for an hour or two. This warranted many “wows!” from us. We caught views across the valley of other cliff faces and unusual rock formations towering above us. And along the track we came across many large rock falls which we sometimes scrambled over or sometimes scouted around and occasionally walked behind, between the cliff and the fallen boulders. There were several beautiful little water falls created from the water droplets running down the cliffs above and then showering from over-hanging rocks, down over us as we walked below. “Surreal” I think was the word Steve used. Yes! And then the highlight of the cliff base walk was the “Japanese Garden”. Wow! Talk about surreal! The large angular boulders (placed almost too perfectly) enclosed a sheltered, quiet, almost secret corner with a delicate shower of water softly falling from above onto some white, polished stones and some fresh, delicate, green ferns. The water trickled over the stones and rocks and formed a clear little stream which continued to flow across the pretty stones on the floor of the “Japanese Garden”. Several times along our walk we just had to stop and take time to “soak it all up”. It was too beautiful to quickly walk past without absorbing the beauty of it. Now, I have already written over half a page and we haven’t even got to lunch on the first day! How can I summarize such an amazing walk? I’ll try………………. The vegetation was more “coastal” than we see in our Victorian mountains. We passed lovely gnarled old banksias, pretty mauve flowered tea-tree, many hakeas with yellow flowers and lots of seed cases, bridal fern and tall rushes which looked like “cut grass” (but fortunately didn’t cut) and hundreds of beautiful large grass trees. After walking along the cliff base we had another very steep ascent. This time it was up to The Castle Saddle where a “cross-road” of tracks converged. The ascent was, in short, b……… steep. Thankfully we had those wonderful steps to help us, and I kept thinking it was like walking up to The Crinoline but with a three day pack on my back. John affectionately named it the “stairway to heaven”. Fortunately we were all fit enough to endure it and the frequent spectacular views enticed us onward. Plus, I recall a couple of times when we marveled at the sights, Steve replied with “there is more” and “it gets better” ! Really?? That kept me going. The Castle saddle was finally conquered and then we had to walk down the other side for 500m, through the pretty mauve tea-tree, to our campsite where we set up camp and had a late lunch. What a relief to put the packs down and put the feet up! We discussed the plan for the afternoon and after a good rest we all agreed to tackle the ascent of The Castle summit (with most gear left at the camp). Steve advised there was rock scrambling and steep faces to be negotiated so we accepted that some of us may not have the skills (or leg length) to make it, but we would at least give it a go. And with the assistance of Steve’s ropes most of us should manage OK. On standing up after our longish rest, my right knee wouldn’t straighten. What a pain! Literally! So I decided to limp along and just hope it got better. But it didn’t. So the rest of the group tackled the summit and I hobbled back to camp, with an afternoon siesta in the sun on the way. The “boys” returned late afternoon, all having succeeded. From all reports, I made the right decision to stay at camp. Sorry I can’t report on that part of the walk. They told me the views were magic, but the ascent was not! Jack’s photos tell it all. If you get a chance, ask Jack to show you. The Castle overlooks some rugged country with intriguing geological formations. Saturday night turned out to be one of the noisiest nights I’ve experienced camping! The roaring winds blew up and over our ridge top camp and many times I was awoken by the loud roar which became louder and louder like a train roaring through our campsite. I lost count of how many times I was woken by the roaring gales. But, even with the lack of sleep, next morning we were up and about early, all eager to continue our adventure. Sunday was a day walk out from our camp, so much less gear to carry. As it turned out this was a blessing as it ended up being a very long day. We walked from 8 am to 7 pm……..11 hours! How can I summarize it?? Maybe shorter sentences………… Day began with breakfast on our rock patio facing east. Overlooked spectacular cliffs, mesa formations, waterfalls, Mt Byangee, The Pigeonhouse, the Clyde River, and the distant ocean. Much bird song enhanced this lovely camping spot but also caused some confusion! I heard a Bower bird but Jack thought I said Lyre bird. Maybe a Lyre bird imitating a Bower bird? There was some confusion. Fortunately, Steve pointed out the humour in this Lyre bird/Lier(?) bird issue and gave us a few giggles! Many other birds were also heard (or was it just the Lyre Bird imitating?). Our walk started back up to The Castle saddle then west along cliffs under Mt Nibelung. Passed a camping cave - first of several for the day. People do camp in these very dry areas protected by large, overhanging rock formations – like verandahs. Onto Nibelung Pass leading us through the gap between Mt Nibelung and Shrouded Gods Mountain Nibelung Pass was the first of many chimney-like gaps where we ascended or descended. A long, narrow fairy grotto with moss covered rocks, ferns, dripping water, old gnarled trees, dark rock crevices and little caves. Wow! Out into Monolith Valley and down across a little bridge over a pristine little stream, to the shady Monolith Valley camping area. Wow! A fairytale camping ground. Here Steve pointed to where we would return from our afternoon circuit walk. “From up there?” I thought, “That’s not a track…that looks hard…..I just won’t think about it”. Then back to the shady little bridge for a morning coffee. Steve brewed coffee with the most delicious aroma which we enjoyed, even without drinking it. This spot we aptly named “Steve’s Coffee Shop”. After our morning coffee we were off, anti-clockwise, for the Monolith Valley/Mt Owen circuit walk. I asked everyone to help me describe this magnificent Budawangs scenery. The best analogy we could come up with is a mixture of The Grampians/ Monument Valley (USA)/ Bungle Bungles/ Blue Mountains/ and Disneyland! On we went. We were now out again in a valley surrounded by intriguing rock formations. Some like Easter Island? Some like the Sphinx? Some like the Bungle Bungles. All captivating! Oliver spotted a lovely, shiny black snake on a warm rock. We passed more camping caves sheltered by rock over hangs and most with little showers of water falling over the “verandahs”. Lunch was enjoyed in one of these caves, accompanied by a very quiet, hopeful, hungry Currawong bird. Steve generously threw it his tasty(?) coffee grounds! We circled around Mt Cole then ascended a gap between Mt Cole and Mt Owen, up onto Mt Owen. We commenced walking over the flat top of Mt Owen, through the heath land and rock puddles, to the far edge for the best views. My sore knee was telling me to stop and luckily I found a place to rest out of the sun and I waited while the others continued on to the views. Again I missed some extra views but again I had a lovely siesta on a warm rock while waiting for “the boys”. I slept for nearly an hour before I was awoken by their voices on their return. Time was getting on so we back tracked to find the route down off Mt Owen and back to the enticement of “Steve’s Coffee Shop” for an afternoon coffee. At this point we accidentally explored a dark, ferny gorge before discovering the correct track over Mt Owen! Maybe an hours delay here? In this ferny gorge, Jack found the remains of a (once) cute little ring-tailed possum. Something had left just the back half with two little back legs and a ring-tail. So Jack (respectfully?) hung the ring-tail on a nearby branch for all to see. Time was getting on now……..could we be back at camp before dark? After quite a bit of scouting around we managed to find the little rock cairns that led us down off Mt Owen. We all agreed this is a tough place to navigate. It’s like a maze of many cliffs, rock chimneys, valleys, ferny creeks, all in short distance of each other and all looking similar. So down we went………the operative word being “down”. Thank you Steve and Oliver for assisting me with the rope and Jack for being ready to catch me if I fell! I was glad to arrive safely at the base of that descent! It was about 5 pm and we had to push on. Eventually we scrambled out and down to “Steve’s Coffee Shop” but with no time for a coffee! Onward, onward. We still had to negotiate the east end of Monolith Valley, Nibelung pass and the The Castle saddle before descending to camp. We made it by 7.10 pm. What a relief! And still time for dinner in daylight. Then straight to bed. What a day. Long but fascinating. Monday morning we rose at 5.30 am, knowing we had a steep walk back down to the cars, then another 10 hours driving home. We quickly ate breakfast on our beautiful rock patio, providing misty early morning cliff-top views for us to savour with our breakfast, before heading home. By 6.30 am we were packed and began our walk. Initially up to The Castle Saddle then down, down, down over rocks and down the wooden steps and stepping logs. When stopping for rests and looking back up, we could see why our legs were suffering and we were also surprised and quite pleased that we had been capable of the reverse ascent a couple of days before. It was steep. “I’m glad I don’t have to climb up there today” I thought, “it looks a lot harder than it did when we were fresh and enthusiastic on Saturday morning”. After the chain assisted section (“Two Chain Road”) the remaining walk down the last spur was relatively easy. We finally reached the crossing of the Yadboro River and with the water lower and less swift than Saturday, the crossing was thankfully easier. The Monday morning walk was the reverse of Saturday morning and we arrived back at the cars at 11 am. What a relief. It was agreed that we jump straight in the car and drive to the nearby swimming spot. First priority! Especially since all five of us were to spend the next 10 hours in close contact in the one car! We had a safe, snug drive home with each of us driving for just one hour at a time then swapping. That made the drive easier and safer. Thanks drivers! And of course, thanks again to Steve for leading us and introducing us to the spectacular Budawangs. I hope we can go again next year. |
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View from The Castle
Pigeonhouse behind the Byangee Range
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The Breakfast Patio
Oliver, Steve, Pigeonhouse, John, Elaine
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Ascending The Castle
A tight fit up a chimney. Santa had no hope.
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Rock Formation
Cross between the Grampians, Monument Valley, Bungle Bungles
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The Japanese Garden |
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