Descent of Bundanoon Creek

[johnc]

I am thinking of a combined creek walk/canoe trip from Bundanoon to Tallowa Dam, descending Bundanoon Crk (2 parties coming from opposite directions and swapping gear). Does anyone have any information about the descent of Bundanoon Crk from Bundanoon to the dam ?

[clarence]

This is a nice bit of wild and rugged country, which is not often walked.

I've done most of it from Dymocks Creek down to the lake more or less. I can't find my copy of the Bundanoon map with all the relevant notes, so can't be too sepcific. Don't you hate it when a fully annotated map with campsites, passes and trail notes goes missing?

The creekside walking is quite slow for much of the upper part (say Johnstones Creek upstream). There is a lot of watergum, boulders and rocks, with not many wide flat and clear areas to make for easy going. From memory 8km per day would be a good estimate of the sort of distances that could be covered along the valley. I recall 4 hours walk from Johnstones Creek to the walking track that comes in from Fairy Bower. I'd be allowing two days from the Fairy Bower track down to lake. Although it is not easy going, it is well worth a look if you haven't been in the area- very pristine and spectacular country. There are at least a few good campsites- ones that I recall camping at are at the junction of Johnstones Creek and the one at the end of the lake (on two different trips- both of which are recommended). We camped somehwere else on another trip, but I think that was somehwere up Johnstones Creek.

Along the lake it is a few hours paddle out to the dam wall (three hours from memory).

If you plan on making it shorter by coming in one of the side creeks from, for example, Wingello State forest, be aware that many of them form narrow cliff-lined canyon slots which can be quite tricky to negotiate without ropes.

Clarence

[johnc]

Thanks Clarence. It is good to know that there are no unmapped waterfalls, etc along the way. The intermediate campsite at the Johnstones Crk juntion may also come in handy, as we would not be a fast party.

John

[clarence]

The old Bundanoon map showed lots of "blue v-shaped" features along the creek, indicating substantial rapids. It was a feature that was published very infrequently on the old map series. That is what got me interested in visiting that spot.

There are no large waterfalls or anything of an impassable nature along the way. One trip I did down Johnstones and Bundanoon Creek to almost the dam I did with a fifteen year old. Walking along the creeks was not a problem.

There are probably many other campsites along Bundanoon Creek- the ones I listed are the ones I recall camping at. Out of interest, in the part below Dymocks Creek there are a few small camping caves on the creek too.

Let us know how you go, maybe post a few pictures too. Might get a few people inspired to visit.

By the way, I note this was your first post. Welcome aboard.

Clarence

[jackhinde]

you paddle slow clarence, pure dingo and myself smashed it in under two hours!
I have been up the creek from the dam, and down the creek from the other end, but never along the entire length. Might rectify that soon, I like the two party idea you suggest.

[johnc]

Greetings all,

We (my wife and I) finally got around to descending Bundanoon Creek. After other potential starters dropped out it became just the two of us, and we did the walk over 2 and a half days. The day before we dropped our canoe at the end of the Budawang Crk arm of Lake Yarrunga so there was a bit of car/boat shuffling involved.

The walk was hard but worthwhile - a pristine creek, but some hard going over boulders and through scrubby sections of creek bank. A highlight was seeing a platypus at our second camp site.

Some pictures are at - https://picasaweb.google.com/1104539964 ... tYOdoPDpRA

[Allchin09]

Nice trip John, thanks for posting the photos.

[kanangra]

Now that looks like a pretty wild trip! Great to have your canoe stashed at the end ready to go when you got there. I'd say there haven't been too many through there since the dam went in.

K.

[clarence]

Great pics John. Brings back the memories of several trips through there. A nice bit of wilderness down there.

Out of interest, was the information I provided fairly accurate?

Clarence

[johnc]

Yes, thanks Clarence, the info was accurate and helpful. It was especially helpful to get the estimate of speed along the creek, so that I could allow us plenty of time, given that I knew we would be relatively slow. I did see good campsites in the vicinity of the Johnstones Crk junction, although we did need to push on at that point. There were campsites above Johnstones, but these were small and scattered (like our first one).

As you said, there were no major obstacles in the descent of the creek, just lots and lots of little ones.

Thanks again.

John

[jeremy089786]

Thanks for the pics John!

[davidf]

n my map there are two rapids marked on bundanoon ck near johhnstones. Anyone know how much water needed to make these rapids?

[clarence]

What exactly do you mean davidf? To make them look pretty, or to make them paddlable?

Out of interest this area in general has a fair potential for canyons in many of the side creeks. There is a reasonably good canyon in Lutwytches Creek in the upper reaches of the Bundanoon system, and several creeks coming in through Johnstones Creek (from the north) etc have some true slotted canyon sections also. I did a bit of exploring in the area before I moved to Tasmania. One particular creek named "Joe the Marines Folly Creek" in the Tallong area is worth a visit if only because of the name.

Clarence

[Lizzy]

Did this on the weekend. Was hard yakka!!! Took my packraft- still can't get over what a tough piece of gear they are! Worth every cent. Luckily I'm more bruised and battered than it is
Had a very early start on Monday morning to beat these horrid winds. I wouldn't have liked paddling against them.
Nearly stepped on a snake- it wasn't moving- I sure did!

[Lizzy]

A few big drops but mostly lots of big boulders to negotiate...

[davidf]

Lizzy, where in and out? Where were the good rafting options? I have looked at a bundanoon to tallong station to station trip, opinions of if this would work? Thanks dave

[Lizzy]

Hey Dave,
I got dropped at Bundanoon at Tooths lookout and descended via the track to Bundanoon Creek. From there it was follow the creek all the way and paddle out to Tallowa Dam where I had left the car.
I wasn't expecting to pull out the packraft until the big section of Bundanoon Creek about 8km from the dam but found quite a few sections of deep/paddleable water along the creek. So packraft got blown up/paddle/dragged thru bush/dragged over boulders/deflated/paddled many times over
It was a bit of a mission... I really should have allowed more time and found it very slow going especially the upper part of the creek. If you are after a rafting trip there are probably better options. But it certainly was an adventure.
Regarding your idea to go thru to Tallong- you wouldn't want the wind to be against you! I Have only paddle up to Fossickers Flat in Canadian canoes and done Greater Horseshoe Bend to Long Point in packrafts so have missed the bit in between so no experience on that bit- you'd be a bit against the flow tho. Would take a bit of time I imagine. Will be interested to hear how it goes if you have a crack.