Coxs River

[Lindsay]

Last weekend my son and I walked the Coxs river from the junction of Breakfast creek to the Kanangara to Katoomba track crossing. We started out at 0900 on Friday morning, walking the 6ft track from Katoomba to Megalong Rd, then a long and boring road bash To Dunphys camp, where we topped up our water from the tank and headed down Carlons and Breakfast creeks to the river, fighting the nettles and disturbing a pack of feral pigs on the way. A thunderstorm broke as we made our way down the creek, spectacular lightning but not a huge amount of rain. We arrived at the river at about 1715 and set up for the night. We decide to see how the river was flowing before deciding to continue or not. Next morning, according to our improvised gauge the rive had only risen about 1cm overnight so we decided to set off.

After an initial scramble over a rocky bluff the going was fairly easy along the river flats. There was a faint pad in places and by crossing the river to keep to the flats we had no problems. All up, according to Christopher we made 13 river crossings. The river was thigh deep and the current was manageable with care. All went well until crossing number 12, when rather than stepping over a slippery rock I stepped around it and ended up in a hole over my head. I swam a couple of metres to the bank and all was well except for my camera, which I had just taken out of its waterproof bag to get some photos. Everything else stayed nice and dry. After a lunch break at Yellow Dog Point we carried on. We arrived at Kanagaroo cleating at about 1400, topped up our water from the creek and headed down to the final crossing at Yellow Pup Spur, where the K to K track crossed the river. The distance along the river was about 13k, which we did in about 6.5 hours.

Then came the long climb up the ridge. Christopher wanted to get some photos from Splendour Rock so I told him to go ahead and I would meet him at the track junction. After an hours wait we met up again at about 1930 and made the last few ks to Mobbs Swamp in the dark. Up the next morning for the long trek across Mt Debret, up Tarros ladder and along Narrow Neck. The walk was made a bit easier by a cool breeze and a few showers. Arrived at Scenic World at 1540 where we enjoyed a cold drink while waiting for our ride.

An excellent, though tiring, walk.

[puredingo]

Neat little walk there Lindsay. Your right about that stretch from the crossing to Dunphy's, long and boring may be an understatement!

I can't remember going out and NOT seeing pigs these days...They're either become much more brazen or they have had a population boost. I wonder if any of the err, umm...more experienced members can compare numbers to present day against days of yore?

[climberman]

Hi Lindsay - my mate and I met you at Mobbs; we came in around 2115? looking and feeling beaten, and left again in the am at 8. The cooler breeze was nice after the still humidity of Sat! Glad you had a nice walk, we have now called our trip a recce! Will try again after winter. It was nice to see a few folks out and about enjoying the bush.

[DaveNoble]

I can't remember going out and NOT seeing pigs these days...They're either become much more brazen or they have had a population boost. I wonder if any of the err, umm...more experienced members can compare numbers to present day against days of yore?

Back in the 70's when I start walking in the area (Coxs/Kowmung) there were no wild pigs. There were brumbies (especially close to Lake Burragorang) and feral cattle - along the Coxs - Kanangra Ck - Kowmung. Most or all of these have been removed. I heard a story about the pigs - from a reliable source, and he claims, that a farmer near Mt Werong, who had pigs, was asked to "assist the police with their enquiries" - and as he could be in custody for months or years, the arresting officer, decided to open the door to the pigpen to let them out to stop them starving....... and they bred and spread..... Anyway - they slowly spread down the Kowmung, and it took them many years to get downstream through the Bulga Denis Canyon, but they eventually did - and now are around the Coxs....

But they were also on the Boyd Plateau at one time - and now there seems much less sign of them, and I don't think there are as many in the Kowmung - so perhaps control methods are working? But there also seem to be a lot in the Butchers Ck area. I think one of the best control methods seem to be stopping pig hunters - who seem to release pregnant sows - to keep there sport going.

In the Northern Blue Mts - I only saw feral pigs in one spot back in the 70's - and that was near Birds Rock on the Newnes Plateau. I have never seen them there recently. I have seen them on Nullo Mtn a few years ago though.

Dave

[johnf]

Not sure if it was on Friday night the storm you saw or a day earlier but there was a huge localised hailstorm around Carlons. I drove through on Saturday morning and the road was covered in green leaves. I didn't realise it was hail till I saw quite a bit of ice by the side of the road and even on the bridge near one of the gates.
I didn't see any pigs but there must be a lot of cattle around. Breakfast creek had fresh dung all the way along.

[Lindsay]

Hi Lindsay - my mate and I met you at Mobbs; we came in around 2115? looking and feeling beaten, and left again in the am at 8. The cooler breeze was nice after the still humidity of Sat! Glad you had a nice walk, we have now called our trip a recce! Will try again after winter. It was nice to see a few folks out and about enjoying the bush.

Hi climberman, yes I heard you come in and talk to Chris, and saw you the next morning. We left about half an hour after you. Pity it did not go quite as planned, good luck with the next trip.

[puredingo]

I can't remember going out and NOT seeing pigs these days...They're either become much more brazen or they have had a population boost. I wonder if any of the err, umm...more experienced members can compare numbers to present day against days of yore?

Back in the 70's when I start walking in the area (Coxs/Kowmung) there were no wild pigs. There were brumbies (especially close to Lake Burragorang) and feral cattle - along the Coxs - Kanangra Ck - Kowmung. Most or all of these have been removed. I heard a story about the pigs - from a reliable source, and he claims, that a farmer near Mt Werong, who had pigs, was asked to "assist the police with their enquiries" - and as he could be in custody for months or years, the arresting officer, decided to open the door to the pigpen to let them out to stop them starving....... and they bred and spread..... Anyway - they slowly spread down the Kowmung, and it took them many years to get downstream through the Bulga Denis Canyon, but they eventually did - and now are around the Coxs....

But they were also on the Boyd Plateau at one time - and now there seems much less sign of them, and I don't think there are as many in the Kowmung - so perhaps control methods are working? But there also seem to be a lot in the Butchers Ck area. I think one of the best control methods seem to be stopping pig hunters - who seem to release pregnant sows - to keep there sport going.

In the Northern Blue Mts - I only saw feral pigs in one spot back in the 70's - and that was near Birds Rock on the Newnes Plateau. I have never seen them there recently. I have seen them on Nullo Mtn a few years ago though.

Dave

Great info Dave. That's an intriguing story about the farmer and his trouble with the law, I would love to know the inside scoop on that.

Fancy the copper just opening the gate and letting the pigs free to run amok. Probably a good indication of peoples attitude at the time in regards to the bush and it's surrounds. These days he would be considered an environmental terrorist! Even though I'm pretty sure pigs would of eventually found their way through the area in time without his help.

[ULWalkingPhil]

Such a beautiful river the Cox River, but the Barron River up near cairns is heaps nicer. Just spent 10 days up that way, it was great.

[johnrs]

Hi David
The pig situation in the Coxes and Kowmung is pretty distressing,
particularly when you have been visiting over a long time period.
Something similar has been gong on in the Northern snowies
and in fact on any poorly attended patch of land in Central and Western NSW.
I think that small numbers of pigs have been about for a very long period of time
and to my mind, the current infestation is a reflection of sparse or poor land management
rather than the activities of hunters.
Regards
John
PS
Saw some of your log book entries out of the Chudleigh lakes
last month.
Isn't the plateau a fabulous place!!

[davidf]

Ok I am going to sound like a conspiricy theorist now but:

The catchment area is full of feral animals. Govt doesn't want mass culls for touchy feely reasons. Keep walkers out, and hunters and pretend a problem doesn't exist because you are not meant to of seen it.

Also they don't want people crossing that red circle on the map for people to see how much dog, horse and pig *&%$#! we drink after building a defunct desal plant

[DaveNoble]

Ok I am going to sound like a conspiricy theorist now but:

The catchment area is full of feral animals. Govt doesn't want mass culls for touchy feely reasons. Keep walkers out, and hunters and pretend a problem doesn't exist because you are not meant to of seen it.

Also they don't want people crossing that red circle on the map for people to see how much dog, horse and pig *&%$#! we drink after building a defunct desal plant

Well they did cull the brumbies from the catchment area, and remove the feral cattle. There are currently some control measures in place for feral pigs (poison and traps)

Dave

[kanangra]

Are the brumbies gone? I encountered them up until relatively recent times.

K.

[puredingo]

Not sure about brumbies, I've never seen one but seen plenty of wild cattle along the Wollondilly the other week.

Definitely wild cattle it was, no makers or tags, some in poor shape others really healthy.

During my walk along the Wollondilly I noticed a figure off in the distance and on closer inspection i could see that the figure was wielding a shot gun. I cooeed him to avoid being blasted and he came over and we ended up having a chat. He told me he quiet often drops a cow or bull in order to return the following day to shoot the pigs feeding on it.

[kanangra]

The brumbies I saw were in the catchment area in the Kedumba Valley.

k.

[Lindsay]

Not sure if it was on Friday night the storm you saw or a day earlier but there was a huge localised hailstorm around Carlons. I drove through on Saturday morning and the road was covered in green leaves. I didn't realise it was hail till I saw quite a bit of ice by the side of the road and even on the bridge near one of the gates.
I didn't see any pigs but there must be a lot of cattle around. Breakfast creek had fresh dung all the way along.

We saw no hail, but there was dung all the way along the river, and we saw one mob of cattle.

[puredingo]

The brumbies I saw were in the catchment area in the Kedumba Valley.

k.

Wow! Kedumba valley. I thought it would of been more down South. I wonder how they manage to evade the clutches of the law being so close (relatively) to civilization?

Were they flighty...easily spooked?

[kanangra]

Yes very. and looked to be in very good condition too.

k.

[DaveNoble]

The brumbies I saw were in the catchment area in the Kedumba Valley.

k.

I had watched this video -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIK8nNRAkMU

and assumed they had got rid of the brumbies.

Dave

[kanangra]

Gee that looks an interesting film. I'd like to see it. It was a few years ago that I saw them. Perhaps they have removed them since? Although those I saw were much lighter in colour than any shown in that clip. they were areal chestnut brown. I spotted them in the catchment area south of the old Kedumba property run by the Maxwells. Between there and the stored water.

K.

[johnrs]

And now there is a herd of brumbies out on the Newnes plateau,
about a dozen, amongst the cleared forestry.
Its surprising there is not a heap of pigs there too.
John