Berrima Inga Creek

[ferozious]

I remember coming across a reference to this creek in a list of 'canyons'.

It definately looks worthy of inspection when viewed from Wall's Pass. I'm thinking of planning a weekend or 3 day trip to the area. I made my first visit to Cedar Creek this weekend. Definayely want to go back and spend more time exploring

Has anyone explored Berrima Inga or have any advice? Possibly considered a sensitive area so you could pm me if you want.

Thanks in advance

[Grabeach]

Is the list the Dave Noble ozemail one that references KBC Walks Reports 1970? If so, is it a trip report or a just a list of trips? Would be handy to know before someone heads off to the Mitchell Library.

[ferozious]

I believe it is the one on Dave Nobles site http://members.ozemail.com.au/~dnoble/CanyonBiblio.html
It states the creek as a canyon but doesn't give a trip report.

I don't know how I could find a KBC 1970 trip report

Was interested to hear from anyone on the forum who might have gone through.

If it involves spending days of hunting through libraries then I'll just go explore the creek myself

[FatCanyoner]

Haven't done it, but I agree it looks interesting. You won't find a slot canyon -- it's in the wrong layer of rock -- but I think it could well be a narrower version of what you get in Cedar Creek. I've thought a few times about heading down there. Just be aware that the lower part of the creek flows into the dam exclusion zone, so you face fines of up to $44k if you get caught. It's one of the things that has stopped me as the logical exit would be to join Cedar Ck, go a km downstream, then follow the fire trail out. Probably the best (legal) way to do it is to head out past Ruined Castle, skirt the base of Mt Solitary, then drop into the creek high up. The pull out near the end of the creek onto the ridge on the west and head back towards Solitary. Be aware that you'll likely come across some pretty tough scrub and a lot of lawyer vine anywhere around there. That's probably the other thing that stops a repeat of that previous trip. I look forward to reading your report!

[ferozious]

Yep, I agree with the suggested entry. I was planning to make my way to that landslide under Greenfield L.O.
It's annoying that the Berrima and Cedar junction just manages to penetrate the buffer zone. I wonder how feasible it is to contact and ask for permission for just that few km of creek.

Will update if I progress with my plan.

[ferozious]

http://www.sca.nsw.gov.au/the-catchment ... lled-areas

Access permission to Schedule 1 land can be sought for non-commercial filming/photography BUT NOT for recreational bushwalking.
Nevertheless, I've sent off an email to SCA. Let's see what they say.

[FatCanyoner]

Access permission to Schedule 1 land can be sought for non-commercial filming/photography BUT NOT for recreational bushwalking.

I'm not surprised. There are some stunning wilderness areas that are Schedule 1. There'd be heaps of bushwalkers putting in applications if that was allowed. I wonder if writing an article about it for the bushwalker magazine etc could get you in under the media section? I highly doubt it though, as they don't want to create precedents for others to use.

[DaveNoble]

Is the list the Dave Noble ozemail one that references KBC Walks Reports 1970? If so, is it a trip report or a just a list of trips? Would be handy to know before someone heads off to the Mitchell Library.

Hmm..... It would be a walks report (written out and included in a KBC walks report book). I have forgotten what it said - probably have some notes somewhere.

Cedar Creek is a great creek - very beautiful - with lots of small waterfalls that are fun and easy to scramble down. I haven't been there for a long time. On the trip we camped at a nice campsite at Hayes Crossing. The trip was written up in the local rag (Blue Mts Gazette) - and a waterboard ranger read it - and we got into a bit of trouble.....

Dave

[ferozious]

Hmm..... It would be a walks report (written out and included in a KBC walks report book). I have forgotten what it said - probably have some notes somewhere.

Cedar Creek is a great creek - very beautiful - with lots of small waterfalls that are fun and easy to scramble down. I haven't been there for a long time. On the trip we camped at a nice campsite at Hayes Crossing. The trip was written up in the local rag (Blue Mts Gazette) - and a waterboard ranger read it - and we got into a bit of trouble.....

Dave

Hi and thanks Dave,
I think I managed to find a small write up of that trip (or another trip) up Cedar Creek and it revealed that there might be some wades and/or swims to negotiate. This would make for an interesting journey in midwinter!

[Grabeach]

Getting a bit off topic, but if you want to get out of the middle of Cedar Ck, there is a convenient pass up a spur about 500m up Bunba Yaka Gully on the south up to the side road at MGA 490,557. Always wondered about the reason for this side road. There are no 'towers' on it.

Regarding the restricted area. Decades back I remember questioning a ranger about using the road for a Narrow Neck - Korrowall Buttress - Golden Stairs walk. He said it was probably okay provided we didn't camp, so we did it as a day walk. Also heard of some cyclists getting a similar opinion for a Kedumba - Megalong ride. May this still be the case for walkers, or are they cracking down harder these days?

[rcaffin]

there is a convenient pass up a spur about 500m up Bunba Yaka Gully on the south up to the side road at MGA 490,557.

Yep, a bit of a fun route.

Cheers

[ferozious]

Rejection from the SCA

I'll probably still at least do a trip down Cedar Ck and out via Bunba Yaka.

[FatCanyoner]

Rejection from the SCA

Points for trying, but no one here would be surprised. Especially when you think how many years it took to negotiate the Mittagong to Katoomba route through the catchment area...

[Allchin09]

The SCA really ticks me off sometimes. I really can't understand what affect bushwalkers have on the quality of our drinking water when it's that polluted from sewerage treatment plans, power stations and mines that you can't even drink it straight!

[ferozious]

I just find it annoying that the trip I would like to undertake is right on the edge of an arbitrarily defined buffer zone. If they decided on a buffer zone of 2km then it would be fine. I prefer it when decisions are made based on sound logic and reasoning.

[Grabeach]

You reckon that's bad, spare a thought for cyclists. Years back I could ride to Medlow Gap from Carlons (Dunphy Camping Area). Now I can't even ride from there along the base of Narrow Neck to the NORTH, which is AWAY from the dam. And it isn't any better in other areas. Places I could drive to in the 80s, I can't even ride to now. Does it make sense that walkers can camp in the Nattai, but cyclists can't even ride for a couple of hours along a fire trail to the cliff edge? Don't know whether it's the SCA or the NPWS, but logic - forget it.

[ferozious]

Places I could drive to in the 80s, I can't even ride to now. Does it make sense that walkers can camp in the Nattai, but cyclists can't even ride for a couple of hours along a fire trail to the cliff edge?

I've always wondered why cyclists are differentiated from walkers in terms of access to special areas. Is it because a bike would make access slightly easier for someone with the intent of compromising the water supply? Maybe the trace amounts of lubricant on a bike chain are considered a risk to the catchment? Perhaps the extra erosion to tracks will add 0.001% to the runoff into the catchment? Does anyone know the reason?

In the defense of SCA, they do need to provide a Buffer Zone, but it would be very difficult to define a buffer zone on a case by case basis for each and every square kilometer of space within the catchment. Its much easier to define an arbitrary buffer zone radius.

[Grabeach]

I've always wondered why cyclists are differentiated from walkers in terms of access to special areas.

The SCA didn't want anyone there. It's only that the bushwalking movement, or at least the hard core "Only overnighters are real bushwalks" types, were better lobbyists. Both directly over the years through Federation / Confederation / Bushwalking NSW and indirectly through there presence in groups such as the NPA and the various conservation movements. The mountain cyclists tended to be younger and less likely a member of a club, which were usually road race orientated anyway. Hence there was no pressure for the the peak body Bicycle NSW to be interested in anything beyond suburban cycleways.

[clarence]

The SCA really ticks me off sometimes. I really can't understand what affect bushwalkers have on the quality of our drinking water when it's that polluted from sewerage treatment plans, power stations and mines that you can't even drink it straight!

I recall a trip through Belloon Pass in 1998. The last people there before us (a week or so prior) had been David Joy, Paul Broad (the two head honchos of SCA at the time) and one of the catchment management officers. AS we walked down the track we realised there had been a 4wd vehicle driven as far as physically possible up the walking track from Vineyard Flat- flattening everything in its path. (Yes, the walking track, several hundred metres beyond where the "management trail" narrowed down to a foot track). The flattened vegetation was still green. Driving up a walking track is incredibly stupid. To put one's name in the logbook at the top defies belief. One would expect the manager/director of SCA would be intelligent, reasonable people.

"Can't understand" is an understatement.

Clarence

[aquilablue]

Ive been there....

[Allchin09]

Ive been there....

What was it like?