Bushwalk Australia

Hey Everyone,

Today I received the following information via email:

A bridge is proposed over the Coxs River between the Wild Dogs and the Gangerang Range. A proposed Katoomba and Kanangra Track upgrade will compromise the Three Peaks walk, which is the right-of-passage wilderness adventure for bushwalkers since the 1930s. To develop this walk strikes at the very heart of wilderness bushwalking. The Coxs hardly ever floods these days and in any event such a bridge contravenes the NSW Wildernes Act, 1987.

What's everyones thoughts on such a move?

Kanangra - Katoomba or vice versa is a walk people do, not the name of a "track", God help us.

The sender of the email seems rather confused. K2K isn't the 3 Peaks, and I can't imagine anybody trying to "develop" the 3 Peaks - K2K possibly.

Mark F - I don't believe the sended had any confusion regarding the Three Peaks and the K2K in what I quoted.

The K2K can make up a large portion of the Three Peaks (depending of the route taken). For the most common route of both, they overlap between Katoomba and Mt Cloudmaker.

If the K2K was to be developed, then part of the Three Peaks where they overlap would also then be developed.

I have been tempted by the 3 peaks many times but have abandoned my plans each time I remember I would need to get my feet damp crossing the Cox's river. As soon as that bridge is built, I'm there!

jonnosan wrote:I have been tempted by the 3 peaks many times but have abandoned my plans each time I remember I would need to get my feet damp crossing the Cox's river. As soon as that bridge is built, I'm there!

make sure never to walk in tassie then.

I agree the trips do share the route across the Cox. What would be nice to know is the source of the email. It could be someone reacting belatedly to comments generated by the story already covered in this thread http://www.bushwalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=16691 or they may have real information.

Jonno - If wet feet at the Coxs is stopping you from a Three Peaks walk, then I think you may also be in a spot of trouble at crossing Kanangra and Whalania Creek (not to mention the big climbs)! Haha.

Mark F - Definitely real information, not just comments from a news article.

It would seem an outrageous waste of money. I have walked through the area so many times, including during extended heavy rainfall, and crossing the river has never been a problem.

I agree that it would most liklely be a breach of the Wilderness Act. A three wire bridge or flying fox would be far less expensive and intrusive if an emergency crossing was deemed necessary.

Clarence

What about the flying fox there used to be at the bottom of White Dog. Is that still there?

Allchin09 wrote:Jonno - If wet feet at the Coxs is stopping you from a Three Peaks walk, then I think you may also be in a spot of trouble at crossing Kanangra and Whalania Creek (not to mention the big climbs)! Haha.

Actually, that was exactly the point I was trying to make but I was perhaps too obtuse. Seems to me like a bridge may or may not be useful for people doing the K2K, but hardly undermines the challenge of the 3 peaks. If they were going to string an Indiana Jones style suspension bridge from Cloudmaker to Paralyser, that would be a different story of course.

A bridge is proposed over the Coxs River between the Wild Dogs and the Gangerang Range.

Nice use of the passive tense! A bridge doesn't just get "proposed". Someone has to propose it.

So, who is proposing a bridge over the Coxs River?

I am totally in favour of this proposal. In fact I want an escalator up Yellow Pup Ridge included as well.

And a gelato and coffee shop on the top of Strongleg, only then will K2K be the complete walking experience.

juxtaposer wrote:What about the flying fox there used to be at the bottom of White Dog. Is that still there?

I believe so.

jonnosan wrote:

Allchin09 wrote:Jonno - If wet feet at the Coxs is stopping you from a Three Peaks walk, then I think you may also be in a spot of trouble at crossing Kanangra and Whalania Creek (not to mention the big climbs)! Haha.

Actually, that was exactly the point I was trying to make but I was perhaps too obtuse. Seems to me like a bridge may or may not be useful for people doing the K2K, but hardly undermines the challenge of the 3 peaks. If they were going to string an Indiana Jones style suspension bridge from Cloudmaker to Paralyser, that would be a different story of course.

I agree with you that the challenge is hardly undermined, but I don't think that's the point. The area involved is wilderness, and I believe that what makes walks in the area such as the Three Peaks and the K2K the fantastic walk that they are. Each Three Peaks trip is different, but once you start to install bridges and upgrade tracks, then I doubt this will remain the case.

As mentioned previously, the K2K isn't a track but a walk between two points. The route taken by each party varies, and isn't even marked on the topo maps between Cloudmaker and the Coxs for those who ascend via Strongleg. Will this remain the case once a definite point of crossing the Coxs is created?

tom_brennan wrote:

A bridge is proposed over the Coxs River between the Wild Dogs and the Gangerang Range.

Nice use of the passive tense! A bridge doesn't just get "proposed". Someone has to propose it.
So, who is proposing a bridge over the Coxs River?

A wealthy Australian philanthropist has proposed to finance "an upgrade of the track between Kanangra and Katoomba". The proposal considers tent platforms as well as a toilet and water catchment tank at Dex Creek, Coxs River and Mobbs Swamp. Also included along with the bridge is a bypassing staircase of Tarros Ladders on Narrow Neck "completely hidden from view". Maps and walk guides are also proposed.

Allchin09 wrote:............

A wealthy Australian philanthropist has proposed to finance "an upgrade of the track between Kanangra and Katoomba". The proposal considers tent platforms as well as a toilet and water catchment tank at Dex Creek, Coxs River and Mobbs Swamp. Also included along with the bridge is a bypassing staircase of Tarros Ladders on Narrow Neck "completely hidden from view". Maps and walk guides are also proposed.

Is this the start of the 'Great Walks' upgrades?

Appalling idea, if true. The price of wilderness is eternal vigilance, to (mis)quote somebody smarter than me. It seems we can't take it for granted for a second, always someone wanting to get their hands on it for something - all that empty land locked up and going to waste...Are they thinking of something like the Milford Track? That's not a wilderness experience for me.

I'm a bit conflicted about this one...... generally against the notion of 'improvements', but both the Dex Creek and Mobbs Soak campsites are pretty degraded and may benefit from some work. And while I hate the idea of toilets, the unfortunate fact is that too many people are just too @%$@%$# lazy to walk a sensible distance from a campsite/creek and dig a decent hole.

At least this type of improvement tends to concentrate the impact of less experienced users in smaller areas & leaves the rest of the bush for anyone with enough imagination to find an "unofficial" campsite.

I am curious to know exactly where or who this proposal came from

"too many people are just too @%$@%$# lazy to walk a sensible distance from a campsite/creek and dig a decent hole."

This is one thing that's always confused me. Who the hell poo... where they eat? Mobbs soak was one giant dunny when I was there recently. I camped in the area but out of the common grounds, it was just disgusting.

Turfa wrote:I am curious to know exactly where or who this proposal came from

So am I. Is there some website we could go to and comment on the proposal.

Cheers,
Michael.

Perhaps the same wealthy philanthropist who paid for track upgrades to Frenchman's Cap?

I think it would be a shame to see a bridge near Kanongaroo. It is a very easy place to cross the Coxs River - and taking your shoes off and wading across is not exactly difficult. If the river is is flood - then it is probably better to stay at home and not do a walk in that area unless you are prepared to swim across.

A couple of points -

There is already some development in the area (an inholding and hut at Kanongaroo)

There is a flying fox at Kelpie Point, at the bottom of White Dog, but that is unavailable for bushwalkers (it is locked up). It is similar to the one on the Kowmung.

I would think that a bridge at Kanongaroo, at the bottom of Yellow Pup, would be difficult to build. It would have to be quite high - as the river can flood quite high from time to time. The river is fairly wide at this point - so would require a long, high span. The river valley is narrower at Kelpie Point where the flying fox is.

Dave

I'd much rather they use the money to replace the bridge at Calna Creek, Great North Walk near Crosslands, which broke in half in Feb 2015. Hundreds of people per week, including outdoor ed groups, would use this bridge if they could. An appalling situation that no government authority will take responsibility for it. A better use of money in my opinion.

Skibug

I have been told that there is a lot of wild pigs on kanangra river these days. Would this be true?

At Easter I followed Kanangra creek from Whalania creek junction down to Kanangaroo clearing. I did not see any pigs, but I did see lots of dug up areas on the river banks, which I believe is characteristic of pigs being around.

Lindsay wrote:

Allchin09 wrote:............

A wealthy Australian philanthropist has proposed to finance "an upgrade of the track between Kanangra and Katoomba". The proposal considers tent platforms as well as a toilet and water catchment tank at Dex Creek, Coxs River and Mobbs Swamp. Also included along with the bridge is a bypassing staircase of Tarros Ladders on Narrow Neck "completely hidden from view". Maps and walk guides are also proposed.

Is this the start of the 'Great Walks' upgrades?

What bothers me about this is that it sets a precedent. Next time someone comes along offering to fund something, "with just a tiny offset, like my cabin up in the bush off the track….", will the bureaucrats be able to refuse the offer of free money. Think "thin end of the wedge".

Holes from wild pigs? These were taken close to the bank of the Kanangra Creek junction with the Cox's just a week ago.

Could be. If so - then this is very minor damage. Wombats tend to dig up the ground a bit too - when building their holes. Pigs root up the ground like a deep furrow plough - turning a grassy area into a sandpit - and a very rough sandpit at that.

Dave