Three Caves on Ettrema Plateau

[rwildman]

This is just meant to be an update on conditions in the Ettrema Plateau area as it changes so much it is worth keeping people up to date.

Day 1:
This three day walk starts at Gretas Road and follows the old 4WD track for about 3 kms until it divides on Ettrema Ridge. The road is still quite clear but you can see it gradually being encroached growth in some parts. But this section and most of it, certainly out to the Jones Creek turnoff is fine. We headed slowly up Ettrema Ridge basically in a east north east direction and this section is still quite reasonable - no vines to speak of. Within this first kilometre from the road exit the scrub is certainly not a serious problem. We continued further up the ridge instead of veering off to the right like last time, where we ended up in vine heaven! So this time we headed past the start of Plain Creek and crossed the early sections of Moore Creek. This section got much thicker but still no real problem with vines. The scrub consisted of very tall black wattle spaced about 30cm apart with some small bush in between. We found we could walk at a reasonable pace and the terrain did not have any real severe ups and downs. After several hours of this we broke out onto the rock platforms and followed them easily all the way down to Bundundah Creek and Waterfall Cave. The whole day took 7 hours and we covered 11kms.

Day 2:
The next day was supposed to be a short hop down to Discovery Cave but the scrub along the creek was quite unappealing and I was worried about conserving energy for the rest of the day. So after about 1/2 an hour we abandoned. This was my second attempt so I I guess I'll just have to wait till next time. We then set off back up the open rock platform until it ended near the ridge which runs parallel to Moore Creek. Crossing from the rock platform to this open ridge involved some bush bashing but it wasn't too long (1 km). The walk along the open rock platform to the just above Bollards Cave was very easy and the route down into the gorge at the end was actually marked by a cairn. We did the 8.5kms easily and were there by lunchtime, which of course gave us plenty of time to find one of the lovely camp spots high under the cliff and have a sun-baked wash.

Day 3:
We had planned to head back to the junction of Plain Creek and Moore Creek and head up Plain Creek. We followed the ridge to the south of the creek as it just looked like the creek was going to end in an impassable waterfall but I don't know if that's the case or not. This was easy open climbing up the ridge and once on top opened out onto another rock platform which also contained Plain Creek above what we thought was the waterfall. We followed the creek for about half a kilometre and then when the surrounding scrub made this difficult we just moved off to the east of the stream and waltzed our way through fields of wildflowers all the way up to a point which was due east of the old 4WD track near the boggy section of Plain Creek. Turning to the west, we followed our noses through very dead and black banksia. This would have been horrendous before the fires but it was still fairly open even several years after the fires.
We reached the road and just sauntered back to the cars at Gretas Road arriving there by just after lunch.

This is still a wonderful area to walk and I suspect, with the black wattle dying off within the next couple of years, it might start to become a bit more open in the denser parts.

[Allchin09]

Thanks for the report rwildman. I've walked to both Plain + Moore Creek before and also Discovery Cave but pre-covid fires and floods. Always keen to understand how these places have changed since.

[tom_brennan]

The next day was supposed to be a short hop down to Discovery Cave but the scrub along the creek was quite unappealing and I was worried about conserving energy for the rest of the day. So after about 1/2 an hour we abandoned. This was my second attempt so I I guess I'll just have to wait till next time.

It's easiest to climb out and cross the tops rather than go down the creek. Was true pre fires, and probably more true now!

[rwildman]

Good advice Tom. And I was told the same thing (afterwards of course) by Geoff Jones. Next time!

[puredingo]

Great report mate. Thanks for the info.

[Campfire Jesus]

Thanks for sharing mate, I've yet to make it down there, but keen to. It's always great to here an update of conditions as it can be quite slow going down there

[Aardvark]

sounds a bit like 'Three billboards outside Ebbing'

[jtmiske]

Thanks for this. The area is on my possibles list for this year, and I've been wondering what it's like up there currently.