Parking Williams River - Barrington Tops

[Greenie]

Thinking doing few days of walking up at the tops at the start of winter. I usually start at lagoon pinch. This time I might start at the Williams River carpark assuming I can leave my car there for a few days?

How much extra would it add to my walk if I was to start there instead of lagoon pinch?

[Rob A]

Is there a separate track up from Will carpark to Lagoon carpark? I thought the only way up was along the road? Other than the river and a scrub bash. Shows how much I keep my eyes open.

[troy8880]

There was a track from the guest house to lagoon pinch car park.

[forest]

Hi Greenie

Yes there is a track from Williams River Car Park to Lagoon Pinch.
It's actually labelled from the CP as "Bluegum Loop Trail" but you can just walk the western side of the loop along the river, past Rocky Crossing then up to Lagoon Pinch. Off memory it's about 8km's, all but flat with a sharp up section to gain the ridge which the Lagoon Pinch CP is at the end off. It's a nice walk and Rocky Crossing is worth a look, there's a few other small falls to see with little trails that branch of the main track to the river. Pretty straight forward and a well trodden path most of the way from day walkers. I recall the western entrance/exit for the Bluegum loop at Williams River CP is little way back down (100-250m) the entrance Rd to the CP, Just keep your eyes peeled to the left for the path when you drive into the Williams River picnic area.. The track start at the actual CP next to all the sign boards (the concrete path) will lead you straight across the river on the swing bridge. You can still get to Rocky Crossing this way but you need to take a right turn when you cross back over the Williams River at the second swing bridge. It's pretty well sign posted though, at leats it was 2 years ago ??
Have fun with the leeches.... Plenty around the river normally. They were hanging out of the tree's before the first swing bridge last time we dropped in. I still grin with evil joy at the memory of my sister in law running up the track screaming as I told her a leach was on her head (it wasn't )

Have a great walk, you never know we might cross paths. Nothing like the Corker for a training walk..... I'll be up there often soon.
Barrington Tops in winter is awesome, I always get a night or 3 in up there every season. Pity it's normally so damp though and the snow's quickly melted away.

[Rob A]

Ahh ok. I was aware of the loop but never payed any attention to there being a link to the upper car park.
I was going to say "Ahh ok Ill give it a go!", till I saw your comment about fun with leeches

There was a track from the guest house to lagoon pinch car park.

Which explains the regular occurrence of guests waddling up corker with a photocopy of the cottages hand drawn mud map . Are we there yet?

[Greenie]

Thanks for the reply's.

Forest those directions make sense from what's on the NP's site.

I hope to get some pics of the Rocky Crossing and not of leeches!
Should there be many around in June?

I love how quite it is in winter. Last time I was up there I didn't see a soul the whole time. I dropped my sunnies on the track on the way up, and found them on the way back

I might stay at Black Swamp, is it a good place to camp? It would best to approach it from the south to avoid crossing the river at Junction Pools?

[colinm]

IIRC, Black Swamp is closed, and has been for years - phyloptera (?) infestation.
EDIT: No, it appears I'm mistaken, carry on as you were
EDIT2: No, right the first time - quarantined according to this http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/parki ... hthora.htm
Oh, hmm ... it used to be around black swamp, but they're moving it north, and growing it.

I'm confused. Here's a map:

[Greenie]

That's what I thought. I sure I saw a closed track sign. But I went here http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/NationalParks/parkHome.aspx?id=N0002&s=MountBarrington#secStart

So I am not sure?

[colinm]

I'm confused. Perhaps the exclusion is around the swamp and the trail but not the campsite? Dunno, ask the rangers.

[Greenie]

Good idea. I will

[Rob A]

You walk over aeroplane hill from juntion, and look back over Edwards, which I guess some people think is black swamp. Theres still a camp there at the black swamp. Not entirely sure why you woudl chose that place but hey.
Barrington is a mess, between the scotch broom, phytophthora, muck in the river, the horses ... sorry ... brumbies in good ole aus senitimental slang. The dogs are being 1080 baited. Good luck finding the barrinton falls these days. Go now rather than later. Id reckon if you knew the place ten or twenty years ago you would cry now. And its a heritage area?

[Greenie]

Thanks for the edit's ColinM.

Never been to Black Swamp, so not the best place camp? compared to say Junction Pools.

Yes, I ran into a big group of the horse last time I was up there. I had a choice to either walk through the freezing Barrington river or move the horses. Thankfully they move on once they saw me.
I did see some of the destruction the horses cause. I know they do capture some of them and break them in at the King of the ranges. But is that enough
I have been lucky enough not to run into any dogs. Are they many around?

[Rob A]

Got 9133 1N? Black swamp is pinched off at the south easten end of Saxby. It all looks better in snow. The no pass phyto gate is on big hole trail to the N.
Corker is only two hours for me, and I tend to hide up Edwards creek on the first day. Its probably the better part of town.

[Rob A]

Junction Pools.

Ohh dear. Got your genset and your ultimate behemoth caravan camping kit?

[forest]

Black Swamp is to the south of the trail between the marked campsite and Carey's Peak and is open. The campsite is just a fire scar and small clearing. Junction Pools is nicer and there are no car campers there in June ad the Rd is closed for winter. Its one of my favourites to camp up there. Wombat creek being one of my least favourite. Time permitting pushing on to Junction Pools is what I do.
The area closed is the big hole etc. There is a locked gate just up the track from black swamp camp with a sign etc. Pity as it's a great area. The track over Aeroplane hill to Junction Pools skirts between the closed area and the swamp. You can see that on the map.
Plenty of brumbies up on the tops. One only has to walk across from Junction Pools to Little Murray to see plenty and also the damage they cause. Yes there are dogs about but at most you might hear a howl or see some prints in the mud. They will keep a wide birth of people.

There's a lot of nice camp spots on the Edwards Swamp trail between Carey's Peak and Junction Pools. But that makes a big first day if you set out from Williams River CP.
Can be *&%$#! freezing camping near those mist filled swamps though... Ah well that's just part of the deal.
Enjoy it in June as later in the month there is usually a bit of snow about.

[colinm]

Wombat creek being one of my least favourite.

Curious, for future reference, what's bad about Wombat Ck?

[forest]

Nothing hugely wrong with it, just a personal preference that there are many better places up near there.
For some reason its always a cold damp place. Junction Pools is much much nicer.... Unless it's summer on a public holiday weekend then as Rob said its genny central and full of car campers.

[Greenie]

Stayed at both. I agree Junction Pools is the pick of the two. Is there anywhere else in winter that is car free and has water nearby?

You never know we might cross paths. I'll be the guy with the pack that is way too heavy. You will fly past me.. I'll be in a tarptent, aren't you in a hammock?

[davidmorr]

You can camp at Carey's Peak itself. Nice grassy area, fairly sheltered, old hut for shelter if it rains or snows. Water in a creek just to the NE of the grassy area.

Black Swamp camping area is pretty open and barren. Not attractive.

And I agree Wombat Creek is pretty damp and gets dark early.

As for the quarantine area, we were told by a ranger up there a week ago that they are going to open up the quarantine area to walkers, but with foot wash stations at all entrances and exits. They didn't say, but having seen a number of people walking brazenly out of the area, I suppose they think that it is better if people have been in there for them to at least wash their boots.

[forest]

As for the quarantine area, we were told by a ranger up there a week ago that they are going to open up the quarantine area to walkers, but with foot wash stations at all entrances and exits. They didn't say, but having seen a number of people walking brazenly out of the area, I suppose they think that it is better if people have been in there for them to at least wash their boots.

That would be great if they did open it up. Althouhg I've never seen anyone in there myself and the old tracks pretty well overgrown looking through the shut gate.

Is there anywhere else in winter that is car free and has water nearby?

Little Murray is nice to camp. It has a pit toilet, a pretty largish camping area and a few tables. Most of all it's closed to the public over winter.

I'll be in a tarptent, aren't you in a hammock?

That will be me, yep mad bugger hanging "over" all that cold white stuff laying on the ground nice and toasty....

[Greenie]

I might stay at Carey's Peak then. I didn't know there was water nearby. Just a short walk to great view to wakeup to.

What's the water like at Little Murray?

I'll be the frozen corpse in the Tarptent..

I don't have a map on me, so I am not sure the name of the track. I know was it near Mt Barrington, there were some falls I could hear and could not see a track to. Is there a rough track to these?

[forest]

What's the water like at Little Murray?

Excellent water from the running Little Murray Creek. As normal just treat it or boil but chances are if left untreated it would more than likely be fine.

Little Murray Creek.JPG (100.77 KiB) Viewed 20405 times

Little Murray Creek2.JPG (163.52 KiB) Viewed 20405 times

What you could hear possibly would be Barrington Falls but I too don't have a map on me.
I don't think there is a track and going off the scrub up there getting to them might be a bit of effort.

[davidmorr]

Barrington Falls is over the west side of the plateau near Mt Barrington. It also mostly has no water running over it, so unlikely you would hear it. It is also marked in the wrong place on the second edition maps. I did try once to get to it along the east side of the creek/river from where it starts near the Barrington Trail. Not a pleasant experience. The other way to get there is to go east off the Barrington Trail and scramble down the slope to the river. There can be lawyer vine, and remember the falls are upstream 1-200m from where they are shown on the map.

[Rob A]

When was the last time you tried to get in there? The scotch broom is ten foot high. I might give it a go next time jsut for the sake of it. I could be like Livingstone on the Dark Continent.

[davidmorr]

It's a while ago. The expedition down the east side was about 5 years ago. The approaches from the other side were longer ago, and really not too challenging despite the lawyer vine.

[Rob A]

Barrington Falls is over the west side of the plateau near Mt Barrington. ... It is also marked in the wrong place on the second edition maps.

Both my maps show it in the same place. The earlier edition grid is set out from AGD66, the newer version with the photo on the front is GDA94.
For example AGD66 Careys Peak 1544 ref used to be 541524 is now GDA94 Careys Peak 1545 ref 542526 (its not quite but I dont want to confuse the issue Northing 189m Easting 105m)
Best bet is to set your GPS to WGS84 and use the MGR display and be done with it.

Last time I went past the actual falls I was trundling down the track chatting to someone clearing the dog traps and not paying too much attention. I would have been a hundred meters past where I would have expected to turn in, looked at the wall of yellow flowers and thought "Ohhh well" and just kept on going.

[MrFaulty]

If you need numbers I would be keen (depending on the date). Have walked up the corker many times. Personally I would park at Lagoon pinch as the corker is enough of an incline for one day. If you do decide to leave from the old guest house, make sure you take the track, don't follow the river as this will add a few hours to your walk.

Cheers
Ben

[Greenie]

Oh well, the weather forecast isn't looking to best. I guess it will add to the journey.

Thanks for everyone's input

[JohnDaly TakeAWalk]

We have just returned (yesterday) from Barrington Tops after spending several weeks in the area. The forecast was for snow today so we headed home. We did spend 36 hours holed up in the tent at Wombat Creek before we managed to walk out to the Mountaineer campsite and back. We have been reconstructing the Tops to Myall walk and have now proved the entire length of the track, including a work around (walk around) for the new highway, except one 20km section east of Mountaineer campsite. We'll publish the complete track notes in our next book - Take A Walk in Northern NSW. If anyone is interested in walking the track and checking the track notes we'll be happy to email a pdf of the notes before we publish the book.

[Rob A]

We did spend 36 hours holed up in the tent at Wombat Creek

Stoic endeavour.

We have been reconstructing the Tops to Myall walk and have now proved the entire length of the track....If anyone is interested in walking the track and checking the track notes we'll be happy to email a pdf of the notes before we publish the book.

Cool bananas. Post a link Ill certainly have a look.