Water on Mt Solitary

[Bristlecone]

Taking a party to Mt Solitary on 22 March, camping at Chinamans Gully. Has anyone been there recently and knows if the creek is dry or not?

[DaveNoble]

I would expect that with the recent rain that there would be water on Mt Solitary in Chinamans Gully. Best to go nearly all the way down to the cliff line, and draw your water from normally big pools in a small side creek that comes in on the right - less likely to be polluted.

Right after rain - you can often cup water out of rock pools on the big rock at the south end of the gully.

Dave

[Bristlecone]

Thanks for reply. The alternative venue for same weekend is Gooches Crater. Anyone been in there since the fires and knows what its like?

[FatCanyoner]

The alternative venue for same weekend is Gooches Crater. Anyone been in there since the fires and knows what its like?

Goochs Crater was hit pretty hard by the fire, and that whole area is still closed to allow it to regenerate.

According to the NPWS park closures page (http://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/alert/state-alerts) "all burnt areas and canyons in burnt areas north of the Wollangambe River" are closed -- which includes Goochs.

It'll likely be reopened some time this year, but until then there's some pretty serious fines if you get caught in there!

[DaveNoble]

I don't think Gooches Crater is in any national park - and therefore is not closed. Same as Dargans Creek Canyon which also was in a fire zone.

Dave

[FatCanyoner]

I don't think Gooches Crater is in any national park - and therefore is not closed. Same as Dargans Creek Canyon which also was in a fire zone.

Goochs is definitely inside the boundaries of Blue Mountains National Park, as is the camp cave (photo of the topo map below). They're only just inside -- I think the park boundary was moved at some point to protect them -- but they're definitely impacted by the closure. The approach from the north, via Newnes State Forest, is open. But by the time you reach the actual crater you're still in NP. It's up to each individual whether they want to risk entering a closed section of park...

goochs.tiff (990.61 KiB) Viewed 8392 times

[DaveNoble]

Thats great that Goochs Crater is in the park. I can remember when it was part of the proposed Gardens of Stone National Park - but it missed out when that park was created.

Dave

[Vern]

Was up Mt Solitary for the first time the other day and managed to syphen some water into my bladder out of a rock pool. Not sick thank goodness I noticed "water" was painted on a rock at one of the camp sites with a distance and direction next to it...would that be Chinaman's Creek? Also does anyone know what the new construction is under the Ruined Castle on the Solitary track?

[Allchin09]

Also does anyone know what the new construction is under the Ruined Castle on the Solitary track?

New construction near Ruined Castle?! What did it look like?

[Vern]

There's a toilet, with room for another one, two sheds, just the roof and pillars, and some other covered up construction material. It's on the track that runs beneath the Ruined Castle.

[robertoman]

There's a toilet, with room for another one, two sheds, just the roof and pillars, and some other covered up construction material. It's on the track that runs beneath the Ruined Castle.

Saw these this week. The toilet is possibly a welcome addition (although the land clearing a tad brutal). The shelters are....well.....really unnecessary and extremely ugly. They are not shelters to stay in, just cheap picnic hut type things. ugly as sin. useful as firewood perhaps

[jonnosan]

I noticed "water" was painted on a rock at one of the camp sites with a distance and direction next to it...would that be Chinaman's Creek?

Yes it is (and the distance is '250 yds') - I camped there last night, although I didn't take any water from there. I did take some from Singajinglewell creek for morning tea - it was actually the first time I have seen water in that creek, it was flowing a little right where the track passes nearest to it, although it was dry upstream and downstream of that point.

[north-north-west]

[quote="jonnosan"... Singajinglewell creek...[/quote]
You are kidding with that name, aren't you?

[Lizzy]

Apparently the creek is named after "sing a jingle well"- read that somewhere the other day...

[jonnosan]

http://www.greenaissance.com/ladies/d_l ... lawry.html has the story