Brisbane Waters Spion Kop

[shankspony]

Just wondering whether anyone knows the approach route for Spion Kop near WoyWoy Bay ? From some web searches it sounds like there's an iron ladder there somewhere. Is this in good repair, or are ropes needed? Also where is it i.e. what side of the 'top'. And what's the bush like - thick or ok?

[kjbeath]

It is called Spion Kop. I've never approached from the water side, but only from the Woy Woy Road following the ridge lines out. This can be a little scrubby but mainly not, as you can follow the rocks, although that was over 10 years ago. At the top there is a nice view and an interesting rock formation.

[shankspony]

Thanks for the info kjbeath. And sorry re the spelling (now edited) - perhaps I can blame auto-correct?!
It's good to know that ex WoyWoy road works. And it sounds a pretty good option if there're lots of rocks.
I'm still interested in hearing any other info too if others know anything...

[Rob Gosford]

I've never approached from the water side, but only from the Woy Woy Road following the ridge lines out.

this is interesting !
i live in the area here and know Brisbane Water NP quite well. NOT as well as i thought apparently. Have never heard of Spion Kop till now. Maybe i have been to Spion Kop before but never knew it lol. I must suss this out..... i wont sleep

"but only from the Woy Woy Road following the ridge lines out"
kjbeath: from approximately WHERE on Woy Woy Road ?

thanks
Rob

[Bron]

I have been to Spion Kop only about 6 months ago. I have only accessed it from the water side. Its best to do this at low tide or you will get wet feet.
Both times i have been in from the fire trail off the Woy Woy Rd at Phegans Bay.
Once you cross the inlet there is a route marked by Christmas decorations up to the bottom of the ladders. the ladders are plain iron rungs and there is a rope to hold onto if you need it. The group I did it with had people in their 70s and they all managed to get up and down the ladder without too much difficulty.
Once you get to the top there are lots of rock outcrops to sit on with good views of Woy Woy Bay.

hope this helps
Bron

[perfectlydark]

Same as rob i think i must check this out. Never heard of it till now

[Rob Gosford]

found it !
its a bit of terra firma jutting out into the northern section of Woy Woy Bay.
looking north up Waterfall Bay its the ridge on the left.
On Google Earth, there is a nice photo showing a great view.
there would be a lot of bush-bashing involved..........damn, i was expecting a wide open firetrail all the way with a restaurant at the end

[shankspony]

I have only accessed it from the water side. Its best to do this at low tide or you will get wet feet.
Both times i have been in from the fire trail off the Woy Woy Rd at Phegans Bay.
Once you cross the inlet there is a route marked by Christmas decorations up to the bottom of the ladders.
Bron

Wow - approaching from Phegans Bay would have been way down my list of routes if you hadn't said that. The map shows some decent cliffs even before you get to the wet-feet bit! However, if there's Christmas decorations on that approach then it sounds like an omen I shouldn't ignore at this time of year. And anything with ladders/spikes/ropes is a must, so I'm very tempted to try it that way. I was actually expecting some replies re approaching from fire trails to the east (koolewong). Or the ridge as kjbeath suggested.

found it !
there would be a lot of bush-bashing involved.......... damn lol:

Rob, can I tease you and say you only know 1% of Brisbane Water if you stick to the trails. Get stuck in and explore the rest!!

[DaveNoble]

There is also a "Spion Kop" down south near Heathcote. Presumably both are named after a hill in South Africa - the scene of a famous Boer War Battle?

Dave

[Allchin09]

There is also a "Spion Kop" down south near Heathcote. Presumably both are named after a hill in South Africa - the scene of a famous Boer War Battle?

Dave

Sounds like someone should do a "Kop to Kop" walk!

[perfectlydark]

found it !
its a bit of terra firma jutting out into the northern section of Woy Woy Bay.
looking north up Waterfall Bay its the ridge on the left.
On Google Earth, there is a nice photo showing a great view.
there would be a lot of bush-bashing involved..........damn, i was expecting a wide open firetrail all the way with a restaurant at the end

Ah nice! looks quite appealling, a different view of the bay than usual. I still love the view from Mt Wondabyne
Looks like another route could be via the firetrail off Brisbane Water Dr, near the bridge. Walk along that ridge then most likely scrub bash across Waterfall bay then up again

[kjbeath]

I've never approached from the water side, but only from the Woy Woy Road following the ridge lines out.

this is interesting !
i live in the area here and know Brisbane Water NP quite well. NOT as well as i thought apparently. Have never heard of Spion Kop till now. Maybe i have been to Spion Kop before but never knew it lol. I must suss this out..... i wont sleep

"but only from the Woy Woy Road following the ridge lines out"
kjbeath: from approximately WHERE on Woy Woy Road ?

thanks
Rob

From near the Bulgandry Aboriginal Art site. The map shows a ridge line through the 176m spot height out to the end. Lose the ridge top and it probably becomes rather unpleasant.

Here is an image taken at the end. In the background would be the route around the water.

[Rob Gosford]

thanks for the info KJ ! that's what i'm after.
have been to Bulgandry a few times.....land of the screeching black cockatoos.
and WHAT a great photo Rock formation looks like a snake's head.

thanks

[Rob Gosford]

I still love the view from Mt Wondabyne

yes +1
another great "Woy Woy view" is from the end of Bulls Hill firetrail. It starts on the western side of Woy Woy Rd, about 180 meters south of the old RTA Speed Cameras. Firetrail heads off south, and after a short distance nice views to your right of Mt. Wondabyne emerge especially one shot of it framed by 2 trees. My pic of that is on GoogleEarth.

About half way along, a connecting track from the Tunnel firetrail (from the Quarry) merges on your right. Continue on downhill to your left and at the very end are some beautiful views over Horsefield and Phegan Bays ! its not fenced

[perfectlydark]

Great tips rob! Even for a local theres a lot in BWNP im yet to discover. Good inspiration for some summer day trips

[shankspony]

The view from Lyre Trig isn't too shonky either. Almost 360 deg panorama.

[Rob Gosford]

took this photo 2 years ago from the Koolewong Ridge firetrail. Spion Kop ?

Perfectlydark has an interesting point of view.......come into Spion Kop from the Koolewong Ridge firetrail. You could start from the Bambara Rd end however and join the north/south Koolewong Ridge firetrail, then bush bash a short way west to the 176M high point on Spion Kop, then head south out to the end of SK.

p.s. is anyone going out to the Koolewong Ridge Lookout to see the Gosford New Years Eve fireworks at 9pm ? there would be a good view from there looking north. Take a torch !

[perfectlydark]

That would be a great spot to watch the show rob! Looks like spion kop in your photo. Im a recent convert to paddling so i might make this trip from the water

[Rob Gosford]

Im a recent convert to paddling so i might make this trip from the water

way to go mate !

i figure the lookout on the ridge above Koolewong mightn't be so heavily populated for the 9pm fireworks on NYE. One wouldn't get a look in at Staples or Kariong Lookouts.......they would be "packed to the rafters"

enjoy the paddle and the scene

[perfectlydark]

For sure. Enjoy the show!

[perfectlydark]

Alright im probably going to give this a shot early saturday, paddling in. Will let you know how it goes from the water

[Rob Gosford]

great stuff mate.....have a good paddle. Take your camera with you ?

haven't got into any bushwalking here since before Xmas........too sluggish

[perfectlydark]

Christmas? I havnt had a decent bushwalk since winter! Had a great kayak trip up mooney mooney creek a few weeks ago though which was fantastic. Yep will take a piccy or 2

[perfectlydark]

Having to postpone due to illness. Soon...

[Rob Gosford]

there are other days to do the paddle when better mate.
Besides, today was overcast and gloomy ....

cherio

[shankspony]

Thanks for all the info above, especially kjbeath and bron. I've done a couple of recce's on this, and yesterday the full traverse. Approached from the Koolewong fire trail end, where there's a faint path with copious orange tape all the way to the rock that kjbeath kindly supplied the photo of. Then back down the Woy Woy road side via the iron rungs to the fire trail that Bron describes. All on paths, except for a very short section where I missed it. Thanks to the tape-tie-person (people), the markers were a good help.
Must try it again in better weather!

spion kop satellite.PNG (542.78 KiB) Viewed 35682 times

[Rob Gosford]

Approached from the Koolewong fire trail end, where there's a faint path with copious orange tape all the way

spion kop satellite.PNG

hi, great effort mate with your recce's !
i went down there today, couldn't find the faint track with copious orange tape
From looking at your map, you walked south down Waterfall Creek ? Travelling south down Koolewong Ridge FT (from where Bambara Rd FT joins), where the FT gates are i then jumped down onto another service track which runs parallel on the west side. It is the service trail that runs under the power poles. 150 meters down i veered off onto a narrow track to the right (to the west) marked near the beginning with a pink ribbon. That leads to the crossing of Waterfall Creek marked with a blue ribbon. I headed south on rockscape along the western bank of Waterfall Creek........and very pleasant i may add ! Ventured down there for quite a fair way - always looking to my right for a "faint track marked with copious orange ribbons", couldn't spot it. Turned back. Maybe i need to go further south down Waterfall creek ?? I noticed on your map this afternoon you may have gone further down that creek than i did.......

overall, was i going the correct way ? its FUN trying to suss it out lol.

cherio

[Tortoise]

Thanks for the idea of where to explore next time I'm up here. I've been trying to put together the old faint footpad/track that meanders along the Koolewong Ridge from somewhere near the water reservoir near Spike Milligan bridge, through to Pt Clair. Much nicer than the management trail, for the bush and the views. Run out of time to put it all together - in places there seems to be no choice than to hit the road for a bit. I stumbled on it while exploring - craving steep, so found some places to play.

[shankspony]

Hi Rob, sounds like you were in the right place. The creek there is a lovely spot. The point where you start up the hill may be a bit further on by the sound of your description. It's very close to the waterfall/cascades, and up a narrow little slot for a couple of meters between rocks which becomes quite a well worn single track that goes up to the top of the ridge; from there you're in orange-tape-territory. Let me know if you find it!

[Rob Gosford]

hi shankspony, thanks for that info. Wonderful.
i worked out - with the help of 6Maps - that last week, "i missed it by THAT much".

i finished here on Waterfall Creek last week and then turned back.......apparantly, about 60 meters to the north of where the creek plunges over. Should have kept heading south a bit more.

looking south down Waterfall Creek

IMG_8276.jpg (88.77 KiB) Viewed 35175 times

this pic is looking south, at the very beginning of the S-L-I-P-P-E-R-Y rockscape, west bank Waterfall Creek.

IMG_8273.jpg (100.23 KiB) Viewed 35175 times

i'll let you know if i spot it, yes. Shall take a photo