Rocky Waterholes Creek

[Hughmac]

Was at the lookout near the end of Rocky Waterholes Ck today (at the end of the track past Starlights and the Slotway), and noticed a track marked by tape leading down a gully towards the creek. Followed it for a couple of hundred meters, but my companion isn't up to tracks this steep, so I turned around. Does anyone know anything about the track? In particular does it go all the way to the creek, is there any ropework required to get to the bottom, and are you able to link up with the Nattai River? Any info would be much appreciated.

[clarence]

I did a loop down Rocky Waterholes and into the Nattai many years ago.

It was very steep and the particular route we took did require some ropes. There are probably other ways in where ropes aren't required.

It was pretty slow going down Rocky Waterholes Creek. if you want more info I can check my maps.

Clarence

[Hughmac]

Cheers Clarence. Where did you enter from? I've been into sections of RWC further back towards Hilltop, and I know it is quite difficult in places.

[Grabeach]

Fr Frank Bendeich's walk notes:-
8/5/72. Very late start and very slow time up Rocky Waterholes Ck. Had to leave creek at 403601 (1:31680) where fortunately the Army had left ladders, so we climbed out and found road leading to "The Point". A second set of ladders led out of the canyon (???). Finished well after dark.

Probably of limited help, but fascinating nevertheless.
403601 is from the old 1:31680 series map. Anyone have one? I would love to know where 403601 is. I assume The Point is/was the name given to the trig at Point Hill.

Also of interest is that SIX Maps does not show the road on the ridge from Point Hill, but shows interconnecting roads on the next two ridges to the east. Unfortunately these commence in the Camelot Property. All show up on the SIX Imagery.

[puredingo]

Interesting indeed Grabeach. I wonder if the ladders are still there?

After 44 years that road without use would be long gone I'd assume.

[Grabeach]

puredingo; I suspect the road is the track Hughmac used to get to the lookout. Unfortunately the map suggests the headland spreads out at the end, which would make it difficult to locate a ladder. If we are really lucky it may be on the track Hughmac started to explore. The grid reference where Frank left the creek would help. The obvious exit point on my map is opposite Iron Ck and up onto the next ridge to the east where there should also be a road.

[puredingo]

Hmmmm, now I'm intriqued. I did a little day walk out there not long ago but as it wasn't planned I had no map therefor never really new where I was.
I walked out and along the Starlights track, past the turn off that goes right, down into the valley. I then headed up a small hill on my left which turned into a track ( I assume the track head started further on and i just intercepted it?) I followed this track until it forked a little further along. I followed the "straighter" route that led me to some ribbon markers that started to descend down a creek...maybe the same markers/creek Hughmac speaks of?

On my way back I took the other branch which had quite a concealed entrance, really only reconizable by an orange ribbon hung on the surrounding scrub. The track then opens up into what was once I can only assume some sort of old service road...lovely walking. Follwed this to the end to a look out where I found a plaque located under a ledge. Problem was the mist/fog was so heavy and filled the valley completley I had no way of even locating a visual point I could later marry up to the map.

I assumed I was at Ahearns lookout but now it seems I was further East?...Maybe over looking Rocky waterholes.

[Grabeach]

You were definitely at Ahearns L/O (see photo http://anbwalkers.org.au/index.php?q=ga ... ewsIndex=1 ). Won't see much of RW Ck from here.

I did exactly the same thing as you a few years back (and I had a map!), but never made it all the way to Ahearns though, as we had first turned off on the left and followed the track out to the lookout above Slott Way. Part way to Ahearns my wife had had enough. I believe the track out to Ahearns was actually cut as a horse track by locals running trips out there. There is one neat section where the track winds around to avoid going the more obvious way across uneven bare rock.

[puredingo]

Thanks Grabeach, that was definitely the plaque so that's where I was. If I have nothing on next weekend I'm going to follow Hughmacs track down and see what happens....once interest is piqued it can't be unpiqued.

[Allchin09]

Fr Frank Bendeich's walk notes:-
8/5/72. Very late start and very slow time up Rocky Waterholes Ck. Had to leave creek at 403601 (1:31680) where fortunately the Army had left ladders, so we climbed out and found road leading to "The Point". A second set of ladders led out of the canyon (???). Finished well after dark.

Probably of limited help, but fascinating nevertheless.
403601 is from the old 1:31680 series map. Anyone have one? I would love to know where 403601 is. I assume The Point is/was the name given to the trig at Point Hill.

Also of interest is that SIX Maps does not show the road on the ridge from Point Hill, but shows interconnecting roads on the next two ridges to the east. Unfortunately these commence in the Camelot Property. All show up on the SIX Imagery.

Thanks for sharing Grabeach. What map do you that would have been on? I have a fair few only 2 inch to the mile maps at home so may be able to tell you where it is.

[DaveNoble]

403601 is from the old 1:31680 series map. Anyone have one? I would love to know where 403601 is.

I don't have that map, but do have the Nattai 1:31,680 and looking at that the easting 403 translates to 613 on the newer grid (the one before WGS84) - so looks like they climbed out just south of that point (south of the road from Point Hill)

Dave

[Grabeach]

Alex, see Dave’s response.

Dave, thanks. It hadn’t dawned on me to get the easting from another 'pair' in the same ‘column’ (Mt Wilson, Katoomba and Jamison would also do in this case) and plot the intersection with the creek on the Hilltop sheet. Probably worth mentioning that it would not work if the creek in question had run in a north south direction.

Still leaves a fair bit of exploring to do, particularly as Frank's mention of a second ladder doesn’t make a lot of sense, but at least puts one on the correct headland. Hughmacs track is probably as good a place as any to start.

[clarence]

I had a look at my map. It shows that we went along the track from Point Hill, and about 1km south at the broad knoll about 650m height we went down into a creek running due south to a small projection opposite the junction with Iron Creek (Hilltop second edition 1989 - the type that didn't have the air photo on the back). From memory we looked for a break in the cliff (no cliff shown on map) around the protrusion, and ended up using a rope to get down on the SE corner of the point.

Clarence

[Grabeach]

Thanks, Clarence. More useful info. You've just put a large dent in the 'obvious' map indicated exit point I mentioned several posts earlier!

I also have a 2nd Edition Hilltop, but mine is the 1979 version. It shows the track from Point Hill as a road.

[Hughmac]

Puredingo - it sounds like you started along the Slott Way track before returning to Ahearn's Lookout (that plaque is a sad read). Message me if you like and would happily catch up out there, (or at Mossy) as I will definitely be going out to see how far down towards Rocky Waterholes I can get.
Clarence - I believe that the route you followed may still be in use. There is a small cairn pretty much at the point your map shows you leaving the fire trail, and I have read other references on the web to people using a path that would seem to match the one on your map. Interesting that nearly every description I encounter relating to RWC talks of slow travel and late finishes.

[Allchin09]

I had a look through my collection and but it looks like I don't have a 1st Ed Hilltop map.

What may be of interest though is the Mittagong 1" to the mile military map. It older than the 1st ed Hilltop, but covers the area and has the same grid.

See attached scan of relevant area. It's interesting to see that Emmett's Hut is marked, I think remember some debate here not long ago regarding its location.

Mittagong military 1'' to mile 1934.PDF

(2.81 MiB) Downloaded 527 times

[puredingo]

Alex, that link sends my computer cuckoo bananas!??

Today I did a loop down the slotway, down stream to and up Troys Ck, back to Wattle ridge.

I always thought the slotway was starlights poor cousin? Not so! A nice easy gradient, new bright blue markers every 30 centimetres with a great lookout on the way down....even a camp cave if your stuck. Down on the river I came across two enormous pigs, really made a mess of the bank.

On the way up Troys Ck track I seen a couple of signs reading "troys hand tool"... Anyone know what this could mean?

[johnw]

Alex, that link sends my computer cuckoo bananas!??

Today I did a loop down the slotway, down stream to and up Troys Ck, back to Wattle ridge.

I always thought the slotway was starlights poor cousin? Not so! A nice easy gradient, new bright blue markers every 30 centimetres with a great lookout on the way down....even a camp cave if your stuck. Down on the river I came across two enormous pigs, really made a mess of the bank.

On the way up Troys Ck track I seen a couple of signs reading "troys hand tool"... Anyone know what this could mean?

I think it could possibly be a bushfire fighting sign for a hand tool line at that location. I've seen similar signage in places around the upper Blue Mountains.
Slotway sounds interesting. I haven't been down Starlights for several years and really should revisit the area. I remember returning via Troys Creek track makes a nice circuit.

[Allchin09]

How about this puredingo?

[puredingo]

Yep Alex, that works. A few differences in the maps though, "the point" on my map is up North on the 65 mark? plus the odd twist and turn in the river is omitted....weird hey?

Johnw I suspect you're right as the signs had arrows pointing, if followed, through the scrub which cut out a big section of the switchback. I wish the obvious answer had dawned on me...save me picking through the bush like an emu looking for some kind of medievil handtool device, or a rock formation that resembled a tack hammer.

[puredingo]

Hughmac and myself had a scout around the area last Sunday. Firstly we followed the track out to the headland which terminates above Rocky waterholes Ck. Here we took a short scramble down to where a short creek, heavily marked with ribbon, leads to a lower cliff line...and sheer drop off. No ladders were located and even if we did find them there is no-way I would of took them on, we where still a long way up!

We then back tracked to where a small cairn branches off the main track eastish, 10 meters after the cairn there is no track to speak of but it's only a short bash and we were lucky enough to find a gentle ramp into spoon drain Ck (That's not it's real name but the creek bed in places was sculpted into what looked like a perfectly formed up, concrete poured, spoon drain). Spectacular to say the least was this creek, with colours and caves to overload the senses. But it wasn't to last and eventually we hit a string of waterfalls that would halt our progress down to Rocky waterholes.

We then headed up town and follwed the lower cliff line around but couldn't see any safe passage past and noticed and even more sudden drop in distance before hitting the creek floor proper so we decided to get some elevation and see what we could see. We climbed up and onto the spur with the bend in it and walked most way to the end, not seeing any real way down and marvelling at just how Clarence did it we had a bite to eat and returned via a horse track that led to the back of the Wattle ridge property. Following the fence line back (and stranglely some Sloss markers that appeared mid way) we were back at the car park by 2.

A great day out but as usual it just leaves you wanting more.

[Grabeach]

Excellent work, guys. Sounded like a great day.

Anything, eg. thick scrub, that would prevent me taking a mountain bike along the fence line? The SIX Maps air photos show what appears to be about 15km of interconnecting 'roads' to the south-east.

[Hughmac]

Shouldn't be too difficult. Would have to hop off and push in places, but definitely doable. Nice views at the end of the track - don't forget your camera (like we both did!).

[corker]

Sorry, I came in late on this discussion.
In June 1975 I was on a walk with a group of people, from The Point to the Point via Rocky Waterholes Creek and the ladders. When we reached the spot where the ladders should be - they weren't there. Frank Bendeich and a few friends started the walk late in the day and did it in reverse, expecting to meet us. In the end they dropped a rope and hauled the seven of us up the cliff. In my notes I have written that we were using the Mittagong Military 1inch to the mile map.

[Grabeach]

Corker; Frank mentioned the 1972 walk with ladders a few years back, but he never mentioned the later walk. I guess I never asked the right question!
As a long time friend of Frank's and also a current Catholic BWC member, though one who hasn't walked much in recent years due to a knee problem, I'm interested in who you might be. I will send a PM, but there is no obligation to respond.