Canoe Creek – Colo River – Photo Walk 23-24 October 2017

David Hufton invited me to join him on a walk to the Colo River via Canoe Creek. It had been a fair few years since my last visit to this area that I was pleased to be able to go along.

On the way up, we made a short detour to visit an Aboriginal art cave. It was one that I had not visited before and it was quite impressive with lots of hand stencils (mainly in white, but also some in ochre), and boomerangs and axes and also some charcoal drawings. Just outside the shelter were several sets of axe grinding grooves and also some small wells. This was a very interesting and special place.

The Canoe Creek fire trail was in very good condition all the way from Grassy Hill to the barrier and David’s small 2WD car had no trouble making it all the way out.

From the barrier, it is to a long walk to the end of the road (less that an hour) and then a very steep descent down a rough track to Canoe Creek, then along the creek for a short distance, then on ledges to just above the Colo junction, then another short steep descent down the final bit.

It was warm when we arrived at the river, and we sought out a shady place to have lunch. We then set up our tents and spent the afternoon on photography.

The Colo River at the Canoe Creek junction is not only a reasonably accessible place to get to, it is also a very spectacular and beautiful place. For the more adventurous, it is also a good setting off place for trips down or up the Colo River and to more remote locations like Mt Savage and Tambo Creek.

At present there is a park fire ban operating in Wollemi National Park till April 2018 due to the recent very dry conditions.

I woke in the middle of the night, and ventured out of my tent to see if I could see any meteors from a forecast meteor shower. I saw one meteor, but none made it to my camera’s sensor despite a series of long exposure photos.

Next morning, there was a very slight mist rising from the river. But it looked like it would soon be a bright sunny day. So we both spent a fair while taking photos while the light was softer.

In the mid morning, we packed up and climbed back to the fire road and then along it to David’s car. On the way home, we stopped for lunch at Windsor.

This was a avery pleasant trip in a very special area. Thanks to David Hufton for the invitation.

More photos are online here on my website.

This entry was posted in Blue Mountains, Bushwalking, Wilderness Photography, Wollemi National Parks and tagged , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

13 Responses to Canoe Creek – Colo River – Photo Walk 23-24 October 2017

  1. Sameer says:

    Hey David. What’s the track condition at Canoe Creek like now? I know it’s a rough track, but are there many times when you lost sight of it and had to backtrack?
    Was there much boulder scrambling as well?
    How long did it take to get from the carpark to Colo? About 2-3 hrs?

    Look forward to your response, still hoping I’ll be able to go with the family one day.

    • Dave Noble says:

      I can’t remember exact times, but I think it twas less than 2 hours from the barrier to the river. I just checked my photos to look at the EXIF time stamps – less than 90 minutes from car to the river. The track section is steep in places and you do have to scramble a bit and climb down small cliffs. It is reasonably well make with stone arrangements (cairns or ducks etc). You can loose it – we did, but soon found it again.

  2. Sameer says:

    Ok cheers. Thanks for looking back at the time stamps for me.

  3. Kaleb says:

    Hey David, Great article and photos. A couple of us are hoping to head down there this weekend, I would love to see the aboriginal stencils, are they easy to find? Cheers

  4. Martin Przybylski says:

    Hi Dave
    Other reports on the Canoe Creek walk refer to a camp cave at the Canoe Creek Junction. Do you know anything about it’s size, cleanliness and how many it would sleep?
    Cheers

    • Dave Noble says:

      Can’t recall its details exactly, as I have never stayed in it. And there are lots of overhangs in the greater Blue Mts – and easy to be confused. I think it is reasonable in size, perhaps can sleep 6 or more, but likely to be sandy/dusty. I would only stay in the cave if it is wet. Otherwise better camping in the shade on the west side of the river just under the bluffs.

  5. Greg May says:

    I would not like to see it now. Such devastation. Hopefully the wildlife and beauty will return one day. These fires make me so melancholy.

  6. Maia Rohne Brodal says:

    Hi,
    I’m planning a camping trip in September and would love to know where the caves with Aboriginal art are? Could you please forward the directions?
    I will of course be very respectful and not disturb the site.
    I would appreciate any relevant tips you might have about about the area more generally.
    Thank you,
    Maia Rohne Brodal

  7. Joshua says:

    Hi David,

    Thanks for sharing these excellent photos of a truly special area. I have been to this spot and several others on the Colo between 2017-19. However, I am yet to return since the recent bushfire season. Do you know how the fires may have affected accessibility to Canoe Creek (and other walks in this area)?

    Kindly,

    Joshua

    • Dave Noble says:

      I have not been there since the fire – but I know people that have – they were on a bushcare trip to remove weeds. I am not sure which section they visited though. I would check the NPWS Alerts page for Wollemi National Park – it will ist any closed fire trails.

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