Hobnail Canyon lies in Range Creek, a small tributary of the South Branch of Bowens Creek. It was first descended by members of the Hobnail Club – probably in the late 1960’s. The Hobnails were one of several bushwalking clubs affiliated with the YMCA in Sydney. Others were the YMCA Ramblers and SPAN. By the mid 1970’s the Hobnails had dissolved. I think many of the members joined other groups like the YMCA Ramblers.
Hobnail Canyon
I had never been down Hobnail Canyon before, but had explored the lower part from Bowens Creek on several trips. I was perhaps discouraged by trip reports indicating that it was not too special as a canyon.
I was heading up the mountains to do a canyon with Bob. As the weather forecast was not that great -a cool day with perhaps a bit of rain, we decided to visit a shortish canyon, and Hobnail Canyon fitted the bill. Bob had been down it before, but that was many years ago.
We parked at the Bowens Creek Climbing Area carpark on the Bell Road and then walked a short way out along the Range Hill fire road. We walked to the first knoll and then set off through thick scrub, descending steeply down towards the creek. We approached some bluffs, so riddled a bit to the right and crossed a small gully, then followed a vague nose down to the creek. Lower bluffs presented easy entry and we ended up using the rope for a short drop.
Once in the creek, the going was a lot easier and more pleasant. We passed through some short shallow canyon sections and had some wades and the occasional short swim.
Bob recalled at least one abseil, but on this trip we didn’t find any place where we needed to use a rope. We could climb down a few short drops between gaps in the boulders. Perhaps these may later change and block up, so rope is worth carrying.
The creek remained pleasant going all the way to where it joined the South Branch of Bowens Creek. The best and most sustained canyon section was in the 200 m just before that junction. I can remember at one point looking up and seeing a cable overhead. This is used to provide access to one of the climbing sectors – via a Tyrollean Traverse. Just after this was the junction.
We continued down the rather beautiful section of canyon in the South Branch of Bowens Creek. A little further down, we took the usual exit and climbed up to one of the nice dry caves at the climbing area for lunch. From there it was a short walk back to Bob’s car.
More photos of the trip are online here on my website.
Having visited there yesterday as a side trip from South Bowens, I have to say this little canyon has offered something Bowen has not: a colony of plenty yabbies. The reason mighr be that water might be clearer there with my eyeballing. No surprise as the neighbouring Bowens receives far more traffic as evidenced by heavy trodden paths. Large paths mark the popular Bowen all the way from the start through the mid along the creek in the forest through the exit sections. Hard to get lost even without map and compass, because that path is like a highway channeling people to the creek, then up that steep but very obvious exit bank (the creek past that point is scrubby as if saying “don’t go any further!”) and through that hole you need to scramble up to get to the main wall of Bowens Creek climbing area. Then you have a choice of a path to either left or right around this climber’s cliff, both equal & leading up to the road.
I didn’t know this section of South Bowens was so popular trip but it deserves so, very delightful walking with one easy abseil (or couple, depending on your choice or your scrambling skills). But as I said yabbies don’t like too much of people traffic and I didn’t see any all the way to Hobnail, although I normally should have. Plenty of them in Hobnail’s crystal clear pools, where you could marvel how they swim backwards. And few spilling downstream Bowens. I suspect their numbers would increase in lower Bowens, past the canyoner’s exit highway.
Just to clarify, if you wonder if I was suicidal & how I survived going there in yesterday rain, I did my trip on Saturday (a very hot day preceding that drought-ending rain).
BTW, anyone knows how long does it take for water level in the canyons to recede after that much of rain we received over last weekend (up to 100mm) ? Can we expect the water levels in canyon like Claustral or Hole In The Wall return to their previous flow after say 5 days (the next weekend) or will they be still high?