Time to record some of a conversation I had with an interesting old gentleman that I met in Glenbrook back in the late 1970’s. At the time, I had been going around a variety of different groups and organisations showing a slide show of the scenic features of the Northern Blue Mountains as apart of a campaign to have the region declared a national park.
I’m not exactly sure who the group was in Glenbrook, but they seemed to enjoy the slides and appreciate the issues. I was having a cup of tea and chatting with people when I was introduced to a “Major Collit”. A quite old gentlemen. He had an old photo album with him and then proceeded to tell me about some of his adventures back in the 1920’s.
He had been in a party that had gone into the Colo Gorge back in about 1928 and set up a camp in a large cave on the River. I think they had reached the river from Mountain Lagoon. As well as carrying in a lot of food, they had also taken in a lot of old rectangular metal drums. At their cave base, they then proceeded to turn the drums into kayaks by cutting them up and then soldering them together. From the photos – it looked like the soldering irons were simply heated on a big fire.
The kayaks looked a bit rough in the photos – but for something constructed in the field they seemed to me quite amazing. There were lots of photos showing the kayaks then being paddled up the River. Major Collit claimed they were able to paddle as far up as above Angorawa Creek.
I think this is an interesting bit of Colo history. I wonder where that photo album is now? I wonder if any other groups have ever came across the cave where the kayaks were assembled? Perhaps all their bits and pieces have since been washed away in floods? I am not sure of the exact spelling of “Collit”.
Another bit of Colo History is the fascinating story by H G P Clews of the Royal Australian Survey Corps, who was given the task of mapping the Colo area by plane table survey. This story can now be found online via the Colo River Website and downloaded as a pdf here. It is well worth reading – the “Bad Bit Across the River”
Some great reading Dave. Love to see the old photos of the kayaks too!
dave. I am trying to find the article. ” the bad bit accross the river” by Major Clews. Can you send me a link?
Dick smith.
Hello Dick – It looks like the link has broken. I have a copy on my hard drive that I can email you.
How long does it take to go to Canoe Creek and back from the end of the fire trail? Is it relatively easy to follow? I have done many moderate bushwalks around Sydney with my family but my dad won’t budge about Colo River unless he has more information.
Hope you can help
I have not been that way for a few years now, and cannot remember how long it took. Perhaps half a day? It also may depend on what the fire trail condition is like. You should be able to drive to a barrier then park. From there, the first part is a road walk, then steep – following a rough track down to Canoe Creek – then you follow that to the river. The going can be a bit rough. Tom Brennan has some notes here on his website that may be of use. Easier ways to see the Colo River are via Bob Turners Track or to Colo Meroo from Mountain Lagoon.
Thanks David