I recently spent an enjoyable few days at Mt Wilson in the Blue Mountains. It was also good to catch up with my friend Sarah and her boyfriend Damian. As well during our stay a few others came up to join us to help celebrate the new year and for some canyoning.
On the first day – I visited Whungee Wheengee Canyon together with Sarah and Damian. It was only a few weeks since a previous visit but the canyon was a different. The water level was a bit higher – making the duck-under sections more interesting. They all had air gaps – but not much of an air gap.
I didn’t take many photos this time. The lighting was fairly harsh and it was better on the previous trip – particularly higher up in the canyon. Lower down things improved.
This time we exited by continuing on swimming down the Wollangambe River (through the “Greg Section” of Wollangambe Canyon) and climbing out at one of the usual exits.
That afternoon, after we returned to the Cathedral Campsite at Mt Wilson, I wandered back down the fire trail a short way to photograph some nice small tongue orchids I had seen on the way in.
The next day, the others were keen on some climbing and so we went to the Bell Supercrag just above Jungaburra Creek. I didn’t have climbing gear (and even if I had, most of the climbs at the crag are way too hard for me), so I spent time on the Kamarah Ridge looking for and photographing orchids.
That evening, back at camp at Mt Wilson, we were joined by John, Chuin Nee and their young children, Jasper and Sebastian. Kieth had also come up with them. We had a nice evening, but I think we all retired before midnight.
On the first day of the new year, we planned to meet Stacey and Murray on the Bell Road and then visit the upper Section of Bowens Creek South Branch Canyon.
We started the canyon high up – entering via a scrubby ridge near the Mt Wilson – Bell Road junction. Once through the scrub, the canyon starts almost straight away and continues a long way down the creek (to a fair way below the junction with the north branch). We only visited the upper section down to not far past the Range Creek junction.
Most of this section is good canyon and easy going.
The deepest and darkest section is in the last bit, a short way upstream from the Range Creek junction. This is also the most technical section and now has a few more swims than before. There are no abseils but you do need to scramble down some short tricky drops. Some of these are now easier than they were on previous trips. Two places where you and to jump down onto sandy banks have now changed – now you would have to jump further into water and sand, but both of these jumps are now avoidable.
We exited via the Bowens Creek Climbing Area and then the fire trail back to the Bell Road at Range Hill.
More photos are online on my website – Whungee Wheengee Canyon, Nature Photos (mainly orchids) and South Bowens Creek – Upper Section Canyon.