Kowmung River - Yerranderie.

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Kowmung River - Yerranderie.

Postby kanangra » Sat 08 Jan, 2011 2:05 pm

As planned I managed to get away for a few days between Christmas and New Year. We went in via the Uni Rover trail and camped the first night just after the Woolgemai Ck crossing. The trail has been recently remarked with small discs which go as far as Birdcall Lkt. Some of the side ridges are named which aids route finding but is at odds with the wilderness values of the area. I dropped off the nose of Lannigans Spur and reached the river near Billy's Point. It was running well after the recent rain and would have been excellent for pack rafting. Travel on the true left was tough so we forded which was difficult in the fast flowing water. Camped by the Church Ck junction on a large elevated grassy flat. Ventured up the creek but could not locate the cave entrance. But then it had been over 20 years since my last visit. My companions were quick to point out that was before either of them were born!

Next day we walked steeply up to Mt Armour where we picked up the Limestone Rd. which we followed through Squatting Rock Gap. Then down the River Track into Yerranderie. The place looked a picture after recent rain. Took a refreshing dip in the Tonalli River before the slog up to Byrnes Gap where we stopped for lunch in the rambling hut there. I don't remember that being there when I went through in 1979? When was it built? We left Scotts Main Range at Bulga Ridge and went west. I soon lost the track which necessitated some backtracking through scrub. At length we were on the Cone and commenced the steep descent to the river. Great views across to the Spire on the far side. Again I lost the track and we hit the river a few hundred meters downstream. From there we walked back to camp saying hello to a party setting up camp at Christy's junction on the way.

Next day we walked back down to Christy's and inspected the mining adit in the cliff above Pippens Gully. There was a camp set up on the downstream side that looked to have been abandoned? Left his tarp and a bit of other gear behind? Lunched at the Arabanoo Ck junction where there was a deep swimming hole. Spent the afternoon wading up the river to Central Christy's where we camped. Plenty of trout about. The swim in Taralga Rift was negotiated OK. Because river levels were up there was actually two swims on this section.

On the last day we walked steeply up Bradbury Spur to the main ridge which led onto Barrallier's Crown. Has anyone climbed this? Next we sidled around the base of the cliffs of Mt Barrallier past the excellent camp cave. Nearly stepped on a tiger snake on the way up to Sunshine Hill. Dropped low into timber to avoid dense scrub on the ridge here before bearing north then nor west to reach the Uni Rover trail about 100m from the car. It had taken us 5 hours to walk up and out.

It was an excellent trip which my two young companions found quite tiring. The Kowmung was carrying quite a bit of silt and does not seem to run as clear as I recall.

k.
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Re: Kowmung River - Yerranderie.

Postby prospero1969 » Mon 10 Jan, 2011 10:39 am

excellent report K. have done sections of your journey but not the circuit. I for one am glad of some markers on the unirover as I hate backtracking. Last time I was exploring there the track seemed to vanish at lost rock. Sounds like it was crowded in there (relativley). looking forward to getting back to my favorite NP.
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Re: Kowmung River - Yerranderie.

Postby kanangra » Mon 10 Jan, 2011 11:47 am

Thanks Prospero. I know what you mean. I lost the track at Lost Rock but then it was getting on dark at the time.

I also saw wild pigs down there. I see these on just about every trip into the Southern Blue Mts. these days. they do a lot of damage and something should be done about them. Wouldn't be hard to hunt them out.

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Re: Kowmung River - Yerranderie.

Postby HitchHiking » Mon 10 Jan, 2011 3:50 pm

That would have been a great trip Kanangra. Thanks for the write up. Drop me a line if you're ever after a companion for a walk up there eh.

We also saw the abandoned camp with the blue tarp and some kit strewn around when we were up that way two months ago. We didnt stick around there too long as it had a awful "redneck" type vibe to it and spooked us something bad. We pushed on a few Km further.
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Re: Kowmung River - Yerranderie.

Postby kanangra » Tue 11 Jan, 2011 9:31 am

Hitchhiking I will keep that in mind; finding someone to go with is often difficult and is the main reason I often end up going solo. Interested to hear that the tarp has been there that long. Quite a bit of gear left behind there? Perhaps they didn't want to carry it out?

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Re: Kowmung River - Yerranderie.

Postby Prospero » Tue 11 Jan, 2011 2:12 pm

I also see pigs frequently up there. It might be wishful thinking but from my ramblings over the years there seems to be less evidence of them on the plateau (whalania and surrounds at least) compared to 5-10 yrs ago. Thanks to NPWS baiting I suspect. might hard to get rid them in more inaccessible areas. horrible things they are too. The blood-curdling scream of a wild pig in the middle of the night on a solo camp can be rather unsettling. The gouges they leave in the earth look like a small bulldozer has been at work.
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Re: Kowmung River - Yerranderie.

Postby kanangra » Tue 11 Jan, 2011 2:56 pm

I couldn't agree more about the pigs. Only thing worse at night is the blood curdling screech of a barking owl! I could have sworn a woman was having her throat cut right outside my tent!

I was speaking to the caretaker at Yerranderie and he said that Parks had trapped 100 or so up on the range. They must have been crossing over from one catchment to another in search of food.

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Re: Kowmung River - Yerranderie.

Postby north-north-west » Tue 11 Jan, 2011 6:56 pm

kanangra wrote:I couldn't agree more about the pigs. Only thing worse at night is the blood curdling screech of a barking owl! I could have sworn a woman was having her throat cut right outside my tent!


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Re: Kowmung River - Yerranderie.

Postby journeyman » Mon 12 Sep, 2011 7:34 pm

About eight years ago I was crossing the Cox onto the Main range (at least I think thats where I was) and was about half-way up when a chopper flew in underneath me with a bloke hanging half out with a rifle and I remember thinking at the time that it must have been parks cleaning up the place.
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Re: Kowmung River - Yerranderie.

Postby melinda » Fri 16 Sep, 2011 7:55 am

Think the hut belongs to Catholic Bushwalkers.
Don't know how long it has been there.
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Re: Kowmung River - Yerranderie.

Postby kanangra » Mon 19 Sep, 2011 9:12 am

Melinda,

You wouldn't be thinking of New Yards a little further down the range would you?

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Re: Kowmung River - Yerranderie.

Postby melinda » Mon 19 Sep, 2011 6:46 pm

Hi Kanangra,
Could be wrong.
I thought the CBW hut was the one near the Axeheads turnoff!
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Re: Kowmung River - Yerranderie.

Postby juxtaposer » Mon 19 Sep, 2011 7:20 pm

There's been a hut in Byrnes Gap for a long time. I'm not sure how long the present one has been there, but last I heard the place was owned by a Mr. Pippen - old Burragorang family.
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Re: Kowmung River - Yerranderie.

Postby melinda » Mon 19 Sep, 2011 8:40 pm

Hi Kanangra and juxtaposer,
Could be wrong.
I thought the CBW hut was the one near the Axeheads turnoff!

That's what I get for listening to people who know less than I do!
When both you and Juxtaposer say something, next time I'll listen!
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