Western Creek Track and Whiteleys Hut.

The missus was keen to go for a walk today. It doesn't normally happen, so I wasn't going to turn it down and picked a walk I haven't done that I thought would be suitable for her (ie. not too steep). We set out along the Western Creek track, just to see what's up that way and if it'd be a good alternative approach to get to nameless hut.
Before I start jabbering about the walk, there's a few pics here.
The track is pretty good, it's reasonably long but because it heads up through a gully in the tiers it's not very steep. It took us about 5hrs return to Whiteleys Hut, but it should be doable in less than that. The track passes a really nice waterfall, which I think needs a name. Then it heads up onto the plateau (although it doesn't look like it at times) and pops out at "Norm Whiteleys Shack", a rustic tin hut with views across to Mt. Ironstone (that trigpoint was calling me, but we just didn't have time dammit). We met some walkers near the hut who told me that Whiteleys hut was the best on the tiers in terms of shelter from nasty cold weather. I imagine that'd be true too, because it's not very big and the celing is low, so it's woodheater (and there's plent of wood available) would heat it really well. Incidentally, these guys had come up via Syds track, and told me that the track looked like it'd been cleared sometime recently (how much I don't know) and was the easiest way up onto that section of the tiers. Nice chaps too. Probably should've told them about the forums (left the address in the visitors book at the hut though).
All in all a worthwhile trip. One thing though. We nearly missed the river crossing where Western Creek track crosses the creek itself. If the track seems to have stopped and you've made it as far as an old fence (WT *$&#?) and a scree field you've gone too far, go back and cross the river, there's an orange marker on a tree on your side and the track continues at a cairn on the other side of the river.
L8r.
Before I start jabbering about the walk, there's a few pics here.
The track is pretty good, it's reasonably long but because it heads up through a gully in the tiers it's not very steep. It took us about 5hrs return to Whiteleys Hut, but it should be doable in less than that. The track passes a really nice waterfall, which I think needs a name. Then it heads up onto the plateau (although it doesn't look like it at times) and pops out at "Norm Whiteleys Shack", a rustic tin hut with views across to Mt. Ironstone (that trigpoint was calling me, but we just didn't have time dammit). We met some walkers near the hut who told me that Whiteleys hut was the best on the tiers in terms of shelter from nasty cold weather. I imagine that'd be true too, because it's not very big and the celing is low, so it's woodheater (and there's plent of wood available) would heat it really well. Incidentally, these guys had come up via Syds track, and told me that the track looked like it'd been cleared sometime recently (how much I don't know) and was the easiest way up onto that section of the tiers. Nice chaps too. Probably should've told them about the forums (left the address in the visitors book at the hut though).
All in all a worthwhile trip. One thing though. We nearly missed the river crossing where Western Creek track crosses the creek itself. If the track seems to have stopped and you've made it as far as an old fence (WT *$&#?) and a scree field you've gone too far, go back and cross the river, there's an orange marker on a tree on your side and the track continues at a cairn on the other side of the river.
L8r.