Green Gully Track. NSW

[pulseevents]

Am looking at doing the Green Gully track with the Father in law, an avid hiker for many years but now 70 and slowing down a little on the tough stuff.
Anyone give me a pretty accurate description of the incline and decline difficulty?
On the brochures and NPWS info it says it is hard but is this just to cover their butt.
Any info or pics would be appreciated, cheers

[Sasha]

day one is all on fire trail, but there are a lot of quite steep ups and downs, and not many views.

Day two is off track...up a long incline, not that hard, with the best views of the walk at lunchtime, then down a v steep hill, then a not too hard bash along a creek to the hut.

Day three..a lot of wading, then a lot of scrub bashing near the end, unless quite a bit of track clearance has been done since Easter 2012.

Day four..a steep climb up a fire trail to rejoin the fire trail you walked on on day one.

It would be horrible in the heat of summer, or icy cold winter, but good spring or autumn.

A fit 70 year old should be able to do it, with the bonus that you don't have to set up tents at night, though you do have to split the wood at huts (ax provided). I'm not certain what a small group of only 2 would pay...think the cost structure is based on a group of 6.

I think NP is correct in describing it as 'hard', with the proviso that it would be manageable easily enough for the fit and experienced.

[pulseevents]

Thank you. we would have a group of six so there would be some assistance if required. Main problem is his knees, many years of hiking has taken its toll.
Might have to go and do a recon trip to check it out first.

[Sasha]

He definitely should take trekking poles, as, as I said, close to 50% of the walk involves going up or down, generally on quite a steep gradient.

[JohnDaly TakeAWalk]

I agree with Sashas comments. We have just completed the track for inclusion in our new Northern NSW book. Also agree about the trekking poles. The off-track descent on day 2 was slippery but it does follow an obvious route - despite NPWS's efforts to get peope to fan out. The water levels in Green Gully Creek are very manageable with no crossings being above thigh height. You no longer need to scrub-bash at the end of the day. Don't forget the matches to light the gas stoves. Colwells hut would be really cosy for 6 people, especially if you wanted to sleep on the stretchers. There were only two of us ($160) but we took 4 stretchers outside to make more room. It'sa an excellent walk! John

[Petew]

I'm booked in for this walk in early July, looking forward to not carrying a tent, sleeping mat and stove.
Anyone been on it recently? Wondering if there's any lighting in the huts or is it byo?

Cheers,

Pete

[Ms_Mudd]

I walked it January 2019. Not very recent, but anyway, I can tell you that there is no lighting in the huts, so byo headlamp.
Brrrr, might wanna wet suit up for the day of walking in the river. Some sections you can get around on the banks, but plenty of wading to be done. The area was pretty drought affected conditions when I walked it, there was rain on the very first day, but other than that, very little rainfall in the preceding months. Most sections to wade or cross were knee/thigh height at most, but there is one section in Green Gully Gorge where there is no way around that came up to my chest, it was still water though, so all good.

[Petew]

Thanks Ms_Mudd,

I'll take a wee lantern as well as a headtorch. I suspect it will be *&%$#! freezing in the creek, but looking forward to it.

[Ms_Mudd]

I am sure you will have a blast, Petew. How exciting!
I enjoyed the walk, the first and last day would not be considered 'inspiring' walking I suppose, but I enjoy stretching my legs, so had a thoroughly grand time of those days anyway. The middle two days were really fun.

It is rather odd to have so much spare room in your pack with none of those things you mention (sleep pad,tent, stove etc) my only regret about the walk is that I didn't fill that void in my pack with some indulgent food. I decided to go very minimalist and ate an uninspiring menu
Oh that reminds me, take a bic lighter or matches as at two of the huts I found the gas lighter to be empty.

[Petew]

I don't mind a bit of fire trail bashing, it's just good to be on the move.

Good point regarding luxury food. Without a tent, stove and sleeping pad. That's a couple of kilos of scotch, port and stinky cheese I can take instead.

[Ms_Mudd]

YES! To everything you said. I have no objections to fire trail walking either and port and cheese, oh my!

[Zebrofski]

I am looking into doing this walk in the next month or so. Will each of the cabins be my own or do they allocate a date as sold out if a certain quota of people is met?

[Petew]

You book the whole walk so you'll have each cabin to yourself. Note that they don't allow bookings for solo walkers as per the parks website, minimum 2 people, maximum 6 people.

[madshus]

We just finished the Green Gully Track. It was a very enjoyable, sociable and nav-easy trip (compared to what I'm used to in Canberra). NPWS set things up beautifully in each hut and the fire pits with folding chairs/side tables were a big hit. The hot shower in Green Gully hut was even a bigger hit. Like another poster said it was good to get moving with the weight of an overnight pack on. We also enjoyed the prolific wildflowers (eg saw a rare orchid) and the brush-tailed wallabies - they were very very cute. But the track goes through reclaimed pastoral land so as such there are maintenance fire trails in and out of the more interesting sections, and lots of weeds in the Green Gully creek. Much of the forest on the western sides of the ridges had been torched in the summer fires so a lot of black bark with regrowth. In a way, seeing the regrowth and the wildflowers was quite rejuvenating and positive given these Covid times. We did do some offtrack to Brumby's Lagoon and an interesting bluff below Birds Nest Hut. But we paid for that with all the seeds we had to pick off afterwards.

[rcaffin]

My wife and I did it some years ago and enjoyed it.

Green Gully is interesting from several points of view. Yes, it was once a cattle farm - a slightly feral one you might say. The huts were built by the cattlemen, but have been cleaned up by Parks. When it was opened to walkers there was some uninformed protest that the NPWS was sacrificing a National Park for profit. The reality was otherwise: they are trying to resurrect the place as a wilderness, and to compete a bit with the OT in Tassie. I think they are succeeding. More power to the Ranger in charge.

Cheers

[Ms_Mudd]

My wife and I did it some years ago and enjoyed it.

Green Gully is interesting from several points of view. Yes, it was once a cattle farm - a slightly feral one you might say. The huts were built by the cattlemen, but have been cleaned up by Parks. When it was opened to walkers there was some uninformed protest that the NPWS was sacrificing a National Park for profit. The reality was otherwise: they are trying to resurrect the place as a wilderness, and to compete a bit with the OT in Tassie. I think they are succeeding. More power to the Ranger in charge.

Cheers

agree totally with this . It is fantastic that the ranger got it up and off the ground. I really enjoyed myself and the set up was top notch, best of all, no-one else in sight.

[Petew]

Got back today. I really enjoyed the walk, it's a nice part of the world. Well set up and interesting.

Parks have done a fantastic job with this walk.

Funnily enough we found the green gully section the least interesting, very weedy but still nice. Lookouts are stunning.

[Petew]

We just finished the Green Gully Track. It was a very enjoyable, sociable and nav-easy trip (compared to what I'm used to in Canberra). NPWS set things up beautifully in each hut and the fire pits with folding chairs/side tables were a big hit. The hot shower in Green Gully hut was even a bigger hit. Like another poster said it was good to get moving with the weight of an overnight pack on. We also enjoyed the prolific wildflowers (eg saw a rare orchid) and the brush-tailed wallabies - they were very very cute. But the track goes through reclaimed pastoral land so as such there are maintenance fire trails in and out of the more interesting sections, and lots of weeds in the Green Gully creek. Much of the forest on the western sides of the ridges had been torched in the summer fires so a lot of black bark with regrowth. In a way, seeing the regrowth and the wildflowers was quite rejuvenating and positive given these Covid times. We did do some offtrack to Brumby's Lagoon and an interesting bluff below Birds Nest Hut. But we paid for that with all the seeds we had to pick off afterwards.

I think we started the night you finished. Were you missing a black pair of fleece pants?

[madshus]

Hi Petew - No I don't think our party was missing any fleece pants.

[Ms_Mudd]

Got back today. I really enjoyed the walk, it's a nice part of the world. Well set up and interesting.

Parks have done a fantastic job with this walk.

Funnily enough we found the green gully section the least interesting, very weedy but still nice. Lookouts are stunning.

Ooo I am a bit slow to see this! Glad you had a fantastic time Petew, and Madshus. Glad noone lost a pair of fleecy pants. Did you see any brumbys?

I did find a bra, knickers and jocks in Green Gully hut, I was trying to figure out which walking party they belonged to by reading the log book entries, all the while imagining a duo walking pants-less in the national park

[Petew]

No Brumbies, just a couple of rock wallabys. Found a scarf too. Also managed a full face plant in the river:(

[north-north-west]

Starting to sound like they should rename it the "Lost Clothing Track".

[Ms_Mudd]

It may just be a better name for it,North-North-West!
I wonder if the lost clothes are like an art installation? He is the wide view shot and the close up of the 'art' in the Green Gully Hut.

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[GregR]

Starting to sound like they should rename it the "Lost Clothing Track".

Considering the type of clothing left behind perhaps it should be renamed the Rumpy pumpy track.

Crikey if my missus found bra, knickers and a pair of jocks in my car I'm damn sure she wouldn't say " oh my.. looks like some poor people have misplaced or lost their clothes..OOh my!" No, she'd whip out the rusty knife (again!) and hunt me down and dis-member me!!!

[Petew]

There was a rather funny note in the log book in the final hut about a three way get together....

Rumpy Pumpy track indeed!

[yeverett]

Walked Green Gully Track this month and definitely recommend it - atmospheric huts, nice views, easy off track and river wading. Sleeping outside at tiny Colwells Hut and admiring the very bright Milky Way while listening to owls was a highlight.

Note in log book in big childish handwriting: “Bella age 8. My parents love hiking”. Ah Bella, we hear you!

https://coffstrails.com/trail/green-gully-track/

[Ms_Mudd]

3 way?! Crikey. Would want to hope it was at the final night so everyone had a shower first at the house. Marinating in sweat and the same undies for a few says before would not be nice. Ew. Sounds like other people's walks are far more raunchy and wild than my own, or they like making up wild log book entries.

I am up in Armidale for a few days and just did a wee jaunt over to Oxley Wild Rivers NP, short day walk, reptiles definitely out, but lovely.