by marron » Tue 23 Apr, 2024 11:06 am
Late to the party, but that area has only just recently been opened up again after being closed since the fires and I've spent a bit of time down there recently after a long absence!
I've always been a little bit confused by where "Syncarpia" is, and have got different answers. I'd say that things are muddled a bit in general because heading up Govetts Ck from the junction with Greaves, and actually up Greaves a way too, there's just some lovely turpentine (syncarpia) forest all around. So I've heard people just refer to the whole area as "Syncarpia" which doesn't really narrow things down.
In any case, there's the little site just near where the Rodriguez track meets Govetts Ck. (Rodriguez is still closed, by the way, and basically won't open again - too sketchy particularly near the top now). People say "no, that's not Syncarpia!"
Okay, so if you head up Govetts Ck on the right bank (opposite from that little camp site - your left as you head up stream) there is a nice bit of flat with some obvious signs of long usage - logs and firepits etc. This could be it.
Keep heading upstream and before too long you get to the junction of Greaves and pretty much have to cross back over around there anyway as it becomes very steep on that side. Once you've crossed Greaves as well and start heading up the left bank (right as you go upstream) of Govetts above the junction, there is a rise with a bit of flat; there have clearly been some landslides around here, and then large sandy flood deposits which have encouraged big grass. This could have been it, I don't know, but there's not many signs left if so. (Edit: just checked and this is where Andy Macqueen locates it on a map in "back from the brink". If anyone knows, it's him... but i'd say the flooding through here has made it a bit more difficult than it used to be for camping).
After this section you will pick up the old track to the falls, and enter some lovely turpentine forest near Blackwall Glen with not much understorey at all. Ground is undulating, and slopes up fairly quickly away from the creek, but there are certainly plenty of small open spots to pitch a tent spread out among the trees. This could be it too.
So... I don't know, and I think people have camped in all of those according to their preferences and said they were at Syncarpia (unless they were doing it in the 30s when according to Macqueen it was more popular).