Urgent The Never Never

[corvus]

G'day All,
Be aware that the "big log bridge" across the Mersey is no longer intact so you will need to cross at the "broken log crossing " upstream from there which in my opinion will be very hard to do if the Mersey rises only a little and as I have only heard about the "chock stone crossing" below Fergusson Falls and have no Idea as to how safe it is or the conditions down the North bank of the River I suspect this is a Summer ( with no big rain ) journey now.
Unless you wade /swim the Mersey
corvus

[gorby]

hello corvus, the only time I crossed the mersey in the never never, was above Mccoys falls by a log that only just reached the southern bank,

which crossing would that have been ?

[corvus]

G'day Gorby,
Can you remember if the other side was a big clearing (almost a Paddock ) if so that is it, middle log is embedded in the silt so I guess that is why it is still there since I crossed it ( it was under water) for the first time around 15 years ago (used the big log the next couple of times) the start of this walk after the crossing us very scrubby and recent tree falls dont help navigation however a magic walk nevertheless and look out for the deep black mud near the end
corvus

Last edited by corvus on Fri 28 Jan, 2011 3:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[sthughes]

the only time I crossed the mersey in the never never, was above Mccoys falls by a log that only just reached the southern bank,

which crossing would that have been

Probably was the one that is now gone.

The alternative is actually easier, just that it would go under water quite easily after some decent rain.

The first picture shows the now defunct crossing.

Attachments

The former crossing.

The alternative crossing about 200m upstream.

[Erica]

Haven't done the walk myself, but I know where the "chockstone" crossing below Ferguson Falls is... I think, there are two options there.

a) The giant chockstone, which i think it might have been, that was near the pool at the bottom of Ferguson Falls, is no longer there either, it was washed away with a heap of rock a few winters ago.
or
b) There's a rock bridge downstream of Ferguson, before you get to D'Alton Falls, have been across it a few times when mucking around in that area.

When I was last at Hartnett Falls (21st of Jan) it would've been reasonably easy to cross at both the bottom and top of the falls there, just a bit damp.

[Nuts]

Thats likely where he means. A beautiful, sensitive and fragile area, it Was recovering nicely, the eroded mossy banks there and all the braiding up that side of the river

Last edited by Nuts on Fri 28 Jan, 2011 5:49 pm, edited 3 times in total.

[Nuts]

I think its about time something was done about a proper crossing further up on the existing (most beaten) 'track'..

[corvus]

I think its about time something was done about a proper crossing further up on the existing (most beaten) 'track'..

I agree and the place where we crossed would be suitable as the big clearing could accommodate chopper landing for bridge building material.
c

[north-north-west]

I can recall being on the OT some years ago (pre-digital, probably 2001), and visiting one or other set of falls, when a couple of blokes wandered out of the scrub on the other side and crossed the river right there, above the falls. Only knee deep.
I really need to dig out some of the old slides and check which falls were involved . . .

[tas-man]

On my last walk through the Never-Never from the east, we kept to the northern slopes in the myrtle forest to keep off the flooded lowlands beside the Mersey, and crossed the river about knee deep, just back from the top of Hartnett Falls, to meet the side track off the OT.

Walking through the Myrtle forest on the northern slopes of the Mersey in the Never Never.

Looking upstream on the Mersey River from where we crossed knee deep, about 25-30 metres above Hartnett Falls.

[north-north-west]

Yep, that looks like the spot where those two blokes crossed. Fair amount of water going over the falls, but the river was surprisingly shallow just there, and although it looked to be flowing fairly fast they didn't have any trouble getting over.