Namadgi National Park: Rendezvous Creek, Middle Creek and Yankee Hat

General Information

Grading : hard

Distance:  14.7 kilometers 

Total climb:  359 meters

Time taken:  5 hours 23 minutes

Map:  Rendezvous Creek 8626-1S, 1:25 000 

Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:  63 kilometers 

Start point map grid reference:  55H FA 80599 44237

Destination map grid reference:  no particular destination

End point:  same as start

Route

Description

This walk began at the Rendezvous Creek car park off Boboyan Road. We initially thought we might head towards Middle Creek and see how far up the creek we could penetrate, but really we wanted the walk to be flexible.

We started out by following the walking trail over the bridge to the other side of Rendezvous Creek and up to the rest area. From here we took a pretty much straight line towards the mountain gap where we wanted to join Middle Creek. Some good views along the way of the Rendezvous Creek valley to the north and Yankee Hat to the south west.

After walking through grassland for a while we entered some forest, which was moderately difficult to get through, eventually making our way to the northern side of Middle Creek.

The banks of the creek were quite high, nearly vertical, and too wide to jump. We therefore continued upstream until we found a convenient fallen tree trunk across the creek. Having crossed over we continued walking upstream. It became increasingly difficult to get through the thick undergrowth, so we didn't get too far before deciding to stop for morning tea. At this point we took the courageous decision to leave Middle Creek and see how far we could ascend Yankee Hat North up its northern spur. This proved to be very difficult, with a very steep slope, rock outcrops and thick undergrowth to navigate. Just shy of the 1200 meter contour we found a rock outcrop where we could take in both lunch and the view, which included Mt Kelly, Mt Burbidge and Mt Namadgi.

Although the peak of Yankee Hat North appeared tantalisingly close, we decided against going any further up - it was too steep, too rocky, too overgrown, and we were too tired - and started to go down again by much the same route.

We stayed on the southern side of Middle Creek, intending to cross at the concrete ford on Middle Creek Track at map reference 55H FA 77939 42941. While we could cross the ford easily enough, we were unable to get across the swampy ground on the other side. We therefore had to continue along Middle Creek until we found a spot we could jump across. On the northern side of Middle Creek we made our way to the Rendezvous Creek Trail, which we followed for a while before going back to the start point via the walking track we had followed before.

Namadgi National Park: Gorilla Rock

General Information

Grading : medium

Distance:  6.6 kilometers 

Total climb:  176 meters

Time taken:  2 hours 30 minutes

Map:  Corin Dam 8626-1N, 1:25 000 

Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:  53.3 kilometers 

Start point map grid reference:  55H FA 78933 60480

Destination map grid reference:  55H FA 78676 62527

End point:  same as start

Route

 

Description

This walk starts from the Honeysuckle Creek Camping Ground near the end of Apollo Road. We first followed the walking track towards Booroomba Rocks. At map reference 55H FA 79161 61901, where the track crosses a creek, we headed bush pretty much in a straight line towards Gorilla Rock (which can't be seen until you are close to it). The bush wasn't too bad to fight through, and we eventually found what we were looking for.

 

After a look around, we headed back the same way we had come.

 

Namadgi National Park: Honeysuckle Creek Tracking Station Site to Booroomba Rocks

General Information

Grading : medium

Distance:  12.9 kilometers 

Total climb:  405 meters

Time taken:  4 hours

Map:  Corin Dam 8626-1N, 1:25 000 

Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:  53 kilometers 

Start point map grid reference:  55H FA 79143 60486

Destination map grid reference:  55H FA 81967 62279

End point:  same as start

Route

 

Description

This walk began at the Honeysuckle Creek Tracking Station site car park at the end of Apollo Road. We walked down to the campsite and turned off onto the walking track towards Booroomba Rocks at map reference 55H FA 78928 60481. This is a very picturesque and easy-to-follow track that took us to the Booroomba Rocks car park. We then followed the track up to Booroomba Rocks and took in the magnificent views:

We returned to our starting point by the same route.

This is a great way of extending the otherwise short walk to Booroomba Rocks from the Booroomba Rocks car park. Sadly and inexplicably I failed to take any pictures of the track from Honeysuckle to Booroomba. My bad.

Namadgi National Park: Mt Tennent

General Information

 

Grading: Hard

Distance:  13.9 kilometers

Total climb:  805 meters

Time taken:  4 hours

Map:  Williamsdale 8726-4N, 1:25 000

Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:  36 kilometers

Start point map grid reference:  55H FA 87286 66083

Destination map grid reference:  55H FA 85340 64040

End point:  same as start

 

Previous Similar Walks

2 April 2016, 7 August 2016

Route

 

Description

It having been some time since I'd climbed Mt Tennent from the Namadgi Visitor Centre, and since the new section of walking trail had recently opened, I decided to try it again. The first section of track, up to the top of the ridge, was unchanged and included the view from Cypress Pine Lookout:

At the top of the ridge I followed the new walking track to the summit. I returned via the old route down the management trail and along the ridge, and then straight back down the mountain again.

Namadgi National Park: "Legoland"

General Information

Grading : medium

Distance:  11.1 kilometers 

Total climb:  424 meters

Time taken:  3 hours 

Map:  Corin Dam 8626-1N, 1:25 000 

Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:  53.3 kilometers 

Start point map grid reference:  55H FA 79072 60456

Destination map grid reference:  55H FA 76329 58623

End point:  same as start

Route

 

Description

"Legoland" is the unofficial name given to the series of block-like rocky outcrops on the ridge east of Orroral Valley.

 

The walk began at the Honeysuckle Creek Observatory site at the end of Apollo Road. From there we made our way to the Orroral Ridge Road, taking us through bushland recovering from the bushfire 18 months ago.

 

 

The Orroral Ridge Road itself is in excellent condition and this made for easy walking although it was moderately steep in some places. It was nice to walk along Honeysuckle Creek for some of the trail.

Continuing past the turnoff to the Orroral Valley link track on the left we eventually reached the carpark on the top of the ridge at 55H FA 76822 58304. I continued along a walking track along the ridge to the peak at 55H FA 76329 58623, but getting a view was difficult because it meant climbing over or walking around huge boulders. I'm not a huge fan of rock climbing. Nevertheless I managed to find a view down into the Valley and across to Cotter Rocks.

Returning to the ridge-top carpark I followed another short trail to the nearby rock outcrop where we found a rocky vantage point giving a spectacular view down the valley. We were able to clearly discern the old tracking station, the homestead and the geodesic dome.

After having a spot of lunch and admiring the view we headed back to our starting point by the same route.

Namadgi National Park: Yerrabi Track

General Information

Grading : easy

Distance:  3.6 kilometers 

Total climb:  236 meters

Time taken:  1 hour 40 minutes 

Map:  Yaouk 8626-2N, 1:25 000 

Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:  72 kilometers 

Start point map grid reference:  55H FA 80607 35764 

Destination map grid reference:  Boboyan Trig Tor Lookout 55H FA 79574 36676 

End point:  same as start

Route

 

Description

This track starts at the Yerrabi Track carpark on Boboyan Road about 4.5 kilometres of the Hospital Hill Lookout. The track is quite clear and easy to walk, at first through forest which is regenerating after last year's bushfire, and down to Little Dry Creek.

After crossing the creek the Track climbs steadily towards Boboyan Trig, with some views opening up to the east and the south (Boboyan Valley):

Continuing past the trig the track goes down to a rock outcrop on the western side of Boboyan Hill. Steps have been placed in the rocks to take walkers down to the Tor Lookout where there are great views of Brindabella peaks including Mt Namadgi, Yankee Hat, Mt Kelly, Mt Gudgenby and Sentry Box Mountain.

After a break for lunch we climbed back up to the trig and returned along the track back to the carpark.

Blythburn Cottage

General Information

Grading:  hard

Distance: 17.8 kilometers
Total climb: 727 meters
Time taken: 6 hours
Map: Corin Dam 8626-1N 1:25 000
Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:  50 kilometers
Start point map grid reference:  55H FA 74893 68589
Destination:  55H FA 80286 69556
End Point:  Same as start

NOTE: Blythburn Cottage and most of this walk are on privately leased land. We undertook the walk with the leaseholder's permission, for which we express our gratitude.

Route 

Description

We started this walk at the point where the Smokers Trail meets the Corin Road. We first proceeded up management trails through native bushland and residual pine plantations to a point at map reference
55H FA 75654 68474. From here we had to find a walking track which headed east paralleling the south side of Punch Bowl Creek. This proved to be more difficult than we hoped since the rock cairn that was supposed to be there has disappeared. Eventually we found it on the eastern side of the management trail slightly up from the point where it turns sharply to the left. It's a bit tricky to pick out initially, but obvious once you see it.

We followed the trail and after a short time started to hear roaring waters ahead: the waterfalls on Punch Bowl Creek.

The trail continues through some very beautiful bushland...

...until it clears to give some more open views to the east.

Eventually the trail comes to a gate at the border of Namadgi National Park, at which point there are some old vehicular tracks leading through the private lease land. We followed these through White Horse Flat and into an open valley. With thistles.

After some looking around we located Blythburn Cottage and paused there for lunch. Blythburn was the home of "pastoralist and poet" Elizabeth McKeahnie, from 1882 until her death in 1919. It's well worth following the link to find out more about this fascinating woman.

We headed back pretty much the same way we had come. A slight glitch at the end where management trails marked on the map leading back down to Corin Road seem to have disappeared over time, and this added a bit of distance to the overall tally.

Namadgi National Park: Boboyan Valley

General Information

Grading:  medium

Distance:  17.65 kilometers 

Total climb:  219 meters 

Time taken:  4 hours 5 minutes 

Map:  Yaouk 8626-2N, 1:25 000 

Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:  81 kilometers 

Start point map grid reference:  55H FA 79942 30000 

Destination map grid reference:  Boboyan Homestead ruin 55H FA 78620 31278

                                                     Lutons Crutching Shed 55H FA 75795 33510 

                                                     Lone Pine Homestead ruin 55H FA 74859 32454  

End point:  same as start

Route

 

http://maps.six.nsw.gov.au/

Description

The starting point for this walk was the locked gate on Old Boboyan Road, about one kilometer from Boboyan Road.

Passing through the gate we followed Old Boboyan Road through Boboyan Valley with Naas Creek on our right and views of snow-capped mountains.

At about the 2 kilometer point we reached the Boboyan Homestead ruin just off the road on the left. There is not much left of the early-1900's homestead apart from foundation stones and the chimney, but it is in a beautiful elevated position above Naas Creek.

We continued along Old Boboyan Road until near the point where it crosses over Naas Creek.

We headed up Sams Creek Firetrail through to the 1960's-era Lutons Crutching Shed, where we paused for a break.

From here we decided to look for the Lone Pine Homestead ruin, taking a shortcut through the bush to Grassy Creek Firetrail. Although we were looking in the right place we didn't manage to find the ruin. We suspect that it may have been obscured among the fallen trees and  bushfire damage, but maybe we just didn't look well enough.

We started our return journey back the way we came along the Grassy Creek Firetrail with Sheep Station Creek on our left. The Creek was particularly spectacular.

After passing through the forested are on our right we cut across country back to Old Boboyan Road which we followed back to our starting point.

Most of the area we walked through was not affected by the 2020 bushfires, although the area north of Sheep Station Creek was burnt. To get through to this part of Namadgi National Park, however, we had to drive through almost constant severe bushfire damage south of Apollo Road.

Namadgi National Park: Ginini Creek Waterfalls North of Ginini Flats

General Information

Grading:  medium

Distance:   3.3 kilometers

Total climb:   128 meters

Time taken:   1 hour 45 minutes

Maps:   Corin Dam 8626-1N 1:25 000

Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:   75 kilometers

Start point map grid reference:  Corin Dam 55H FA 61314 67102

Destination map grid reference:   Corin Dam 55H FA 61503 69130

End point:  Same as start

Route

http://maps.six.nsw.gov.au/

Description

This walk began at the locked gate on Mt Franklin Road at the base of Mt Ginini. We headed through the bush immediately to the north of the carpark, passing through gum trees and moderately dense waist-high scrub until we could see Ginini Flats below us.

Continuing on we came to the edge of the Ginini Flats swamp, which was a bit of a mistake as the scrub became considerably denser near the swamp, and the swamp itself naturally posed its own walking problems. Still, it was very nice to look at close up.

We headed back into the bush, climbing up to where the scrub was less dense. Eventually we saw the steep gully that Ginini Creek passes through, giving a nice view through the gap back towards Mt Franklin and Canberra in the far distance.

Descending steadily (and in places steeply) we made our way down to the top of the series of waterfalls on Ginini Creek.

While it would have been relatively easy to keep going down to where the more substantial falls are (these are visible from the Mt Franklin Summit), we noticed at this stage that some dark clouds were heading our way and there was a sound of distant thunder. Reluctantly we decided to head back in the interests of comfort and safety. We headed back along the ridge to the west of Ginini Flats, which was pretty easy bush to get through and is probably the best route down to the falls and back. We made it back to the car with minutes to spare before heavy rain set in.