Ettrema Gorge Pack Walk 2015

Monday 5 - Wednesday 7 January 2015
Led by Ian

Words by Ian
Photos by Ian, Lin and Wendy

 

Within Morton National Park, west of Nowra, is the large Ettrema Wilderness. Central to the area is the Ettrema Creek, a 20 kilometre long, 400 metre deep, gash in the surrounding plateau. It is harsh rugged country with no formed or marked tracks. Everything seems to want to either scratch or stab you.

The gash of the gorge, formed by Ettrema Creek, is impressive - deep and V shaped through a bedrock of metamorphosed upturned and folded sediments, and edged with almost continuous sandstone/conglomerate impassable clifflines 50-100 metres high. The scree slopes below the cliffs are very steep and unstable, the passes through the cliffline are occasional and the only real thoroughfare is the Ettrema Creek itself, a tumbling rocky path northward to where it joins the Shoalhaven River.

Bush navigation is essential here, not only to traverse the almost featureless scrubby plateau and to find the passes into and out of the main gorge, but to avoid the deep tributaries such as Myall, Jones, Tullyangela Creeks and Deception Canyon, themselves a challenge to enter/exit. Once into the main gorge there are few flat creek banks so campsites are not common. The only practical way to explore or traverse the area is to rock hop, wade, and occasionally swim, the creek bed (depending on water levels). But here is the good part - the creek is ruggedly picturesque with rocky cataracts and occasional deep, crystal clear watered pools. The water is so clear it is sometimes difficult to judge water depth.

Ettrema lends itself well to multiday bushwalks where fitness, preparation, and navigation skills across difficult terrain are essential requirements.

Seven members of the Batemans Bay Bushwalkers visited Ettrema Gorge on 5-7 January 2015 for two purposes - firstly, as an exploratory to further walks and secondly, as a tribute to some members of the party who had visited Ettrema years ago and wished to revisit it in their elder years.  

A merry crew ready to depart Click on thumbnail to enlarge photo	Jones Creek Camp Click on thumbnail to enlarge photo	Ian tries to revive his drowned video camera Click on thumbnail to enlarge photo

 

Sharon, Betty and Wendy enjoy Ettrema Creek Click on thumbnail to enlarge photo	More wading! Click on thumbnail to enlarge photo	Bwana, Madam and porters Click on thumbnail to enlarge photo

 

The collective age of the party was 476 years, an average age of 68! Consequently, a short and (relatively!) easy path was chosen for our three day sample of the gorge by walking from Bulee Hill on the Tolwong Road (south of Queira Clearing) east to Jingles Pass, then down Ettrema Creek to its junction with Jones Creek. Here there is a very pleasant, small campsite with the impressive rock face of Thompsons Cliff towering above on the opposite bank.

Our return trip was by the same path, totalling 12 kilometres. Because of heavy thunderstorms in previous days, Ettrema Creek had good flow, making the frequently required crossings slow and sometimes difficult for some walkers. Occasional creekside patches of stinging nettles kept our legs alive and moving. In some places, where bedrock plummeted from above into deeper water it was necessary to get very wet and protect packs from water in deep wades, but air and water temperatures were very agreeable. Despite the constant uneasy footing, it was a pleasure to occasionally stop and absorb the surrounding scenery as it both enclosed and towered above us.  

Oh no not another swimming hole! We will never get there. Click on thumbnail to enlarge photo	Ian and Wendy under Myall Creek Falls Click on thumbnail to enlarge photo	Myall Creek Falls Click on thumbnail to enlarge photo

 

Bronwyn and Lin below Myall Creek Falls Click on thumbnail to enlarge photo	Lin and Ian humour the team Click on thumbnail to enlarge photo	Val and Betty happy to be climbing out of the gorge. 164 years between them! Click on thumbnail to enlarge photo

 

We didn't have time to explore nearby Jones Creek (we left it for another day) but we did explore the lower reaches of Myall Creek to the first waterfall and enjoyed its very commodious swimming hole - deep, dark and mysterious. We played "where has she gone?" behind the plummeting waterfall.

On the final day's exit the climb up the steep ridge (400 vertical metres in 500 horizontal metres) was slow with, by majority vote, frequent rests. However, once Jingles Pass was summitted one felt like, well - a jingle was in order. The competition was fierce but after prizes were awarded it was then a straight forward cross country navigation over the plateau, threading the needle across the clifflines of Myall Creek, and thence on to the cars.  

The steep climb up the ridge Click on thumbnail to enlarge photo	Under Jingles Pass Click on thumbnail to enlarge photo	Jingles Pass Click on thumbnail to enlarge photo

 

Back on the plateau at last Click on thumbnail to enlarge photo	Ettrema Creek Click on thumbnail to enlarge photo	Wendy the wader Click on thumbnail to enlarge photo

 

Ettrema reports from other walkers (Clubbers or not) suggest faster times than we achieved. But this is to be expected since most of them seem to be of much younger age. Whilst some of us found this walk tough at times, unanimously we enjoyed it, and safely, and that's what counts. The task was tough, the terrain was rugged, the weather was lovely and the higher than normal water levels in the creeks added pleasure. The company was great too. Some of us want to, and definitely will, go back.  

Jones Creek Camp Click on thumbnail to enlarge photo	Drying out the clothes Click on thumbnail to enlarge photo	Sharon on the steep rocky ridge Click on thumbnail to enlarge photo

 

Thank you to Val, Betty, Bronwyn, Sharon, Lin and Wendy - Nice work!
(a very relieved) Ian

Also thanks to Ian for a wonderful, safe trip. (Ed)  

END   

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