Johnny Boy's Walkabout Blog

Sunday-Monday 1-2 Juney 2025: Lutons Crutching Shed Camp * M/E. Wanna try a short hike with overnight camping? Wanna test your cold weather gear? Walk in the Naas Creek valley on easy fire trail to our destination, only 7km from the vehicles. Camp up behind the Shed in a delightful area of eucalypt saplings, along with Stephen’s party coming down off Sentry Box Mountain. Walk out the next day.

‘Brayshaw territory’ contains many historical sites that we can visit as very short side trips. There’s opportunity to see James Brayshaw’s hut site, Davy Brayshaw’s cairn, Boboyan Homestead, Crawford’s Old Station site, and Alexander Brayshaw’s 1879 hut site, the oldest European site in the area.

This is a great opportunity for first time overnight hikers and others seeking below zero nighttime temperatures.

Summary

From Garmin Connect (recorded on Epix Gen 2) – Distance: 20.68km | Climb: 324vm | Time: 1.5 days | Grading: M/E; E(7).

Photographs

View photographs here.

gpx file

Download the gpx file here.

Track Maps

Here’s where we went:

Trip Report

We met at Lanyon at 8.30am and motored in 2 vehicles to the Old Boboyan Rd (South) carpark. The first bit of the dirt Boboyan Rd was good, until we spied the grader at around the Yerrabi Track. The rest of the road was pretty horrible, as for our last trip on 18 May 25.

I was last down in the Naas Valley on 27 Oct 24.

Walking by 9.20am. We dropped packs near the bushwalking register and headed over to the James Brayshaw Hut site. Vestigial signs amongst the orchard trees.

Back to the vehicle track, our next stop was at Davey Brayshaws Cairn.

An absolutely beautiful blue-sky day!

Our next POI was the Bobeyan Homestead site and its various components.

We sat on the homestead site paving and enjoyed morning tea.

Down the slope towards the creek is the original hut site.

Down in the creek is the remains of the dam.

The nearby spring was oozing a little water today.

I couldn’t sight the old fencing seen on previous trips, which was up this side of the creek.

We popped over the little rise, crossing an old-style barbed wire fence.

And so to the nearby graves site in a peaceful little vale. Signage since my last visit.

Back over the little rise, we walked the side of the Bobeyan orchard.

The cultivation paddock is across the other side of the FT.

Our next detour from further along the Old Boboyan Rd was down to the Naas Creek. There used to be remnant log bridge sites. Now nothing there.

A couple of kilometres further got us to the various track junctions. Very confusing for this old fellow – the Old Boboyan Rd seems to become Grassy Creek FT for a while, before it turns into Sams Creek FT.

To avoid my further confusion, we headed directly to Alexander Brayshaws 1879 hut site. Not much left.

We rejoined the FT near the old log bridge.

So to our destination, Lutons Crutching Shed.

There’s a beaut poem in the shed.

The restorative maintenance done by Bob S holds up the shed’s roof to this day. He also did the repairs to the drop log fencing out the front.

The camping area is up behind Lutons Crutching Shed. We spread out (I’d warned my companions that I snore). A little further to the south than I’ve camped before – it opens out into near football sized area. I sighted for the early morning sun, but copped the frost on my tent.

We set up, had lunch, got water and treated it from the tank, then went for a pack-less walk (except for water and a first aid kit). First we headed over to the Crawford Old Station and orchard site.

We then went around 2km SW along the Grassy Creek FT.

First to the Baby Crawford plaque.

Then back across to Lone Pine Homestead site.

I’d take a fair guess at this being the dog kennel site. No one in their right mind would come in here and stack up bits of granite.

And here’s the lone pine, reposing horizontally.

Heading back to Lutons it was so disappointing to see that the fork fencing has completely disappeared from across Sheep Station Creek. This is what it looked like in 2008.

We crossed the creek at the line of the fencing. A leap across the flowing water.

Stephen’s party came down off Sentry Box at 4.45pm. A convivial time for the 13 of us. Being the oldest, I was first to bed at 7pm. Some wispy cloud, so I was told – I didn’t bother to look at the starry sky. Warm in my newish Tarptent Moment DW. I appreciated no condensation due to the double wall. My 680gm sleeping bag is getting a bit old, but added a thermal blanket. Didn’t bring my new 500ml hot water bottle 😂.

I won the battle of the bladder, getting up at 6.45am. Frosty. Breakfast, pack up and headed out at 9.15am.

Another confusing FT sign.

Stephen’s party caught us and I was offered the opportunity to join them in a snap, pretending that I’d been out for 3 days. They are tough walkers.

Still icy on our uneventful walk back out to our cars.

Yet another nostalgic trip for me. Hopefully passing on a bit of the history of the area. It was me and six ladies. Trust you enjoyed it girls.

The AllTrails map is here, where you can pan and zoom.

Party

7 walkers – Andreea A, Jo B, Karina J, Cathy K, Cate S, Cath S, me.