Johnny Boy's Walkabout Blog

Saturday 7 March 2026: RAMSAR Wetlands and Upper Ginini Falls, Mt Franklin and the westernmost point of the ACT * – M/R. Drive to the Mt Ginini car park above the RAMSAR listed wetlands. Visit Upper Ginini Falls (for a geocache). Walk the edge of Ginini Flats, Morass Flats and Cheyenne Flats. On regaining the Mt Franklin Road, visit the Duntroon ski lodge site and Mt Ginini. Drive back along the Mt Franklin Road to the Mt Franklin car park. Skip up to Franklin trig and down to the Austin A40. Back at the car park, off-track to visit the westernmost point of the ACT. It’s been some time since I was in this area so expect the unexpected. Around 14km and 550vm. Your footwear and gaiters must be spotless and we’ll use a bleach bath. Limit 8. A long drive of 1hr 30mins each way, 130km round trip.

Summary

Walk1: From OziExplorer – Distance: 6.0km | Climb: 260vm | Time: 4:30 incl smoko and lunch.

Walk 2: From OziExplorer – Distance: 3.9km | Climb: 160vm | Time: 1:45.

Total: Distance: 9.9km | Climb: 420vm | Time: 6:15 | Grading: M/R; M(9).

Photographs

View photographs here.

gpx file

Download the gpx file here.

Track Map

Here’s where we went:

Trip Report

Walk 1 – Ginini Flats and Upper Ginini Falls

Aa hour and a half drive from Weston to the Ginini carpark. The dirt Brindabella and Mt Franklin Roads are in reasonable nick for our SUVs. A Lyrebird fluttering across the road.

We dipped our footwear in a mild bleach bath (1 in 10), not wanting to carry pathogens into the fragile bog environment. These flats (bogs) are a protected Ramsar environment.

I was last at Upper Ginini Falls and the wetlands on 16 Jan 10. Before that on 25 Feb 06. A lot has changed, in both years (fitness) and the harder going. Perhaps, as with lots of things, some destinations are better left as memories 🙁.

Pleasant walking down the old ski run off the carpark.

We soon turned away to the north.

After 6 minutes Ginini Flats came into view.

Although the track map shows our route in the bog, it was certainly not the case. We attempted to keep to the edge.

I found it tiring walking.

We did see some sphagnum. There was an obvious research point in the middle of the flats. including some shaded sphagnum recovery areas.

We were delighted by some late wildflowers.

 

Ginini Creek draining the Flats narrowed as we descended towards Upper Ginini Falls.

Again, I found it hard work and was glad when Laeli offered to make the going for a while.

This is what we were able to achieve in 2006:

The disappointment of the thick bush and steep descent to Upper Ginini Falls was somewhat ameliorated by a pleasant side creek cascade.

We stopped for a drink break.

We returned up Ginini Creek, crossed and headed E-ish across the N side of the flats. Easier going.

We stopped for smoko at 10.50am, looking out over the flats.

There was another high-stepping, energy sapping leg across the edge of the bog before we got onto easier ground.

By 11.30am we’d reached the narrowing of the wetlands, which extend further south into Morass and Cheyenne Flats. I’d intended to walk down their eastern sides but, frankly, I was buggered. We crossed to the west side of Ginini Creek, Laeli thankfully getting us up through the teatree band. Checking the GPS map, I was somewhat surprised by what little ground we’d covered – and how close we were to the carpark. The old ski run led us straight up.

A short break, me suffering from leg cramps. Then up the ski run to the Duntroon ski lodge site – no joy today. This is part of what I was looking for:

A photo of the Duntroon ski lodge appears on the front cover of Matthew Higgins’ book Rugged Beyond Imagination.

Up the road access we came to the top.

Lunch.

Back down at our vehicles, we drove back north to the Mt Franklin carpark.

First, a short foray into the bush to the westernmost point of the ACT, border marker U55. That lifted my spirits!

We then headed up the Mt Franklin Walking Track, first to Bill Ginns Hut site.

Then a poke around the Franklin survival shelter and the Franklin Ski Chalet site.

The toilet, as always, is in NSW. No waste must drain into the pristine waters of the Cotter River and Canberra’s water supply!

Many explanatory signs on the history of the area are on the sides of the walking track (see photos).

Great views to our morning’s Ginini Flats and Upper Falls area from an open point below Mt Franklin.

A trig for trig baggers.

Then down to the Austin A40 old ski rope tow.

Back down and an uneventful drive home.

Thanks everyone for your company. I do hope it was enough and of interest, particlarly for those who had not been up here before.

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

Party

Habiba G, Laeli H, Jenny H, Debbie M, Charity M, Khuong V, Ah Lin W, me.