Climbing Potters Hill from the west at 1300m
Saturday 27 August: Brayshaws, Potters Hill, border, Brayshaws – M/M. Over the hill and down to Grassy Creek then up and around on fire trail to Boboyan Road and Brayshaws. Height ∼250m, distance 10 km. Map: Shannons Flat. Leader: John Evans, 0417 436 877, john@johnevans.id.au . Transport: $45 per vehicle.
6 of us met.
Further Information
This walk was scheduled by Rob and Jenny H, who were not available to lead it.
Summary
Distance: 9.2km | Climb: 380m | Time: 9.30am – 1.45pm (4hrs 15mins), including 50 mins of breaks | Grading: M/M; M(8)
Photographs
Photographs are available, where you can start a large sized slideshow.
Waypoint and Track Files
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Track Notes
A frosty and early morning clouded Canberra start turned into a blue-sky day as we drove south down the Boboyan Rd. Pre-Spring? – not likely yet.
We shook out at the Settlers Track car park on the side of the road near Brayshaws Hut and wandered across the road and 100-odd metres up to the Tin Dish School site.
Next we headed up, initially through a bit of wattle scrub (very pretty in flower) and fallen timber, but opening up to easy walking woodland, towards Potters Hill. I’ve never been up here before, just seen the nicely timbered hill mainly from the east. Fairly unprepossessing, but it is a 1 point Percy! A rope up into a dead tree currently marks the spot. We called morning tea.
The descent down the south-east spur was more open than the ascent, but just as testing for a new titanium hip. As we neared the bottom we could see the open area across the creek.
As every gentleman should, I happily offered assistance to the ladies in crossing Back or Grassy Creek, but was not willing to hold hands with the men 😉 .
I had a brief look for Reg Brayshaws Hut site as we headed up the tussocked open spur and I’ve never found evidence of the Winston-Gregson identified knapping site. (However, I did find a napping site at lunchtime.)
I was expecting to gain the border fire trail via the open lead running up a north-south drainage line that we’d come down on 19 Dec 15. But we came across the fire trail that runs up the spur to Burnt Hill, so it was more appropriate today to take this. It poppoed us out at the border story signage on a bend north of Burnt Hill. Terence shared the story of the dual border fire trails.
Our wander continued west along the fire trail and, at the W40 blaze tree, I was able to share the a bit of the ACT border survey story and the fate of this particular blaze (thankfully preserved in the Canberra Museum and Gallery). Also mentioned the Mouat Tree project.
Lunch was called on the last knoll before our descent to the Boboyan Rd.
Down very near the point where the Boboyan Rd leaves the ACT, Terence and Virginia left for a road bash back to their car.
The rest of us climbed the stile over the fence and headed west along the Grassy Creek fire trail. With Westermans Homestead in sight in the distance, we made a beeline for it, visiting the Westerman graves along the way. A poke about Westermans Homestead, a visit to the sheep dip, then it was onto the Settlers Track to take us back via the pleasant route to Brayshaws Homestead and the car.
The Boboyan Rd is in the worst nick that I’ve ever seen.
We stopped at the Hospital Hill lookout on the way back to gaze onto the high hills of the Namadgi.
Thanks folks, great little walk on a lovely winter’s day.
Track Map
Party
6 walkers – James A, Uru M, Steven S, Terence U and Virginia B, me.