Launching into Gungahlin Pond
Thursday 22 February: Northern pond paddling – S/E,W. Geocaching on a couple of northern ponds, organised by Marmaduke Rothschild.
Summary
Distance: 6.3km | Time: 7.20am – 11.25am (4hrs 5mins), including caching and driving and launch/recovery time | Grading: S/E,W; E(7)
Photographs
Photographs are available, where you can start a large sized slideshow.
Waypoint and Track Files
Download the .gpx file. (Right click, Save Link As…, Save – if you want to use it.)
To use in Google Earth, do File, Open… and select Gps or All files as the File Type.
Track Waterway Notes
I thought I was graduating towards the sea, after conquering Point Hut Pond, Lake Tuggeranong and Lake Burley Griffin, but Roger had a couple of northern ponds and a few geocaches to find up his sleeve.
A lot of the time was spent driving and unloading/reloading boats, but those things are necessary to gain the enjoyment and caches.
First stop was Diddams Close in Belconnen, where we launched and paddled to retrieve and log GC67FXB Capital Paddle: Lake Ginninderra #1. We both passed the cache on our first look and I was in amongst the reeds when Roger made the call.
Then to West Belconnen Pond, which contains 3 islands. Two of them sport a cache. So a paddle and tree climb to nab GC6FTYK Up A Tree On An Island, then paddle on to nab GC5T6N5 Nature’s Remedy. Returned and loaded, then drove further along Kerrigan Drive to nab a land cache, GC77MQ6 Roo Hills.
We then drove to Gungahlin and launched into Gungahlin Pond. The edge was a bit yucky. Paddled N to the southern most of three islands to log GC68GVB Capital Paddle: Gungahlin Pond #2. The trees appeared to be lightly snow-dusted, but it was Ibis poo! Then down to creek outflow to search for GC61NXR Capital Paddle: Gungahlin Pond #1. Nothing on the infrastructure but a tie and a split ring. Later, a photo was sent to the cache owner who said this cache often goes missing. He said I could log it, based on the proof of the photo. Because I’m such a desperate cacher, I did.
Finally, a drive to the Yerrabi District Park. A clean launch and a very muddy landing to nab GC7GDNN Capital Paddles – Yerrabi Pond #1 down near the back of the dam wall.
Back on land, MR assisted me to log GC1TGWA Don’t Drop Mia’s Cache. We finished with a coke and satay sticks from a pond-side popup.
Long drives home, as I realised at Kambah I’d left Mike’s paddle on the bank 😳 .
Nice Roger. Many thanks for organising.
Track Maps
Party
2 paddlers – Roger E (Marmaduke Rothschild) (leader), me (JohnnyBoyACT).