Johnny Boy's Walkabout Blog

Wednesday 31 July 2024: E-M Wednesday Walk – Rendezvous Creek and Gudgenby Ramble * – M/E-M. Enjoy the Rendezvous Creek Walk, then ramble through the open grasslands of the Rendezvous Creek valley on an old vehicle track. Visit sites associated with European land use and older periods on Country. Return via Gudgenby Homestead and Ready-cut Cottage. Around 16km (some off-track) and 350vm climb. Graded BBC M(10), NPA 3B, CBC M/E-M. 80km round trip on sealed road from southern Canberra.

Summary

From Garmin Connect (recorded on Epix Gen 2) – Distance: 16.11km | Climb: 315vm | Time: 4:01 moving +1:30 of stops =5:31 | Grading: M/E-M; M(9).

Photographs

View photographs here.

gpx file

Download the gpx file here.

Track Map

Here’s where we went.

Trip Report

I last did this walk on 11 Jul 24. I guess that was a bit of a recce for today.

I enjoy the interaction with members of BBC and NPA on Wednesday Walks, but I have to say I don’t enjoy the inability to vet participants (it’s just turn up at the meeting place) and very large numbers on trips. So I deliberately set the meet point in the southern suburb of Conder and the meet time of 7.30am. It worked (or folk don’t like my leadership style) and we had a good party of 11.

Walking by 8.15am along the Rendezvous Creek Walking Track over iced patches of snow – very slippery.

The southern bridge had it all – the creek, a sandy beach and patches of snow.

We headed to Paddy Moores Hut site, but I couldn’t identify anything. Then up to the table and benches.

From there, we headed out onto the grasslands of the valley. Patches of snow on the NE ridge. It was cool in the southerly wind and the sun clouded over for a while.

A detour across to T Brayshaw or J Greenfields Hut site, once I selected the correct star picket.

Then back on track via the landing ground site.

The sun was struggling to come from behind clouds and it was still cool.

On up the valley via Rowleys Rendezvous Creek Hut site.

Down to visit the Rowleys Rendezvous Creek stockyard.

We were heading for the Rendezvous Creek rock art site (the map segment and gpx file have been doctored so as to not show the location). We stopped in the sun and out of the breeze a bit for smoko, me thinking we were heading in the correct direction for our objective. Setting off, quietly spoken Stephen said “I don’t think it’s that way” and he was proved absolutely correct. When will I ever get the approach to this site correct!

The next leg took up back down the valley to the Link Track junction and up over the low ridge into the top of the Gudgenby grasslands. A stop at the SODAR.

Then the emergency management weather station.

Down to the ‘Front Paddock’ shelter for lunch.

Our final leg was via Gudgenby Homestead, Ready-cut Cottage and back to the cars.

Trust everyone enjoyed the ramble.

Party

11 walkers – Lou A, Tony A, Jo B, Steve G, Jenny H, Stephen J, Karina J, Diana K, Terrylea R, Glenn S, me.

AllTrails

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

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