Middle Creek and Rendezvous Creek with the high hills of the Namadgi
Saturday 14 June: Yankee Hat indigenous sites, with a geocaching twist – M/E-M. Stroll to the Yankee Hat rock art then via old fire trails to the causeway SW up Bogong Creek. Walk through the open campsite area where artifacts may still be found (and left) on the ground. Only trouble is, we’ll have an off-track 3km detour with 300m climb to a geocache near the summit of Yankee Hat North. Then further easy walking on fire trails to Frank and Jacks Hut and associated sheep dip. Return via the Old Boboyan Road, with the opportunity to visit an indigenous rock shelter. Around 12km and 550m climb, very suitable for day-walkers who would like to try a little off-track in the Namadgi. 5 geocaches. Maps: Yaouk and Rendezvous Creek. Limit: 12. Leader: John Evans – john@johnevans.id.au, 0417 436 877. Transport: ~$12 per person. Further details at www.johnevans.id.au/wp/. Emergency contact details must be registered/provided to book.
10 of us drove in 2 vehicles to the Yankee Hat car park.
Further Information
Look for geocaches GC1HPPX Namadgi, A Pleasant Spot!; GCH13N Namadgi Yank; GC11G8D Spon-TIN-eity; GC33R07 Oh My Hat!; and the final GZ for GC1JWEX Yankee Doodle Dandy.
Summary
Distance: 15.5km | Climb: 450m | Time: 9.10am-2.00pm (4hrs 50mins), with 50 mins of breaks | Grading: M/E-M; M(8)
Track Maps
Track overview
Track 1
Track 2
Photographs
Photographs are available, where you can start a large sized slide show.
Google Earth
Download the Google Earth .kmz file here.
Track Notes
Significant showers overnight and a gloomy morning at dawn. The forecast was 90% chance of 5-10mm rain. Already one of little faith had cancelled. But this leader is a man of the cloth and has heavenly connections. As we drove from various parts to the meet point, the sky lightened. By the time we arrived at the Yankee Hat car park, the sky was clear and it was a lovely morning – as the theme photo shows. (Actually, I tell a lie – all Friday evening I was wondering why these crazy walkers weren’t cancelling!) Anyway, ‘he who dares, wins’ – we did and did.
We wandered down the Yankee Hat Walking Track towards the bridge over Bogong Creek. It was a fine geocaching team – KittyKatch, Mr_roo, Marmaduke Rothschild, JohnnyBoyACT and 6 muggles. Poor old Mr_roo had done all the caches except GC33R07 Oh My Hat!, but he was a fine companion. I may have made the approach to GC1HPPX Namadgi, A Pleasant Spot!, but he was up the granite and passed the cache down for the rest of us to log.
Over Bogong Creek and touching a few way-side shrubs, it was clear that it would be too wet to go up Yankee Hat North, so no doubt Mr_roo was extra disappointed. Up to near the rock art, we first did step #1 of GCH13N Namadgi Yank (I always appreciate virtual caches), then went to find the nearby GC11G8D Spon-TIN-eity. Spied the near-by humpy that I’d not seen before. Then on to the rock art to snap our obligatory pics for step #2 of GCH13N Namadgi Yank.
Too early for morning tea, we next ambled along the vehicle track to join fire trail, then SW to near the causeway over Bogong Creek. The final GZ for GC1JWEX Yankee Doodle Dandy was found and Marmaduke Rothschild signed us all on. Morning tea on the rocks beside the fire trail just west of the causeway.
On from here along fire trails to Frank and Jacks Hut and the nearby sheep dip, then down to join the Old Boboyan Road South.
A pleasant amble S along it and down to Hospital Creek Hut for lunch.
The only bush I could think of to bash was a little jaunt back along Hospital Creek for a while, high above the swampy creek. Nice open forest.
Rejoined the road and down to the fire trail intersection, then via the fire trail East of the knoll, past The Foresters Hut, to the cars. A large number of cars. To cap it off, just as we arrived, a short sharp shower.
Congrats to Jenny heading for Kokoda at the end of the week, and the 2 visitors in our party joining CBC for further adventures.
We’ll do GC33R07 Oh My Hat! one day, Mr_roo.
Party
10 walkers – Ross A, Ailsa B, Roger E, Siau G, Kath H, Alison N, Jeff P, Jenny T, Ralph Y, me.