This walk was organised and led by Max S as an ad-hoc FBI Tuesday walk:

Folks This Tuesday will be a gentle wander, mostly along fire trails, in the Brindabellas Starting at Blundell’s Flat car park, wander along Pabral Rd, 2 Sticks Rd, Dingi Dingi Rd to SH 1302. Depending on conditions, the route may be off-track via SH 1069. Note – As always, changes may be made on the way! About 22 – 25 km depending on route. Climb about 500m. No idea if the target will have anything to offer. Medium walk with cold and wet conditions likely, with possible snow lying around to add interest. Weather as writ - Tuesday Possible shower. Min 1 Max 14 Maps – Cotter Dam and Umburra Meet at Cooleman Court, Weston, in the car park opposite McDonalds at 8.00 am. As always, Min 4 needed to make an FBI sanctioned walk. Please confirm if interested.

4 of us met at the appointed time and place. I drove, not knowing what was to come, via Curries Road and Two Sticks Road to the intersection with the Powerline Trail. Who needs walking for adrenaline when you can get it driving in stuff like that - well, the sloppy conditions were new for me.

Walk

With our start point in a fair way, Max changed our objectives to include Waterfall Creek. We chewed up the fire trail, lovely and soft on the feet, following Two Sticks Road N (with a glance down into Flea Creek and up to SH1302; Max decided to leave that for the homeward leg), left onto Dingi Dingi Ridge Trail, S for a bit on Webbs Ridge Trail and right onto Waterfall Trail. It was here that it dawned on me that we'd been here before. Absolutely grand to wander through unburnt forest. We stopped for morning tea for 10mins around 1km down this fire trail, then a further couple of km down struck off to the N towards the 50r feature and falls on Waterfall Creek.

A quite spectacular area, even with little water flowing. We closed from the S side of the falls, wandered along the top of the cliff and crossed the creek for a peek down to the top of the first fall. Waterfall Creek has a grand face on its N side (see pic 1) and great views down the creek to the Goodradigbee River and up the other side. High Cone is prominent and you can see the SE side of the Nottingham plateau. Mt Wee Jasper rolls in the N.

With the long walk in there was little time to dally and no time for extra exploring. We returned to the fire trail and after a km or so stopped for a quick lunch on the ridge just off the track, overlooking the Goodradigbee River valley.

We reversed out to a point N of SH1302 and trotted up through the open forest to near the top, on the Dingi Dingi Ridge. A few patches of snow about. Great views to the N face of Mt Coree (see pic 2).

Our fearsome leader then offered the option of returning to the fire trail or heading down to Flea Creek (so he could have a look at it) and up the other side. I don't remember choosing the latter, but I do remember the helter skelter down 300m over 900m distance. Quite worth it - Flea Creek tinkling along between ferns (see pic 3). Magnificent timber! An easy 80m climb up through SH1069, through lovely open forest on the W facing slope. Back to the car at the power lines.

We drove home via Two Sticks Road to Picadilly Circus, longer and slower, but easier on my nerves.

Timings
 

Thanks, Max, for an excellent walk. Plenty of fire trail, yes, but soft, with an excellent view down the falls of Waterfall Creek, to Mt Coree from Dingi Dingi Ridge and a lovely Flea Creek. However, I'll never believe you again re total climb! Great company from Anthony and Karen.

Distance: 22km  Climb: 1050m.  Time: 8.55am - 3.55pm (7hrs), with 30mins of stops.
Grading: L/E-M; H(14)

KMZ file for Google Earth/Maps: Waterfall Creek and Dingi Dingi Ridge