19 October 2010 Little Creamy Flats
Maps: Corin Dam, Rendezvous Creek 1:25000
Getting There
This walk was conceived by Mike B and enjoyed by me as a private Tuesday walk:
Tuesday 19 October 2010 – Little Creamy Flats. - L/R,ptX. From the Orroral Valley we will follow the AAWT to Pond Creek where we will attempt to follow the old vehicle track (the first part at least was barely distinguishable a year ago) to Little Creamy Flats. About 34 km including 9 km off track. Expect some thick regrowth and a total climb of 1300 m. Maps: Corin Dam, Rendezvous Creek 1:25000 Leader: John E. Transport: $40 per car, $10 to $13.50 per person.
With all booked starters pulling out for one reason or another, this turned into a private walk just for me. Poor company, but of course the advantage is that one can start when one wants, have few breaks and eat on the run.
Further Information
Orroral - Pond Ck: 6 hrs return
Pond Ck - Little Creamy Flats: 9+ km return (did first km in 30 minutes on 11 Aug 09); Allow 5-7 hrs
Estimated Total Time: 11-13 hrs, Sunrise 6:16 am, Sunset 7:21pm
Leave town at 6am. Start walking by 7am.
There would be scope for those wanting to ride in to the start of the AAWT footpad where it leaves the Cotter Hut Road. That might get you in a bit quicker and allow you to sleep in a bit.
Thanks to Meg McK who reported:
...wear your gaiters because after the first K or so from Pond Ck junction, the old road is so overgrown it's almost impossible to follow it. ... this is my experience from the June Long Weekend. We reached Pond Ck early afternoon on the Saturday and only just made it to Little Creamy Flats before dark. The next day, when I'd been planning to climb Namadgi, the party ... had lost their appetite for scrub bashing and we returned to Pond Ck, taking as much care as possible to find the road. Often that was no advantage at all as there was so much thick regrowth and so many fallen branches and tree trunks (and snow in the higher reaches). This took about 3-4 hours actual walking time. Camped at Pond Ck and I sort of salvaged the trip by climbing Cotter Rocks on the way back.
Photographs
Access all primary pics here. All thumbnails in the walk report are active - click for a larger picture.
Walk
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| Track overview | Track a | Track b | Track c |
Left town earlier than planned and was able to start walking at 6.20am. A beautiful, cool morning - perfect walking weather. Road works still on the Cotter Hut Road - the grader driver drove past in his truck, warmed up his big CAT and passed me in the grader at the AAWT footpad turn off. An uneventful trip into the ant hill and new little cairn opposite, marking the turn off of the old track to Little Creamy Flats. Car park to AAWT footpad turn off - 4.9km in 59mins; AAWT footpad to Cotter Gap - 3.3km in 43mins; Cotter Gap to to old track turnoff - 3.6km in 42mins.
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| The sun strikes the W Orroral Ridge | Split Rock from the AAWT | Bimberi Peak from the AAWT near Pond Creek |
The old alignment is quite easy to follow for the first little while, augmented by a few tapes. But as it curved a little to the S I had to toss up whether to follow it, or stick to the direction marked on the 1st edition 1:25000 Rendezvous Creek map. I had a few waypoints in the GPS defining the latter, so followed in that direction. Initially quite easy walking through the bush and everything felt quite comfortable. A little thicker crossing some drainage lines. A nice cairn at UTM 55H 668603-6053707 (MGA94), proving that at least someone else had been this way and, hopefully, that this was the track alignment. Vague signs of it in places. I crossed the creek (probably not where the track used to) in a most inelegant fashion, slipping a few metres and ending up standing in the swiftly flowing water. Up on the NE bank, Coronet Peak appeared above the trees to the W. Continuing SE through, as Meg described, some fallen timber and plenty of pea regrowth, I finally crested the saddle NNE of Little Creamy Flats and caught the first sight of what I call the Namadgi bulb, a mighty bare granite prominence at the end of the ridge running NW from Mt Namadgi. Curved down SW to the bank of Creamy Flats Creek at the N side of Little Creamy Flats. Again, someone had been here before me, as announced by a chocolate wrapper - but I did manage to drop 2 biros during my wander. AAWT to Little Creamy Flats - 5.1km in 2hrs 10mins.
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| 1 The beginning of the old Little Creamy Flats track 200m in from the start | Cairn on alignment of old track to Little Creamy Flats at UTM 55H 668603-6053707 (MGA94) | Cairn on alignment of old track to Little Creamy Flats at UTM 55H 668603-6053707 (MGA94) | Coronet Peak from 1300m contour 1.4km to the E on old track alignment | 2 Namadgi bulb from 1400m contour N of Creamy Flats Creek |
No chance of crossing Creamy Flats Creek here, as it was flowing quite deep and strongly. Anyway, there were as many ants on this side as one wanted. Nothing seems to change here - 10 Apr 07. This walk was originally Mike B's and he was wanting to follow it vicariously, so I had morning tea (standing) whilst I let of Max's borrowed SPOT. I enjoyed the view, appreciating what Meg had said about climbing Namadgi from here with an overnight bag. Set off again, following Creamy Flats Creek down for around 1.3km in 45mins. A bit slow - lots of fallen timber and close bush.
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| View S from the N end of Little Creamy Flats | Creamy Flats Creek | SH1607 on the Mavis Ridge and the Namadgi bulb from Little Creamy Flats | 3 Creamy Flats Creek and Little Creamy Flats |
The next leg was quite pleasant, taking me from above Creamy Flats Creek in a NW direct to near Coronet Peak. Just constantly but gently up and the bush opened up a bit. Views across the cut of the creek as it tumbled to join Licking Hole Creek made me consider that Yankee Hat to Cotter Hut via Middle Creek, Creamy Flats Creek and Licking Hole Creek trip I've been planning for a couple of years. A fleeting thought to climb Coronet Peak as I passed, but I was happy enough to be heading home as I was beginning to feel a fraction weary and starting to get a few leg cramps. This leg 1.4km in 40mins.
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| Bimberi Peak from near 1300m contour above Creamy Flats Creek | Coronet Peak from the ENE |
Slipped off the crest of the ridge a bit on the next leg from near Coronet Peak back down to rejoin the AAWT, coming in on the well-formed old vehicle track (must have a look where it goes sometime). GPS failed, in that it wouldn't access waypoints stored on the microSD card after I changed batteries. No worries as not needed here, but a bit of a concern. This leg 1.9km in 45mins.
Wandered back to Pond Creek, sat down in the ants, stood up and had lunch for 10 mins. Set off the SPOT again, which went to Mike, Max and Gay. On the way back up to Cotter Gap I startled the first of 3 guys wandering off to Walhalla. (A very small world - 2 days later I ran into John H, with whom I used to work. He was having a coffee with his wife - and the wife of one of the walkers!) Very bad leg cramps - shades of summer walking - must do something about it. Uneventful trip back to the car. Ate lunch number 2 on the Cotter Hut Road, not stopping to tempt fate with ants again. Return trip 11.9km in 2hrs 45mins (compared with a fresh 2 hrs 24mins coming in). (So this confirms my estimate of around 14km and 4hrs to walk out from the broom clearing on 13 Nov 10.)
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| The Belfry and The Cloisters above a peaceful Orroral Valley |
Nice to walk alone and at my particular pace and style for once. In principle, not a good idea and certainly not condoned nor supported by any bushwalking club (4 is minimum recommended party size).
Distance: 33.5km Climb: 1100. Time: 6.20am - 4.15pm (9hrs 55mins), with 20mins of breaks.
Grading: L/R,ptX; VH(15)
KMZ file for Google Earth/Maps: Little Creamy Flats
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This page last updated 23Aug22