21 April 2012 Canberra & Region Heritage Festival - Indigenous and European Sites - A Day in the Bush
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| Bogong Creek and boardwalk with Yankee Hats behind |
Maps: Rendezvous Creek and Yaouk 1:25000
Getting There
This walk was organised and led by me as a CBC walk for the Canberra & Region Heritage Festival:
Saturday 21 April - Canberra & Region Heritage Festival - Indigenous and European Sites - A Day in the Bush - M/E-M. Walk the grasslands of the Gudgenby valley to see indigenous rock art, remains of European settlement and views to the mountains at the heart of Namadgi National Park. Led by the Canberra Bushwalking Club. Bookings essential. Limit: 10. Around 12km and 150m climb. Maps: Rendezvous Creek and Yaouk. Leader: John Evans - jevans@pcug.org.au, 0417 436 877. Transport: drive yourself.
11 of us met at the Namadgi Visitors Centre. 2 more joined us at the last moment.
Further Information
The walk is fully subscribed with 12 walkers. If you'd like to join a list, I'll put it on again in a month or so.
The walk will be postponed if it is wet.
As this is a Canberra Bushwalking Club event, all participants must be willing to sign an 'Acknowledgment of Risks and Obligations form. This may be previewed at http://www.canberrabushwalkingclub.org/documents/Risk_Acknowledgement.pdf.
From the Yankee Hat car park, walk the Yankee Hat Walking Track to the rock art. Call in at the nearby boulder. Sidle across the NE face of Yankee Hat North in the fringe of the tree line. Visit the Middle Creek Cascades. Visit J Rustin's hut and grave site near the huge Candlebark Gum. Return to the car park.
Visit the nearby Foresters Hut.
Drive back along the Old Boboyan Rd and walk in to Ready Cut Cottage. Walk down to the footbridge with views across to Gudgenby Homestead.
If more is wanted/as time permits, drive to the new Rendezvous Creek car park and walk in the track to the bench and seats for views to the Gudgenby grasslands.
What to bring - Wear stout, closed toed walking shoes, boots if you have them. Long trousers and/or gaiters if you have them. Dress for the day's forecast weather - it will be up to 5°C cooler than Canberra and breezier. Bring lunch, morning tea, energy snacks in a backpack. Hands need to be free. 2 litres of drinking water. Spare jumper for warmth. Rain jacket.
Where/when to meet - this will be communicated to registered walkers. For those who would like, we can organise car pooling ... more to come
Photographs
You can access all photographs here.
Walk
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A mild Autumn day, threatening showers at times, but only giving 5 drops. 2 wild dogs near the Yankee Hat car park and another later on as we approached J Rustins hut site. A couple of wedge-tailed eagles soaring in the distance. Hundreds of kangas and tens of rabbits.
We first wandered along the path to the Yankee Hat rock art for a look-see. Morning tea in the sun nearby. Then headed N to the yards marked on the 1st edn Rendezvous Creek map (only one post left). Next visited the Middle Creek cascades - a nice flow of water. Flicked the water out of the groove - it's smooth to the touch, so I'm fairly sure an indigenous tool sharpening groove. Then over to the magnificent Candlebark and nearby J Rustins Hut site. Back along the old vehicle track for a while, then a right turn into the grasslands and headed for the baby face on the side of Hospital Hill. Back onto the boardwalk and bridge, up to the cars and a visit to the Forestry Hut to see the dinky furniture. Lunch back down on the tables, seat and rocks below the car park.
Drove back and walked in to the Ready Cut Cottage. There was an artist in residence, so we couldn't look in. Across the footbridge onto the huge moss covered granite slab for a gaze at Gudgenby Homestead. Back to the cars.
Then drove back to the new Rendezvous Creek Walk car park and wandered in the track, over the steel bridge and up to the rustic bench and seats. Returned to the cars.
Shook out back at the NVC and most of us went to Val's Tharwa General Store for a (ginger/light/otherwise) beer sitting on his front verandah.
A most pleasant ramble with great company. Thanks to Bill and Jennie W, David C and Helen H, Di G, Evelyn C, Greg H, Marina F, Michael and Beth P, Simon P and Lyndal Le B.
Distance: 11.2km Climb: 200m. Time: 9.35am - 2.30pm (call it 5hrs), with 45mins of stops and some driving around.
Grading: M/E; E(7)
KMZ file for Google Earth/Maps: Heritage Festival A day in the bush
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This page last updated 29Aug22
