8 May 2012 A search for Old Fishloch Yards and SH1339

Maps: Rendezvous Creek and Corin Dam 1:25000

View to the N Orroral Valley from the knoll NE of SH1339

Getting There

This walk was organised and led by me as an irregular CBC Tuesday walk:

Tuesday 8 May - A search for Old Fishloch Yards and SH1339 - L/M. Plod in the Cotter Hut Road from Orroral to search for Old Fishloch Yards possibly near Sawpit Creek. Return to the weather station and bash up the ridge to SH1339 for great views over the N Orroral Valley. Crash down the side and return via the left bank of the Orroral River for a way. Around 18km and 500m climb. Maps: Rendezvous Creek and Corin Dam. Leader: John Evans - jevans@pcug.org.au, 0417 436 877. Transport: ~$12 per person.

11 of us drove in 3 cars to the Orroral Valley tracking station car park.

Further Information

From the NPA ACT Bulletin September 1994:

6 November Sunday Walk 2/A/B
Orroral to Fishlock Rock Ref: Rendezvous Creek 1:25000
Leader: Reg Alder Phone: 254 2240(h)
Meet at Kambah Village Shops at 8.30am. A walk up the Cotter Hut
Road to the rock near Fishlock Yard and on to the sheep yards near
Sawpit Creek. 80km $16 per car.

For historical background, see articles by Reg Alder:

NPA Bulletin June 1994, pages 12 and 13 of the Bulletin - see http://www.npaact.org.au/res/File/Bulletins4/Vol%2031%20No%202%20Jun%201994%20A.pdf
NPA Bulletin December 1994, page 22 of the Bulletin - see http://www.npaact.org.au/res/File/Bulletins4/Vol%2031%20No%204%20Dec%201994%20A.pdf

The SH1399 portion of this walk was the same as 4 Mar 06.

Photographs

You can access all photographs here.

Walk

Track maps: thumbnails are active - click for a larger picture
Track overview	Track 1	Track 2

With 2 hours sleep after chundering all night, I really didn't feel like walking. Anyway, too good a day weather wise to miss, although the site hunting didn't produce many results.

A record 11 starters for a Tuesday walk set off at 8am. Anal me just had to do the official AAWT track to the Rowleys Orroral Valley Hut site, then up the track (taking in W-G OR13 Stockyard site) to join the Cotter Hut Road. Took the corner cut-off. Some interesting signage along the Road near the weather station.

We stopped at the junction of the AAWT footpad and Cotter Hut Rd and circumnavigated the indigenous rock shelter W-G OR18 opposite the T-intersection. Not quite the fish shaped rock with large overhang described in the 1994 NPA ACT Bulletins, but after later unsuccessful attempts to find Old Fishloch Yards, I'd tend to agree with Reg Alder that this is the site.

We continued along the Cotter Hut Rd to the 2nd edn map marked junction of the AAWT and Cotter Hut Rd, just in case there could be something there. We wandered up into the bush a bit to look at a few blocks of granite, but with quite sloping topography either side of the road, not a place to build yards. Morning tea on the side of the road, which a dinky PCS vehicle zipping past.

On down to the KHA325 Yards site, also mentioned by Reg Alder. We could find no evidence, just an open area nearby at UTM 55H 672510-6057647 (GDA94) which could be a possibility. Wandered back to the road via an arm of Sawpit Creek. Back up along Cotter Hut Rd to the appropriate place to turn N-ish towards SH1339. Thus ended the plodding.

A nice combination of heavy regrowth, more open leads, wombat tracks and shapely granite on the 1.8km 190m climb to SH1338, taking 1hr. On 4 Mar 06 I described it as "It was easy walking up through the light scrub as the spur took us up towards Spot Height 1339." - not so now. A scramble to see the view to the W and SW, then we headed NE to the knoll where we had lunch, enjoying views over the N Orroral Valley. Ian pointed out that we were a few hundred metres SE of "Fur trouser crag" - ACT Granite). Thus ended the bashing.

The crashing down to the Orroral Valley was through dense regrowth. 860m across the ground in 55mins from the lunch granite to the edge of the Orroral Valley, descending 340m. That's fairly steep. I was just very fortunate that at every little cliff-ette we came to, there was a vegetated lead down through the granite. Glad we were going down, not up.

From here we went a little N onto the valley floor, to a spot which lined up with the W-G portion survey description for Old Fishloch Yards. Nothing there. Then down the valley to W-G's location for Old Fishloch Yards - nothing there either. Further down the valley we passed through New Fishloch Yards, just to prove to my companions that there were yards!

Back down to Rowleys Hut site and a left turn down to the Orroral River, which we crossed via a pile of logs.

A pleasant wander down the left bank. I got most of the old vehicle track, so it was easy. Stopped at the indigenous rock shelter W-G OR10, the huge boulder just up from the Orroral River bridge on the Link Track. I was still a bit crook so, for the first time ever on a Tuesday walk, called an arvo tea break!

Back on our feet, down and across the bridge, up the Link Track to the AAWT signage and so to the cars.

Welcome to 4 new Tuesday walkers. Thanks to Graeme A, Mike B, Jenni C, Eric G, Stewart J, Trevor L, Chris M, Wayne P, Phillip S and Ian W.

Distance: 21.3km Climb: 600m. Time: 8.00am - 4.00pm (8hrs), with 55mins of stops.
Grading: L/W-R,ptX; H(13)

KMZ file for Google Earth/Maps: Old Fishloch Yards and SH1339

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This page last updated 30Aug22