Konangaroo Clearing

[Bushgirl]

Does anyone know anything about the property at Konangaroo Clearing - is it a horse riding company (I've read it's been privately owned since the 1800s but nothing about what it is now). The sound of a lawn mower while camped by the creek in the wilderness was a bit incongruous after three days of isolation.

[christophermoore]

This website suggests that it's part of the Packsaddlers property (Carlon's Farm) - it refers to a hut there as Bert Carlon's.

[DaveNoble]

This website suggests that it's part of the Packsaddlers property (Carlon's Farm) - it refers to a hut there as Bert Carlon's.

That may once have been the case - but I am pretty sure it is no longer so. I understand the property is still a private inholding and I think it is owned by an individual from Oberon. I think he accesses it by helicopter. I think the actual extent of the property is much bigger than the small area near the hut - but does not cover all of Kanongaroo - so there are plenty of places to camp in still.

It was used by the Carlon family years ago for their packsaddler horse tours. They would take horses down Breakfast Creek, then down the Coxs River and stay at the Kanongaroo Hut. The other access route was over the Wild Dog Mountains via the horsetrack - from Medlow Gap via Mobbs Soak to Yellow Dog and then down Yellow Pup. This track was cut around 1975 and closely followed the original bushwalkers track (some trees were cut down and logs cleared too allow easier passage of horses, and the switchbacks were put in on Yellow Pup rather than the bushwalkers track that went directly up the spine of the ridge). More intrepid horse tours would go up kanangra Creek (to the "Two Kanangras" - the junction of Kanangra and Whalania Creeks) and even further upstream and over Gabes Gap into Gingra Creek, and back via Veyret's Horsetrack over the Low Gangerang Range. Claude Veyret was a good bushman and horseman working for the Carlon family and knew a lot about the area. He was a very interesting fellow.

I think the present owner may use Kanongaroo for trout fishing.

Dave

[Bushgirl]

Thank you for the replies, we couldnt work out if they had to walk in every time they visited but maybe they do helicopter in. There were horses there on the weekend so maybe they bring them all the way up the Coxs as they wouldnt be allowed to bring horses down Breakfast Creek now. It's a lovely spot - lucky them! I'm going to look at the website too.
Thanks again,
Sue aka BG

[KANANGRABOYD]

The owners live in Oberon, and they also have a few helicopters. They used to fly in fisherman for the winter trout spawning run. I have stayed at the place with one of the owners good friends Troy. They don't bring in fisherman anymore. NPWS have been trying to purchase this land of them for a while, but no negotiations yet. They also use it as a place to go in from to set out pig poison traps a few times a year. They mostly come in these days a few times a year by horse, straight down the Cox's from Packsaddlers. I spend ALOT of time down there fishing and hiking ( 15 + times a year )

[khouw]

Just camped here last weekend, we were wondering about the ownership and history thank you all. FYI the grassy plain surrounding this property is overrun with tall thorny weeds and huge colonies of wombats making it impossible to camp. The private enclosure still grassy but weeds are creeping in thick and fast. Think twice before planning to camp here. Btw the Cox at the time was only ankle deep, Kanangra Creek was dry, in fact no water between Carlon Farm and here.

[Allchin09]

I've recently been walking it the upper reachers of Kanangra Creek and it definitely flowing up there. Interestingly, it tends to dive underground where it reaches the Coxs at Konangaroo, so you have to walk upstream a bit to find good water when times are dry.

[khouw]

Allchin09, aye that is right. We sourced our water supply from an underground "bubble" rising from a pebbly bank along Kanangra Creek but downstream it is bone dry. Btw, is it really true that the Cox is heavily polluted?

[Allchin09]

Well the Coxs river is well known for making people sick if untreated. It has runoff upstream from farms and townships, sewerage from Jenolan Caves and it even runs through a power plant at Lithgow. Some people also have concerns about levels of heavy metals which are apparently present in it, and boiling water won't help there.

In saying that, others are happy to drink straight from it, but I'd definitely recommend drinking from side creeks where possible.