deflowering the Cox

[puredingo]

Last Friday I decided I need to broaden my horizons and see other NP’s so I plotted a course in the Northern sector of the Blue Mountains, jumped in the pathfinder and set off to see what all the fuss was about.
Driving through the Megalong valley I kept a sharp eye peeled for the junction where the 6’ ft track intersects the road as this would be where my walk would eventually finish up. From here I drove a further 4klm down the road and parked up figuring it was roughly half way to dunphys camp ground where I would take off on foot. Before long I was on my way along the farm road leading to Ironpot Mountain, the map differs here a bit from what’s on the ground. The map showing the farm road leading straight into the foot pad that climbs the hill where on the ground the farm road continues around a couple of more bends for a time longer. No big deal but for a novice in the area it’s was just another one of those get the map out and have a breather moments.

Up on Ironpot the peak gets quite knifey in places and soon I came to a fork in the track, I assumed the left option would have taken me towards Ironmonger hill then onto ironmonger spur? But I wanted to sneak a few more K’s in up in the high country and limit my river bashing so I continued along the mountain ridge until I began to drop down an unnamed spur slightly to the S/W. It wasn’t unnamed for long, mongrel dog spur I called it as well as a few more names not fit for print as it got steep and rocky fast. After a couple of bum-sled rides I realised it wasn’t going to be a safe option and was forced down into Ironmonger gully which was chocker block full of vine and weed but really quite pretty with a few nice little waterfalls. One which threaten to kill me as I got caught up in a vine and sent hurtling towards the edge I bent and twisted enough to avoid the drop but in doing so I forced a chap stick tube I was carrying in my side shirt pocket up into my ribs, hearing popping cartledge as it went. Now I’ve had enough sporting injuries to know some let you have the full extent of pain immediately and some creep over time and although being winded I knew with this one the worst was yet to come.

Not long after I literally stumbled out onto the Cox River, stripped off and had a swim. The water was a pleasant enough and running at a fair clip. After the dip I was on the hop again and made my way up to the first of about 8 million “private property” signs from here on in more and more signs of civilisation begin to prevail. I got to flaggi clear about 3pm and feeling a bit fatigued and rib sore though I might camp up but I was bit confused here if you can camp outside this fence line of the property owner. It was on the other side of the bank and I couldn’t see any signage forbidding it? It didn’t matter in the end anyway, I had a swim in the rapids (seen a Black snake strike unsuccessfully at a tree frog) got re packed and kept going upstream setting my sights on the 6’ft camping area.

Arrived at the camping area around 5:30pm and the day was still really hot. I was going to camp in the allotted area but the ground looked like you would have needed a sledge hammer to drive a tent peg in so moved to the comforts of the soft river bank. Around 8pm a bloke turned up at the camp in a car and set up for the night, having his radio on just loud enough not to be audible but enough to annoy I thought I might as well walk over and find out the how the cricket went today. I’m glad I did because he buffed me out with 2 ice cold beers and we chatted until 9 and by that time I slept like a baby.
Next morning I was up and preparing to set off when one of the cockys came riding up on horse back with 6 working collies at foot. He asked me If I’d seen any cows about as he had asked others up the river but they (city folk) all gave differing reports. I told him I know a thing or two about cattle and told him the amount I seen and the direction they wandered, he said it fitted his mobs description perfectly and ten minutes after he rode off he was riding back past mustering the mob across the Coxs…I wonder if he would have been so obliging had he found me camped up on his property?

Out of there and at the swing bridge (I have definitely lost my head for heights) for a bite to eat. All 6ft track from here so I took my time wandering up and even had a little nap along the way. It was here a fella from the SUBW crossed my path, telling me he was going to the Christmas camp I thought I might join him as I still had “supplies” on board and had another day up my sleeve. I followed him back down the track away and advised him that the camp was probably off a spur that looked like it went down to a decent swimming hole but this bloke was like the Hare in “Alice in wonderland” and kept on careening down the tack muttering about walking back if we were wrong. By the time the swing bridge was nearly in view I’d aborted the mission and left him to it…this track definitely wasn’t interesting enough to do twice in a few hours. Constant rain had begun to fall by this stage accompanied by loud thunder claps as I traversed the paddocks (more private property signs) and then actual decent, solid hail stones started to plummet from the sky. I was back at the junction, at the little info hut by this time but I did spare a thought for the hare and hoped he found a little over hang to bunker down in.

So a long wet slog the 4 klm back down the megalong rd to the car, pleased to see it there as usual and happy that I can cross off another adventure in the wonders of the blue mountains national park.

Animals seen: Plenty of Goannas (one encased in a joeys carcass), The black snake that didn’t eat the tree frog, another black snake writhing around in a shallow pool (I actually thought it was an eel dying at first. Lyre birds, Cattle and very few humans for a popular area.

[kanangra]

Good stuff. A great adventure.

K.

[cooee]

Good job, thanks for the read.

[puredingo]

Forgot to mention one other animal. Saturday morning packing up my camp there was a funnel web hanging out in my trangia wind shield!...The way my ribs feel at the moment I nearly wish she did get me.