Water on the Wilderness Coast?

[Drew]

A group of us were hoping to do some or all of the Wilderness Coast walk around the New Year's Eve period. I understand however that fresh water on this walk (or at least some sections of it) can be very scarce.

What are people's thoughts on the viability of this as a summer walk? We had discussed doing the entire walk but 3, 4 or 5 days would also be fine if there is a certain area with better water prospects. Might it be a matter of seeing how much rain the area gets through December before deciding? We don't really want to have to carry huge amounts of water - after all, we'll have to carry celebratory NYE drinks!

Thanks,

Drew

[MartyGwynne]

OK where are you going? Starting from finishing at camping etc???
You will not find much water in some years and others there will be lots.
I once went to Red River from Wingan and intended to get water there - wrong brackish water flowing back over the rock barrier and yuk.
One of us had 6 litres of water! My mate and myself had about 1 litre of water and about 7 litres of wine!!!! we drank the wine and had a good time.
We could have walked along the old 4wd track through to the Benadore Inlet to get water (about 3-4 hrs return) but thought we had enough red wine.
I have yet to walk the small bit between Bemm river to WIngan as it is a bit dry and I hate walking along sandy beaches.
I would just go and do it, but with a mind that you may not get much good water at that time of year. Take a tarp with you and hope for rain.
Marty.

[surly 17]

Hi drew, Ive just been at Thurra river and people were drinking water from the river.

[Drew]

Thanks for those replies. At this stage I'm not sure where we would be going as this might depend on which parts have water. A friend who has walked the VIC and NSW ends tells me that the NSW part is the best, but also has the scarcest water supplies.

We might just have to see how much rain there is in the next few weeks.

[Summitview]

I have just walked Mallacoota to Wonboyn (14-16 Jan). Water at Lake Barracoota was good and water at Wau Wauka outlet tasted okay when I walked as far up the outlet until a pad by the outlet ran out. There was flowing water in a vegetated area 200 metres in from the shore, just north-east of Iron Prince reef (about 618440). There was further water seeping out of the dunes in a number of places around the rocky headland and a short flowing gully in the 1.5 km southwest of the border. It looked like you would struggle to get any water at Bunyip Hole. I followed the creek upstream at Little River along Table Creek. The track runs out just before the creek. Here the creek is full of algae; go 50 metres upstream, avoiding the several resident black snakes, to a large pool which was quite palatable. I did not leave the track to look for water elsewhere, nor did I come across any.

The tracks were all followable north from the cove just south of Bunyip Hole to Wonboyn, if a bit overgrown. Walking from Nadgee River to Little River, there is an unmarked but obvious walking track leaving the jeep track, at 612538 which should be followed. Be aware if heading north and going to Merrica River estuary, that the Narrabarba map is wrong. The Table Ridge fire trail is obvious but unsignposted. The Narrabarba map marks the track as heading east from the top of the knoll; in fact, the tracks leaves the main fire trail 200 metres along and down the ridgeline at a SSE direction (this is more accurately marked on the NPWS walk brochure). The map alignment is correct after those first few hundred metres.

Merrica River Estuary was lovely. I crossed 2 hours before high tide and it was only knee deep, so I suspect tide is generally not a problem. Shortly up the hill from the estuary a track becomes clear and is well taped all the way through to Greenglade. It does not however follow the alignment suggested by the guide book, skirting Wonboyn Hill and then going down an earlier spur than suggested in the book, finishing at a cairn and wooden post at about 608687.

It is a great bit of coastal walking and I saw no one for 2 days.