GNW Canyon – in the Watagans of all places!

The terrain wasn’t at all scrubby (way better than the entry we made a few weeks ago into another creek – on that trip we almost lost Trish in impenetrable scrub).

Then we headed down into a side creek, and again, terrain and vegetation was very friendly.

There were a few small drops in this side creek, but nothing that we couldn’t walk around.

A few small pools too, evidence that there’s been a bit of rain over the last few weeks, ordinarily, you’d expect this side creek to be dry.

And then we entered our creek, very pretty.

I was taking a photo of this strangler fig tree on a rock, but Trish was talking and telling us about her dogs that she took on a bush walk, there were lots of hand motions that I just had to capture. Apparently one of the dogs has AHAD or is that ADHA?

The creek was really nice, and easy walking.

Another pretty creek section and we’re walking around a lot of big pools.

And then an unexpected section of canyon, we had to slide down this rock (using the hand line which this time I’d remembered to bring). Trish stopped at the bottom to make sure I got down ok, the bottom section of rock was very slippery.

Penny making her way down the slippery slope.

In the distance is the rock we’d slid down, this was followed by a compulsory wade.

And then the water plunged into a hole, it looked like a duck under (the hole Trish is in was very deep), so I encouraged Trish to go in and see if it was a duck under? It is but it’s way too deep to do, the hole is down where Trish’s feet are!

More pools and swims, by now we’re giving this creek a 9/10.

And then we got to this section, full-on canyon!

Followed by a very constricted section.

Creek opens out again.

Followed by a mini waterfall, that you could slide down, or walk around. Penny and Trish chose the slide.

Penny on the slide.

Constricted section after the slide.

And the creek opens out again.

And then we’re at the part of the creek that we explored last time … but I didn’t photograph it last time because I’d lost my camera in a pool by then. This part of the creek is lovely, slab rock base and wall of rock on one side.

This swim and slide isn’t compulsory but the pool was so inviting we all decided to give it a go.

Penny after the slide, she’s doing really well for someone who can’t swim, the buoyancy vest helped though.

And the piece de resistance, dropping into the canyon.

You maneuver around the rock, then drop into the water.

Penny about to drop in, you can’t really jump, it’s sort of a controlled shimmy.

Ian about to drop in.

Compulsory swim, the water was cold, but being in the canyon was so cool.

Looking back to where we’d dropped in.

And the last bit. There are two ways to do this. Slide in down the small waterfall, or jump from this committing rock slope. Ian was our crash test dummy, although he had done it the last time (I’d walking around the whole canyon section with Penny the last time – hence my return).

The jump.

This was Penny’s first big jump into a pool. She wasn’t keen but by the time she got to the edge, there was no backing out!  I didn’t feel like jumping today, and there was too much water going over the small waterfall to make it safe, so I took a secret track around the pool that the others didn’t know about (lol).

Trish and Penny swimming through to the end.

We got to the tourist track and then made our way back upstream via a good safe route and walked back up the creek (above the canyon section). The creek bed is flat rock with this lovely cliff at the side.

And this time of the day was the perfect time to take photos (all day I’d struggled with too much light).

Just before our exit route.