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Tuesday 8 December 2015

Canoelands Ridge

I wanted to walk from  Gentlemans Halt back up to the Canoelands Ridge Fire Trail and missed the opportunity when I camped there six weeks ago.  To get there this time, I launched the kayak at the Government Wharf near Wendoree Park. Its only about 1 klm across but I paddled up a creek near Spencer first.

A low tide called for a muddy start and a "seal " launch as you slide down the mud in the kayak.

Not a lot of water under the boat as you enter the creek and then the mangrove tunnel.







Approaching Gentlemans Halt, showing the route of my walk. Up over the first hill and then up the larger ridge behind. 

Ruins of the settlement on the slope of the first hill. 

As you climb the first hill, views appear across to Spencer. 



Grass trees dominate the top of the first hill

And then its down again before up to the Canoelands Ridge. Steep, more of a route than a track, following cairns up through passes between the cliffs. 




More views open up back to Spencer and the mouth of Mangrove Creek 





Looking upstream 






Spencer 

Looking through the trees as the Hawkesbury River loops around Gentlemans Halt  



Once at the top I followed the fire trail out to the cliffs opposite Big Jim's Point

Spectacular views up and down the Hawkesbury.



Looking back to Gentlemans Halt 

Just superb 





Back where I had chained the kayak to a tree, the tide had come in.

Then,as a reward, I stopped at Spencer for a beer and a chicken wrap lunch from the cafe.

A  harder, and a bit longer walk than I envisaged. A 5klm paddle and a steeply up and down 6.7klm walk.

3 comments:

Richard Maschmeyer said...

Did you go up an actual path to reach that failed settlement or was it a bush-bash?

robert c said...

From memory it is on or just off the track up the ridge. The track is,or was at the time, indistinct but still easily walked.

Richard Maschmeyer said...

Thanks. Walked it yesterday but didn't see it. I found the steep descent\climb rather hard, took me about 45 minutes to climb back up. Would help if I had upper body strength and wasn't an obese PhD student ;)