Entry and Exit
via Private Property
Contact details
available from the Public Officer/President of Armidale Bushwalking
Club.
Walk Type |
Approx Daily Km. |
Terrain |
Fitness |
DW- One Day Walk
BP (3d2n) – Backpack, 3 days,
2 nights
CC (2d2n)- Car Camp, 2 days,
2 nights |
S - Short - Less than 10km
M - Medium - 10-15 km
L -Long -15-20 km
XL - Extra Long - over 20 km |
1 - Graded
track, some incline
2 - Graded track, hills, creek crossings
3 - Rough track, steep sections, creek crossings
4 - Off track, moderate terrain
5 - Off track, thick terrain
6 - Rock climbing and exposure |
A - Low
fitness
B - Moderate fitness
C - Good fitness
D - Good fitness with agility
E - High fitness level
F - Strenuous - experienced walkers only! |
Walk Type: a medium
difficulty 2 day 1 night backpack ( BP 2d1n L 4 D)
Location and Access
Permission needed from owners of ‘Ben Nevis’ and ‘Wallamarra’ -
contact details available from the Public Officer/President for
Armidale Bushwalking Club.
Maps: W= Winterbourne 9236-2-N
( + A= Armidale, G= Gostwyck, E= Enmore for the car shuttle)
2 cars -party of 6-8. Travel:
Method 1 ( Both cars drop off at ‘Ben Nevis’
Saturday morning, return to Armidale, then travel back to pick up at
Wallamarra gate on Sunday at 4.30 pm )-
Total for the two trips= 2 X(41.0 +
46.9) – about 180 km
Shuttle 1- Drop off
to ‘Ben Nevis’
Leg Description |
LegKm |
Tot.Km |
To Landmark/ Grid Ref |
Armidale PO (S on Faulkner
St) |
1.3 |
1.3 |
Kentucky St |
L.on Kentucky St-
|
0.9 |
2.2 |
Kennedy St |
Rt. along Kennedy St (=
Dangarsleigh Rd) |
2.0 |
4.2 |
Gostwyck Rd A. 719 199 |
Dangarsleigh Rd veers left –
continue on it |
5.8 |
10.0 |
War Memorial
A.738 146 |
Keep right along Dangarsleigh
Rd. |
2.0 |
12.0 |
Enmore Rd A.727 129 |
Left along Enmore Rd
|
17.0 |
29.0 |
Blue Nobby Rd G.790 001 |
Left onto Blue Nobby Rd
|
6.7 |
35.7 |
Melrose (‘To Sherwood’) Rd E.
851 998 |
Rt. along
Melrose Rd |
2.1 |
37.8 |
Sherwood Rd
E.868 988 |
Right on Sherwood Road
|
3.0 |
40.8 |
‘Ben Nevis’ W.866 962 |
(Shed is about 200 m further
on ) |
0.2 |
41.0 |
Shed Yards W.866 960 |
Shuttle 2 – Pickup
at Wallamarra gate-as above( shaded section overlapping).. ..
Rt. along
Melrose Rd |
2.1 |
37.8 |
Sherwood Rd
E.868 988 |
Continue
Left along Melrose Road |
3.4 |
41.2 |
4WD track
W.894 971 |
Right along
4WD track |
2.4 |
43.6 |
Track
Junction W.916 970 |
Right on
Enmore Long Point 4WD track |
3.4 |
47.0 |
‘Wallamarra’
gate W.944 973 |
Method 2 Section A as above to ‘Ben
Nevis’. Leave most walkers there, drive both cars to ‘Wallamarra’
gate (Section C below). Leave one car there, shuttle the
walker-drivers back to ‘Ben Nevis’, then go back to Armidale in the
shuttle car before returning to pick up walkers at ‘Wallamarra’ gate
.
Total distance for shuttle car and driver = (180 km
as above, + 2 X 12.4)= about 205 km.
(the car left at ‘Wallamarra’ gate will travel (41.0
+ 12.4 + 47.0 = about 100 km)
Section C
Leg
Description |
LegKm
|
Tot.Km |
To
Landmark/ Grid Ref |
Backtrack
from ‘Ben Nevis’ Shed Yards |
3.2 |
3.2 |
Melrose Rd
E.868 988 |
Right
along Melrose Road |
3.4 |
6.6 |
4WD track
W.894 971 |
Right along
4WD track |
2.4 |
9.0 |
Track
Junction W.916 970 |
Right on
Enmore Long Point 4WD track |
3.4 |
12.4 |
‘Wallamarra’
gate W.944 973 |
Walk
(Maps: W= Winterbourne 9236-2-N; Enmore 9236-1-S)
Almost all the
walk is on 1:25 000 “Winterbourne 9236-2-N” map, using
Australian Geodetic Datum 1966 = AGD66.
(note –
figures in bold plain text are taken by GPS at site;
figures in italics are scanned from topo maps- accurate
to within c. 100 metres) |
|
Geode AGD66, Zone 56J |
WGS84 |
- WPName
|
-
UTM Latitude
- Prefix 65
|
-
UTM Longitude
- Prefix 03
|
-
Latitude
- Deg.Min.Sec
|
-
Longitude
- Deg.Min.Sec
|
BENNEVYA |
96975 |
86593 |
S 30.45.43 |
E 151.48.58 |
|
|
|
|
|
BULLPTDING |
94356 |
87205 |
S30.46.36 |
E 159.49.20
|
BULLPTBMC |
93621 |
87723 |
S 30.47.03 |
E 151.49.31 |
BMC+HOLECK |
95256 |
94286 |
S 30.46.09 |
E 151.53.47 |
BMCGRANCAM |
96418 |
96244 |
S 30.45.32 |
E 151.55.01 |
BMC+POSTMA |
96525 |
97876 |
S 30.45.30 |
E 151.56.03 |
WALLAMAGAT |
97238 |
94409 |
S 30.45.05 |
E 151.53.53 |
Sections AA, AB, AC)
Filled Route Card from 2009 walk
Start
Time |
Day 1 Walk Description
(all
on Winterbourne map) |
Walk Leg -Km |
Bear-ing T |
To Grid Reference |
Ht Gain (m) |
Ht. Loss (m) |
Travel Time
Hr.Min |
End Time |
|
BENNEVYDS ‘Ben Nevis’ Shed Yards 866/960 ASL 1050
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
10.43 |
S +/-
along fence , then veer left round high point SSE down to
internal fence gate ASL 900 |
1.6 |
170 |
871/ 946
|
0 |
150 |
0.35 |
11.18
|
11.19 |
4WD road
across creek , then sharp right to BULLPTDINGO – gate
in Dingo fence ASL 880 |
0.5 |
150 |
872/943 |
30 |
50 |
0.15 |
11.34 |
11.34 |
S through fence, zigzag down Bullpoint
Spur, then left on horsetrack to BULLPTBMC Blue
Mtn Ck
ASL440 |
c. 2.0 |
190 |
877/ 936 |
0 |
440 |
1.01 |
12.35 |
1.40 |
Down BMC
to Hole Creek junct
ASL 320
BMC+HOLECK
|
c 12.0 |
+/-E |
94286/
95257 |
0 |
120 |
4.00 |
5.40 |
|
Totals
|
c. 16.0 |
|
|
30 |
760 |
5.51 |
|
Day 1.Ben Nevis- Bullpoint Spur-
Hole CreekThe view from the woolshed at ‘Ben Nevis’ is a real
bonus for people who may be waiting while others do the car shuttle.
There’s often a bit of fog hanging over the gorges, but as it
gradually clears, Tabletop Mountain appears , looming over the
opposite side of Blue Mountain Creek to the Southeast, and then the
distinctive nose of Point Lookout appears far away to the ENE.
You bear a bit to the right from
the woolshed, over pleasant open grazing country to the gate in the
Dingo Fence. The track is then pretty obvious, zigzagging down
Bullpoint Spur with views upstream across Razorback Spur. About 2/3
of the way down, keep an eye for where a track turns off abruptly
left to angle down across the face of the slope and fetch up at Blue
Mountain Creek.
The wander
down Blue Mountain Creek is delightful, with open flats mixed with
occasional tight pinches. Take your time, have a good lunch
somewhere, and brew up a coffee somewhere else- at this ambling
rate, it’ll take a few hours to make it into camp at a broad grassy
flat beside Hole Creek. There’s always water here, with the junction
pool usually OK for a good swim.
sections W, V, AD
Filled Route
Card from 2009 Walk
- Start
Time
|
- Day 2
Walk Description (all but 2 km of 4WD track on Winterbourne
map)
|
-
Km
|
-
Bear-ing T
|
-
To Grid Reference
|
-
Ht Gain (m)
|
-
Ht. Loss (m)
|
-
Travel Time
- Hr.Min
|
-
End Time
|
8.30 |
Down BMC
to Granville Spur
GRANVICAMP ASL 300 |
3.20 |
+/- NE |
96243/
96417 |
0 |
20 |
1.15 |
9.45 |
10.16 |
Down BMC
to
Postmans Creek Junction BMC+POSTMA
ASL 280 |
2.50 |
+/- E |
97876
/96525 |
0 |
20 |
0.55 |
11.11 |
12.20 |
Up BMC/Postmans
Ck spur to WALLAMAGAT Wallamarra Gate
ASL 890
|
6.00 |
+/-WNW |
94409/
97238 |
640 |
10 |
2.55 |
3.15 |
|
Totals
|
c. 11.70 |
|
|
640 |
50 |
5.05 |
|
Day 2. Hole Creek to Postmans
Creek
If you’re
lucky, on a brief morning wander up Hole Creek you will see a Rock
Wallaby perched on the mini-cliffs a hundred metres above camp.
There’s a bit of dry rainforest tumbling down through a cleft, and
signs of an old hut clearing a bit further up.
Heading
downstream, you’ll see Blue Mountain Creek widening out slowly. A
good spot for morning break is at the base of Granville Spur, where
there’s a deep pool, open shady banks, and a cliff with occasional
Rock Wallabies. A bit of a swim, a good cup of coffee, and on again.
The next big
pool ends at Postmans Creek, another hour or so on. Here Max Brennan
had a fenced area for his horses, there’s plenty of space for tents,
and it’s probably time for another swim and lunch.
Postmans
Creek to Wallamarra Gate
At first you
cross a broad area with another fenced Brennan paddock, with trees
and shrubs gradually growing over the grassy horsefeed. Then the
spur begins in earnest. There’s still a clear horsetrack – or in
some places, multiple tracks- up the narrowing ridge. It’s one of
the easiest ridges out of the gorges, with some good views down Blue
Mountain Creek and up Hole Creek across to ‘Cheyenne’. At the ‘Take
It Easy’ pace, it’s still 610 metres and about 3 hours to Wallamarra
gate.
|