Section R.
click on thumbnail to see larger photo.
Back |
R |
MACLEAYBMC 0399067/6594759
down Macleay to Kero
Spur MACLCCOMB10400575/6592725 |
3.30 km |
50 minutes |
(It is that flat!)
1: 25000 Map |
Projection
(AGD 66) |
Waypoint Name |
Zone |
Eastings |
Northings |
HASL
(metres) |
Winterbourne |
UTM |
MACLEAYBMC |
56J |
0399067 |
6594759 |
258 |
Winterbourne |
UTM |
MACLKERWIN |
56J |
0399750 |
6592950 |
245 |
Winterbourne |
UTM |
MACLKERSUM |
56J |
0399752 |
6592576 |
250 |
Winterbourne |
UTM |
MACLCCOMB1 |
56J |
0400574 |
6592725 |
240 |
This is a very relaxing walk, with a
bit of a scramble over rocks at the start, then a couple of
kilometres along the W bank of the river to a great winter
campsite, open to morning sun, flat, clear, near water. The same
side, or a river crossing to a very different (shaded, cool, no
morning sun) summer campsite on the E side. You may
see wild horses. Take lots of photos. The bit on from
MACLKERSUM
requires a couple of crossings. |
|
|
|
Looking up the Macleay, with Blue Mountain
Creek coming in on the left. Stay on the SW side where there is a
good cleared lunch spot just after passing… |
…the large rounded and serrated
leaf of Giant Stinging Tree (Dendrocnide
excelsa) (W) AG66 990.947. DO NOT TOUCH. The sting
ranges from painful to agonising, and can persist for weeks in
humans. However tough native animals are not affected- the leaves are
usually full of holes, or even chewed down completely-as on left of
photo. More :
http://www.ecosmagazine.com/?act=view_file&file_id=EC105p18.pdf |
Stay on the
SW side after the junction, and do a bit of a scramble up through
some figs onto a clear rocky area. Then stay at that height, and
you will find a bit of a track. Follow it along and down opposite...
|
|
|
|
… where it comes down onto the river floodplain. You can now
stay on this side for a couple of kilometres. |
You normally see
wild horses along here. You also see ‘owned’ ones, because they are
quick to escape through flood-damaged fences to live a work-free
life on the river. Remember to thank them for the great tracks you
have been using. |
Looking
NE you will have noticed the low cliffs on the other E side
of the river along this bit. This is a great spot for a winter camp,
if the wind is not blowing hard upstream. It is open. Sheltered from
the N and W. There is a good pool nearby. However, you will get
wet feet first thing tomorrow if heading downstream. The next few
photos may help you decide. |
|
|
|
From
Winter Camp. Glance at the map. You are looking due S over a low
U-bend in the Macleay, about 500 m from Kerosene
Creek junction. The skyline ridge leads up to the Cocks Comb, just
out of sight on the right . Now, for the view back… |
…. view
due N, from Cocks Comb ridge). At the bottom of the U-bend on the
left is Kerosene Creek junction. Directly opposite it across the
Macleay, about 50 m into the trees, is Summer Camp. Looking
straight across is the open space of Winter Camp to the right
centre. Then the straight bit of the Macleay up to the ski-jump of
Lorraines Pass above Blue Mountain Creek junction. Barely visible
at the top centre of the map is Enmore Long Point between Blue
Mountain and Postmans Creek. You have to decide whether to use ‘Winter
Camp’ or ….
|
… cross the
river- no problem when the water is low, at the narrow point here-
and walk past ….. |
|
|
|
…. the Kerosene Creek junction to... |
... a home among
the gum trees, with good shelter, backrests, fireplace, and even,
if they survive the next fire, ready-made supports for tent flys.
There’s a lemon tree nearby. Did you bring the pancake mix and
a bit of sugar?). |
Keep a eye out for this
beautiful climber . Wonga Vine (Pandorea
pandorana ) has leaves with three to seven (?) leaflets. Young
plants have rather ferny looking leaves with numerous small, almost
circular leaflets with toothed edges. This form may unique to the
Macleay, with yellow rather than white flowers. The cultivar “Golden
Showers” may have been developed from this. |
Opposite MACLCCOMB1 There are four
different species of fig in the Macleay. This one is probably Rusty
Fig (Ficus rubiginosa). The small hole in the end of a ripe
fig is where the wasp enters that pollinates the flowers inside
the fleshy part. |
There
are four different species of fig in the Macleay- this one is
probably Rusty Fig (Ficus rubiginosa ). There
are three types of flowers inside the fleshy ‘fruit’.
The male and long female flowers are pollinated by
wasps, who enter through a small hole in the end of the fig and lay
their eggs where the short female flowers can act as food for
the developing young. In these figs, the crunchy bits are both
seeds and wasps. Enjoy eating your Macleay wasps! (Several
commercial varieties of fig are self-fertile and are not visited by
fig wasps). |
|