Bungonia State Conservation Area
Sunday afternoon.The Ambassador camper must be returned tomorrow, 5 Nov 2007.Earlier today I stopped in Canberra to do my final blogging and finalize my return to Perth – less than $200 to fly from Sydney to Perth.I had been considering riding the train across but at more than twice the airfare, Qantas won.
My goal for the evening was to be within a couple hundred kilometres of Sydney and have a quiet campsite in a fine location for my last night.
A small, green tent on the map caught my attention; south of Gouldburn and 30 kilometres from the main, noisy highway.It looked perfect.
My habit has become to taunt the wallabies and kangaroos each night.Tonight was no exception.Getting too busy during the day walking a track or chasing a bird, I forget the necessity of getting to campsite.A couple minutes after sunset I arrived at Bungonia State Conservation Area.I was pleasantly surprised by the find; particularly the hot shower – all for $5.00.(The price is set to increase to $10.00).
Come morning I was to eat my last hot meal – broccoli.
Monday morning.I’m not sure I wanted this day to come but at the same time it is time to go home.Remember I was reminiscing about my travels a few days ago.I’ve been on the wallaby since March 2006. Until recently I simply thought I was a wanderer - now it has a name.
Back to Monday morning.I spent most of it packing and sorting through the cupboards and bins.When finished it was still early so I drove to the lookover.I immediately knew it was something good.
A sign – NO BASE Jumping (Parachuting).
Looking over the edge, it was hundreds of metres to the bottom.A sign described the narrow slot canyon at the bottom – 3.8 kilometres round trip requiring 4-5 hours to complete.Not recommended for elderly, unfit or those with heart conditions.Just looking down from the lookover was enough to give me a heart condition.
Applying my formula for actual hiking time I thought I might be able to do it before going in to Sydney then decided I’d return to Bungonia for a second night after returning the WorldNomads vehicle.
After spending over an hour retracing my steps around several blocks in Sydney I was glad I had not attempted the hike.
Rain splashed against the windscreen as I returned to Bungonia.I was going to test the new indoor sleeping accommodation – my Subaru Forester.Not nearly as spacious as the camper or as a Ford Falcon but by moving the seat forward and filling the void between the cargo area and the front seat I was able to almost stretch out straight.
Tuesday, there was still a light mist falling when I started hiking straight down a ridge.An hour later I was in the canyon.
A sign warned, “Don’t be here at 3:10 pm.Explosives in the quarry above are used daily.There is a risk of rockfall.”
The trail disappeared.Instead it was route finding through the rocks lining the streambed.After 20 minutes I was at the mouth of the slot canyon.Boulders the size of houses were piled upon each other.A reminder of how powerful water can be.
My camera, ever present on my left hip, had to be put in the rucksack.
A couple minutes later I collapsed the trekking pole strapping it to the rucksack.
A few minutes later, as I took the rucksack off and slid it through a slot above my head – hoping it didn’t fall through a crack on the other side only to splash into the water below, I was wondering about the merits of doing the walk alone.Wedging myself between the boulders I shimmied up then slid belly-slid my way through the narrow gap.
Repeatedly I used this technique to navigate up the riverbed until it flattened out to sand and gravel path.
I could hear a couple climbers above me discussing the route, “This is steep.It’s a long ways up.Are you sure we will make it?”
Rustling the bush caught my attention.Leaning back and forth to get a clear view through the stems I finally saw it.A lyrebird scratching in the litter.It chose to follow the trail up the canyon wall.As it hopped and flew up the rock ledges I slowly climbed, hand over hand up the trail – sometimes on the trail – sometimes not.I met a few people on their way down.We exchanged notes on where the trail was and where it was not..
After three hours of strenuous hiking and losing the route one last time I crested the canyon rim just a short distance from the car park.
The temptation to stay another night taunted me but it was still early afternoon and I needed food.I drove in to Gouldburn to look for a second hand store to purchase a pot at.Then I would get a campstove at Kmart (Often the least expensive supplier of camping supplies in Australia).No finding a used pot I skipped the purchase of a stove.Next stop – Supermarket to stock up on provisions not requiring cooking.For the price of a pot, stove and fuel I could purchase a few prepared meals should I become so inclined.
Gouldburn is a wonderful town.It’s far enough from Sydney to have a country feel yet has good public transportation to the city.It was one of the early towns settled.The result – striking Australian tainted, Victorian architecture.
Home for the evening was Bummaro Ford in Abercrombie National Park – a small campsite next to the river. Between the campsite and river was a grove of beautiful old trees.At least 5 lyrebirds spent time cheering and jeering about each other.As the sun set wombats snipped the grass and wallabies stood guard on the forested hill above the camp.If it had not been raining it would have been a perfect campsite.
