Alcatraz
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| | Raps:1, max ↨49ft
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| Best season: | Oct-Apr (avg for this region)
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-33.3447, 150.2396
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Introduction[edit]
Alcatraz Canyon is a very short, easy to get to unique canyon out on the Newnes Plateau. The canyon itself is very short, has a single fun but technical abseil, and a unique exit via a horizontal gap in the rock that the creek flows out of.
Approach[edit]
With the former Newnes State forest being taken over by NPWS and converted into the Gardens of Stone Conservation area in 2023 road access is changing. Also the Park boundary has changed meaning Alcatraz itself is now within the Wollemi NP. This all means road access to the old car park at GR 428 068 is now more difficult. At the time of writing you could still navigate to GR 429 063. However long term plan is to close vehicle access to roads north of the old prison grounds.
From the old car park you can follow the former 4wd track down to the cliff line and head right to simply head north for a more direct approach. The cliff edge give great views out the exit spout as you traverse east then north to enter the side creek at GR 430 072.
Descent[edit]
Once you enter the small tributary it leads to the main creek, and it is just a hundred metres downstream and around a corner before you are at the top of the dramatic abseil. Looking down the narrow abseil, watching the water swirl and twist then do a big curl off the lip into the depths of the chute and pool below. It does build the excitement for this abseil.
Anchor is a threaded rope on canyon left. 15m drop takes you down a narrow curl. There are a couple of pot holes to avoid, especially in higher water as they can be leg grabbers. Then there is a tricky off camber edge about 3/4 of the way down where it opens into the main chamber. Care is needed here to avoid getting your device caught or arm jammed under the rope.
Exit[edit]
Once you do the exit and down the slippery cascade, follow the creek downstream for a while until you hit a nice multi-level cascade, you will know it. We then crossed over and followed a feint track up to the bottom of the cliffline, followed that for a while until we climbed up and over a rocky bit, down through a crack, then went left up into the big exit gully where we crossed over a dry creek and exited finally behind a big rocky pagoda for an easy walk back to the car.
