Carrabeanga
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| Best season: | Oct-Apr (avg for this region)
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-33.9345, 150.1171
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Introduction[edit]
Note: These notes are updated from a trip end April 2025.
Carrabeanga is one of the hardest, if not the hardest, of the canyons flowing into Kanangra Creek. It is a remote wilderness trip requiring advanced navigational and ropework skills. All of the party should have previous experience in Kanangra canyons. Travel light and fast. It is not recommended as a dry winter trip, despite what you may see elsewhere. For the full canyon it is not a one-day car-to-car trip, even the fastest parties will struggle, see the summer 23/24 trip report below. If doing it as a one-day, use the RR exit that cuts off the bottom of the canyon, and also consider camping at the top (carrying in water to the camp).
It is sensible to drop water on the way in for the return trip.
Approach[edit]
The GPX for Carrabeanga is included in the GPX for Thurat_Rift.
Park at the King Pin Firetrail on the Kanangra Walls road. Follow the King Pin Firetrail to Mount Thurat. Follow the ridge along Thurat Tops (use the GPX) to the intersection of Thurat Ridge and Burra Gunama Ridge. Drop water here for the return trip. Follow Burra Gunama Ridge to Burra Gunama Hill. Walk down to Carrabeanga Brook, then downstream to the first anchor. Allow 2h30m for the walk in.
Descent[edit]
Follow the attached abseil summary list, and diagram of the Carrabeanga Falls. Pay particular attention to the comments for abseils 5, 6 and 7. From about abseil 10 the abseils vary. Chances are you'll lose track of where you are and will struggle to work out how to map what's in front of you to the abseil list. The main thing is to keep searching for anchors and watch out for the exit point.
Abseil List:
| Rap | M | L/R | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| R1 | 20 | RR | Or scramble RL |
| R2 | 15 | RL | Small tree about 10m left of stream |
| R3 | 15 | RL | About 10m left of stream |
| R4 | 45 | RC | Off tree in centre of creek, then to large gum on RR |
| Main Carrabeanga waterfall bypass on RR starts here | |||
| R5 | 20 | RR | Tree with tape. |
| R6 | 30 | RR | Tree with tape |
| R7 | 45 | RR | Off large gum with rope around it. Abseil to abseilers left and don’t go down to rock ledge at 55m |
| R8 | 60 | RR | Off large protruding tree on abseils left |
| Back in creek below the main Carrabeanga waterfall. Abseil sequence gets vague from here | |||
| R9 | 40 | RR | Off tree into gully |
| R10 | 50 | RR | Traverse out right 5m (sketchy) to tree |
| R11 | 40 | RR | Traverse out right |
| R12 | 10 | RR | Tree (no sling 2025) |
| R13 | 10 | RR | Tree |
| R14 | 20 | RR | Obvious tree |
| R15 | 20 | RL | Big tree with tape |
| R16 | 28 | RL | |
| R17 | 10?? | RL | Choss ledge to get to overhanging tree |
| R18 | 30 | RL | Off tree |
| RR scrambling exit | |||
| R19 | 15 | RL | Avoid the scramble, be safe, you're tired |
| RR When possible, head up, left, and onto ridge RR and walk |
Exit[edit]
Two possible exits:
- RR as per GPX. Ridge is steep and occasional 1-2m scramble, overall good going. Return to entry path.
- Exit out the bottom on RR as per abseil description. Then continue as per below.
Two possible campsites RR of Kanangra Creek, up the bank:
- Halfway between Carrabeanga Creek and Cyclops Gully
- Opposite Cyclops Gully
After an overnight camp on Kanangra Creek, exit via the ridge to the south of Cyclops Gully. Marked on OSM maps. An interesting ridge.
Red tape[edit]
Beta sites[edit]
Read this report from a summer 23/24 descent, and form your own opinion on the advice given in the "Introduction" paragraph.
Read this report on the deaths in Carrabeanga.
This report from 2017 characterises the trip.
Trip reports and media[edit]
YouTube.com : Richard Pattison, Carra Beanga Brook movie
Background[edit]
David Noble says: named by Myles Dunphy. First descended by Rona Butler and Aart Vervoon, 1963/4 (KBC Walks Secretary report - 1964)