Conditions:Back Creek-20230220100704
Latest: |
23 Dec 2022 (2 yrs, 5 mos ago) |
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| Reported by: | Felixrulz (76 reports) | |
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| Quality: | Great |
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| Waterflow: | Low |
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| Wetsuit: | None |
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| Water temperature: | ||
| Difficulty: | Normal |
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| Time: |
Team: 4 people
Trip report URL:
Comments: This time I was the one collected from the airport by my parents. We headed south and spent the night in front of David’s place. It seemed like Mum and Dad had had a relaxing week enjoying the places I recommended to them and a bit more.
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DAY1 BACK CREEK Party: Dad, Mum, Uncle Phil and I
Phil was heading up for the Woodford Folk Festival (I went once back in 2008 and would love to go again!) and we were heading down to Sydney so we worked out a trip roughly where we’d cross paths. Back Creek seemed to fit the bill. It had been on my radar for a while but I’d been reading about a lot of access issues, whilst some people were saying it was still open. In the end we decided to give it a crack and see what all the fuss was about. Phil was a little reluctant as he had already visited this creek but we swayed him commenting that it was more about the company 🙂 We met at Denham Scenic Reserve, Phil uncharacteristically late for our 9am rendezvous. Through a small park, across a creek and we were quickly running parallel to Back Creek. After a few minutes we turned off at an obvious intersection. It wasn’t long before we were at the top of the impressive Denham Falls. The anchor was poorly placed and set quite back from the edge, nevertheless it was a nice drop with impressive basalt columns. Our ~50m rope didn’t quite reach the bottom doubled, but there were plenty of exit options so it didn’t matter at all.
There was a bit of creek walking that followed and we met a group of locals who were wandering upstream. Exchanging some pleasantries we parted ways. The others decided to abseil Lip Falls, but I was happy to take the extremely easy walkaround. The other group caught back up with us at the bottom of the falls. Not far away was a coiled python beneath a rock.
The trip continued in a similar fashion, the waterfalls all roughly spaced at 200m intervals with easy creek walking in between. After Cavern Falls, we reached Rainbow falls (though we didn’t know all the names at the time). Someone had girth hitched a blue ratchet strap around a small overhanging tree. I used it to hand-over-had the top little bit - thereafter it was an okay downclimb - or jump! I climbed up a couple of times to do just that after checking the depth.
<INSERT VIDEO>
P4 Rainbow Falls
Before reaching Twin Falls there was an interesting section of creek (probably my favourite), with some large boulders and flat tiered sections of bedrock. Phil thought we were going too far until the boulders jogged his memory.
After the final drop we found the marked exit and followed flagging tape to the base of bluff exhibiting some exceptional basalt columns. The track then basically the bluff around. There were tracks down to all the waterfalls and we mistakenly took one to the bottom of lip falls finding an old marajuana plantation on the way. Retracing our steps we continued contouring, disturbing an owl that was likely trying to sleep. Not long after we lost Phil when he raced off ahead.
Soon we linked up with a fairly obvious track that led to the main thoroughfare. On the way out a large fence blocked our path. A well trodden path led down the slope and back up again. Quite annoying. On the other side we found a sign directed at people coming the other way that the track was closed and security cameras were in place. Woops!
EDIT: it looks like the creek enters the Pittongu property (see the cadastre layer on the Queensland Globe. Maybe to do it legally you’d have to leave ropes in place and ascend back up the creek. Creeks in Australia are generally public, but it always seems a touchy subject.
After a lookout of the first waterfall we were in familiar territory and quickly back at the cars where we found Phil. We spread out on the grass for some lunch/afternoon tea. A magpie joined us once when it caught a cicada that was flying past. My parents and I now had a decent drive to get down to Coffs to visit a couple of creeks there. We bid Phil farwell (I’d see him in NZ shortly when we were walking the Routeburn Track) and began driving down the road… pausing briefly for another (third!) python of the day.
All condition reports
| Date | Quality | Waterflow | Wetsuit | Difficulty | Time | Team | Reported by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great | Low
| None
| Normal | | 4 people | Felixrulz (76 reports) | |
Comment: This time I was the one collected from the airport by my parents. We headed south and spent the night in front of David’s place. It seemed like Mum and Dad had had a relaxing week enjoying the places I recommended to them and a bit more.
____________________________________ DAY1 BACK CREEK Party: Dad, Mum, Uncle Phil and I Phil was heading up for the Woodford Folk Festival (I went once back in 2008 and would love to go again!) and we were heading down to Sydney so we worked out a trip roughly where we’d cross paths. Back Creek seemed to fit the bill. It had been on my radar for a while but I’d been reading about a lot of access issues, whilst some people were saying it was still open. In the end we decided to give it a crack and see what all the fuss was about. Phil was a little reluctant as he had already visited this creek but we swayed him commenting that it was more about the company 🙂 We met at Denham Scenic Reserve, Phil uncharacteristically late for our 9am rendezvous. Through a small park, across a creek and we were quickly running parallel to Back Creek. After a few minutes we turned off at an obvious intersection. It wasn’t long before we were at the top of the impressive Denham Falls. The anchor was poorly placed and set quite back from the edge, nevertheless it was a nice drop with impressive basalt columns. Our ~50m rope didn’t quite reach the bottom doubled, but there were plenty of exit options so it didn’t matter at all. There was a bit of creek walking that followed and we met a group of locals who were wandering upstream. Exchanging some pleasantries we parted ways. The others decided to abseil Lip Falls, but I was happy to take the extremely easy walkaround. The other group caught back up with us at the bottom of the falls. Not far away was a coiled python beneath a rock. The trip continued in a similar fashion, the waterfalls all roughly spaced at 200m intervals with easy creek walking in between. After Cavern Falls, we reached Rainbow falls (though we didn’t know all the names at the time). Someone had girth hitched a blue ratchet strap around a small overhanging tree. I used it to hand-over-had the top little bit - thereafter it was an okay downclimb - or jump! I climbed up a couple of times to do just that after checking the depth.
After a lookout of the first waterfall we were in familiar territory and quickly back at the cars where we found Phil. We spread out on the grass for some lunch/afternoon tea. A magpie joined us once when it caught a cicada that was flying past. My parents and I now had a decent drive to get down to Coffs to visit a couple of creeks there. We bid Phil farwell (I’d see him in NZ shortly when we were walking the Routeburn Track) and began driving down the road… pausing briefly for another (third!) python of the day.
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