Conditions:Ballunjui Falls-20230220092825

Latest:	18 Feb 2023 (2 yrs, 7 mos ago)

Reported by:	Felixrulz (76 reports)
Quality:	Poor
Waterflow:	Very Low
Wetsuit:	None
Water temperature:
Difficulty:	Normal
Time:

Team: 2 people

Trip report URL:

Comments: Met up with Kat who had posted online. Funnily enough I realised we'd chatted online before when we were both in the Blue Mtns. I car pooled with Kat from the city up to Binna Burra. We were soon on our way through the rain forest with lots to chat about. Following the signs for the Ships Stern we took the Border Track, Daves Creek track, and then Ship's Stern track track. Walking past Nagariggon Falls we continued on the track only a short way before dropping into the creek above the Ballanjui Cascades. There was a fallen tree across the top with some tape and a rusty mallion looped around it. Kat wasn't keen on that anchor or the acacia I proposed instead. This basically ruled out the main two options on the creek left. On the right however was another smaller watercourse. We found a good anchor here. I abseiled down first. The 60m rope was a bit short. We'd rigged the pith with a releasable 8, but there was another suitable anchor and I was confident I could scramble back up. I did so and we ended up recovering the anchor material and lopping the rope around the tree, abseiling down and then abseiled the last bit (I handlined). We joined the track and walked around the lower cascades dropping in above Booboora Falls. There was a good tree here for an anchor, though I had to be a little persuasive again that the pull would be ok. The waterfall dropped down into a circular pool. You can probably (and Kat did) avoid the water by scrambling around wither side, but I found the water to only reach my thighs were I walked across. A lady saw us from the bottom but didn't hang around long. Kat found it strange that I was happy to drink from the creek. We past the lady on the way to the next drop. This is probably the typical start for the trip. A short abseil into a pool. We watched a snake swimming around in the pool for a time. I wasn't sure if it was simply having fun, or doing a very poor job at looking for a way out. A small optional abseil followed. I down climbed through some annoying but delicious raspberry whilst Kat walked around to the top of the large drop that is probably the highlight for most.

The first of the main pitches had options for anchors on either side. Kat had climbed down to the one on the left and at first I wasn't sure where she had gone too! The pitch fairly straight forward and deposited us onto a rock shelf. The next anchor ppl use is a tree out of the creek on the left. I found a boulder and thread that we could have used to abseil straight down the falls, but was out voted. At the bottom of this pitch, we spent a bit of time photo pfaffing with Kat's GoPro. The final drop was more than 30m. I know because the rope was about 5m short and I was lowered the last bit to the bottom. It was quite a nice and I got some nice photos of Kat descending from downstream framed by the trunks of palms and other leafed trees. Here we linked up with the walking track that is used to access the bottom of the falls. We began walking up the hill the vegetation here noticeably different to what we had initially set out in at the beginning of the day. We paused many times on the way back. A couple of times to deal with some blisters. Once to admire and climb some roots growing down a moss covered fluting in the rock. A couple of times at some decent lookouts. And probably a few others to drink or rest. We weren't rushing, and it gave us plenty of opportunity to talk and admire our surroundings. Just before we reached the cars we finally heard some of the cat birds I'd promised Kat we'd here. We sat on the grass for a bit letting our bare feet dry.

One the way back we took a less direct, more scenic route stopping at pies at the 'famous' Yatala pie shop. Funnily they wouldn't serve creek on a hot dessert pie.

I was dropped back off in the city and got ready for a paragliding day on the morrow. Little did I know my car would break down twice on the way, and then more permanently when I decided to turn tail. I ended up waiting 4hrs for a 'tow to saftey' and then managed to hitch a ride with a nice guy named Chris to a train station and take that back to the city. I had to be at the airport early in the morning. I'd have to decide what to do during the week. At least I had confirmed that the pump wasn't getting fuel to the fuel filter... anyway we'll see where that goes!

All condition reports

Date	Quality	Waterflow	Wetsuit	Difficulty	Time	Team	Reported by
18 Feb 2023	Poor	Very Low	None	Normal		2 people	Felixrulz (76 reports)
Comment: Met up with Kat who had posted online. Funnily enough I realised we'd chatted online before when we were both in the Blue Mtns. I car pooled with Kat from the city up to Binna Burra. We were soon on our way through the rain forest with lots to chat about. Following the signs for the Ships Stern we took the Border Track, Daves Creek track, and then Ship's Stern track track. Walking past Nagariggon Falls we continued on the track only a short way before dropping into the creek above the Ballanjui Cascades. There was a fallen tree across the top with some tape and a rusty mallion looped around it. Kat wasn't keen on that anchor or the acacia I proposed instead. This basically ruled out the main two options on the creek left. On the right however was another smaller watercourse. We found a good anchor here. I abseiled down first. The 60m rope was a bit short. We'd rigged the pith with a releasable 8, but there was another suitable anchor and I was confident I could scramble back up. I did so and we ended up recovering the anchor material and lopping the rope around the tree, abseiling down and then abseiled the last bit (I handlined). We joined the track and walked around the lower cascades dropping in above Booboora Falls. There was a good tree here for an anchor, though I had to be a little persuasive again that the pull would be ok. The waterfall dropped down into a circular pool. You can probably (and Kat did) avoid the water by scrambling around wither side, but I found the water to only reach my thighs were I walked across. A lady saw us from the bottom but didn't hang around long. Kat found it strange that I was happy to drink from the creek. We past the lady on the way to the next drop. This is probably the typical start for the trip. A short abseil into a pool. We watched a snake swimming around in the pool for a time. I wasn't sure if it was simply having fun, or doing a very poor job at looking for a way out. A small optional abseil followed. I down climbed through some annoying but delicious raspberry whilst Kat walked around to the top of the large drop that is probably the highlight for most. The first of the main pitches had options for anchors on either side. Kat had climbed down to the one on the left and at first I wasn't sure where she had gone too! The pitch fairly straight forward and deposited us onto a rock shelf. The next anchor ppl use is a tree out of the creek on the left. I found a boulder and thread that we could have used to abseil straight down the falls, but was out voted. At the bottom of this pitch, we spent a bit of time photo pfaffing with Kat's GoPro. The final drop was more than 30m. I know because the rope was about 5m short and I was lowered the last bit to the bottom. It was quite a nice and I got some nice photos of Kat descending from downstream framed by the trunks of palms and other leafed trees. Here we linked up with the walking track that is used to access the bottom of the falls. We began walking up the hill the vegetation here noticeably different to what we had initially set out in at the beginning of the day. We paused many times on the way back. A couple of times to deal with some blisters. Once to admire and climb some roots growing down a moss covered fluting in the rock. A couple of times at some decent lookouts. And probably a few others to drink or rest. We weren't rushing, and it gave us plenty of opportunity to talk and admire our surroundings. Just before we reached the cars we finally heard some of the cat birds I'd promised Kat we'd here. We sat on the grass for a bit letting our bare feet dry. One the way back we took a less direct, more scenic route stopping at pies at the 'famous' Yatala pie shop. Funnily they wouldn't serve creek on a hot dessert pie. I was dropped back off in the city and got ready for a paragliding day on the morrow. Little did I know my car would break down twice on the way, and then more permanently when I decided to turn tail. I ended up waiting 4hrs for a 'tow to saftey' and then managed to hitch a ride with a nice guy named Chris to a train station and take that back to the city. I had to be at the airport early in the morning. I'd have to decide what to do during the week. At least I had confirmed that the pump wasn't getting fuel to the fuel filter... anyway we'll see where that goes!