Red track- Bungonia NP (NSW)

[MLD]

I though I'd give a quick track status report on the Red track in Bungonia NP (NSW). I walked it on the weekend of 30 Nov/1 Dec 2014.

Those familiar with Bungonia NP will be aware of the Red track. I had started to hike it years ago but due to an accident with a co-walker i had to turn back and didn't get to the gorge. This time we hiked into the gorge (the slot) and followed it to the end of the creek to the Shoalhaven river which was where there is dedicated camping.

Warning - the track notes on the NP website and at the Ranger's hut records the track as "hard". I'm no woos and I would rate it as extreme.

It requires hiking down a steep decent on slippery shale to the gorge then the slot is about 800m of slippery granite boulders (ranging from waste height to 5m to 6m tall). To get through the slot requires climbing over and under the boulders. There is no defined route and you opt for a route that catches your eye and seems to be the safest.

The gorge and creek was the subject of recent flooding and there are trees down and there is no marked trail. You make your own trail which requires crossing the creek continuously to find the path of least resistance.

The exit of the red track from the gorge is not well marked (the marker is a 4cm x 4cm Red tag on a rock in the middle of the creek). The stinger is the track is so infrequently used so when you exit the creek there is no defined or discernible track to follow to the ridge. We wandered around for 20 min and each track led us back to the creek.

By this stage the thunder storm had formed overhead and it was raining. We had no choice but to follow the creek to the river and find the White track to walk out that way. The Red track says 4 to 5 hrs return. With a quick walker that is about right. My wife was slow and the rain affected the speed at which you could traverse the rocks in the creek.

The track notes for the White track say the descent is steep. I'd rate the descent at 40 deg for about 800m which is a slog when carrying 20kg of pack up the hill. I'd be wary to walk down the White track during rain. It's steep, slippery when dry and if you fall over (when raining) only the next tree will stop your progress.

I haven't walked the section of the Red track from the ridge to the creek (the walk out) but i'd hazard a guess that if you plan to camp on the river I'd walk in via the exit of the red track to the creek and follow the creek to the river. That will cut out the fun of the slot and the descent of the white track but be much easier on the body.

A few photos to record the hike.

Morning tea just as we hit the gorge on the Red track. All full of optimism that the descent was behind us and mistakenly thought the creek was no more than the rocks in the photo.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/12/697.jpg

Unbeknown to us the "white" highlights in the gorge were the boulders that soon occupied hours of crawling, climbing and cursing.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/12/698.jpg

The start of the slot and the granite boulders.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/12/699.jpg

Navigating the boulders. So far we are still having fun.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/12/700.jpg

The fun had gone by now. The 2 small looking boulders on the edge of the water is referenced by the photo with the wife climbing over them.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/12/701.jpg

Small boulders in photo prior

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/12/702.jpg

Out of the slot in one piece. The thunderstorms and rain had set in. All eyes were looking for a 4cm x 4cm red tag on a rock to indicate the exit.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/12/703.jpg

We found the camp area and we had it to ourselves. The home for the night. It was nice camp spot notwithstanding the periodic rain in the late afternoon and into the evening. It was in effect an island in the creek. I wouldn't want to be there in flood. There are limited places of flat ground to camp in Bungonia gorge.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/12/704.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/12/705.jpg

The walk out via the White Track. Almost to the top of the steep section.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/12/706.jpg

The view looking south from the ridge of the White track above the descent.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/12/707.jpg

The reward of the view from the Lookout. The peak in the foreground (this side of the river) centre picture is the descent down to the river on the White track.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/12/708.jpg

I'd walk it again in a heart beat. Just a massive shock for the ignorant hiker that didn't take enough notice of the track notes (even though the track notes were less detailed and realistic than desired).

MLD

[TerryO]

Shame you didn't get a photo from the look out looking down to the bottom of the gorge, that would have put it in perspective for anyone wondering what its like.

I always wondered how rough it would be down there and now I know.

Your a braver soul than I, even when I was young and into week long hikes and camping I must admit I would have thought twice about entering that gorge and walking along it, especially given the rain around here recently.

Great report and excellent pics, thanks for taking the time to put it up.

[numpty]

Looks like an interesting time was had!

Thanks for sharing, but it looks as though it may be beyond my capabilities these days, as I hate carrying a pack up hills ;)

The Boyd and Sara Rivers beckon for us in March.

[dualsport]

A few days earlier I had visited the park and started down the red track, without water, snack, and midday heat, I quickly retraced for another time. Boy am I glad I did!! Came back, did the hike, awesome, spectacular, amazing. There was a point I began thinking I may never get out of here, at the beginning, the Red markers, about 4cm square aren't there? In the first couple hundred meters head down on the obvious trail I quickly figured this wasn't going down, back tracked a few minutes and found a lesser used trail that made more sense and not long after saw a red marker......very few of these to be found!! Made it to the bottom, amazing. Began walking down stream, looking for markers, came to a place where I had to take off my boots shoes and wade knee deep, put on my shoes, and almost immediatly there was a rope swing, for more water, luckily I could walk around. The canyone became narrower, darker with monster boulders and no real sign of trail or red markers. You are on your own. I thought I saw snow ahead lol!! giant white boulders in the creek, this is where I found a Yellow marker or two, I looked around for RED,,,,none. So I figured yellow is caution, no joke. Big caution. I never saw a red marker again. I did see what I thought must be the way up after the canyon, and I found another yellow marker. But it took me straight up and after half an hour or so I saw the Lookdown that protrudes out over the canyon. But I was too far up to turn back. It was a great hike, as another poster stated, The Park info calls it hard, he says "I am no woos but I call it extreme". I second that. I was hiking all over WA in their gorges, beautiful. But this was a heart pounder, I was alone, probably first in the season after the water had gone down? And without direction getting in deeper and deeper. Recommend no one hikes this without water, snack and needing an adrenalin rush.
Coming from Canada, I was afraid of a possible snake on the hot rocks, or spiders in the brush, and wasn't grabbing onto branches that would have really helped. I'll take cougars and bears anyday. Gotta hand it to you Aussies, you don't hold anyones hand, get down there and figure it out, there are no RED markers.....loved it.