Jacks Creek October 2013

After our cruise around the Pacific last year we decided to head home the long way around. I'd always wanted to visit Cocoparra National Park out near Griffith. The park intrigued me every time I drove past it, and it was one of those "I've got to go in and check that out one day" places. At the same time we wanted to visit some Kiwi mates who were living in Deniliquin, so the plan was an easy walk in the morning, then a drive over to Deni for dinner with our friends.

Heading off from the picnic area.

I'd picked up the Explore Australia Top Walks in New South Wales before the cruise, so I'd had plenty of time to check out any walks I wanted to do. The Jacks Creek walk looked like an easy introduction to the park, it also was a contrast to my last five weeks which had consisted of tropical beaches, palm trees, and snorkelling. The first objective of the walk was to find the start, quite often for me the hardest part of a walk.

Needless to say we found the start, but it was in a roundabout way, we ended up driving up a stock route along the western side of the park, I'll give a shameless plug here for the Hema Navigater, its like a Navman, but also loaded with off road maps, and 1-250000 topo maps, perfect for trying to find those hard to get places.

Easy walking along Jacks Creek.

The red bluffs above Jacks Creek.

Once at the Jacks Creek picnic area the hardest part was over, Sam settled in with a good book while I headed off on the walk. First of all I headed up the gorge created by Jacks Creek, the red bluffs above definitely confirming that I was back home. The creek walk only lasted about a kilometre, criss-crossing the dry bed under a canopy of Red Gums and Cypress Pine, unfortunately I didn't see any Rock Wallaby's, but I did see plenty of evidence of feral goats.

Wildflower's aren't my forte, so if anybody knows what it is let me know.

Leaving the creek the track climbs up to the left to gain the northern rim of the gorge, the vegatation on top being typical semi arid Australian, Cypress Pine again, and also Mallee Gums, the later being easily recognized by their multiple trunks. After passing a lookout into the gorge the track winds around a bit before eventually heading south down hill to meet the outward route along the creek, from there its only a few minutes back to the picnic area where Sam was waiting, all up including photo stops the walk had taken less than one hour.

The track climbing out of the gorge.

From the lookout

The track wandering around the Cypress Pines above the gorge.

Sam, taking it easy with a good book, Jacks Creek picnic area.

The day was still young however, we now headed back to Griffith for lunch before we headed south down the Kidman Way in the general direction of Deni. Taking a few back road diversions we popped back out on the main road at the famous (infamous) Conargo Pub, I should have picked up a Conargo Hotel sticker for my ute, it would have gone well with the Caterpillar mud flaps, chrome stacks, and bull lights that I'm gonna get:) After Conargo it was only a short drive to Deni, our mates were still at work so I decided to go for a swim in the Edward River which backed onto the cottage where we were staying. The brown water was certainly different to the crystal clear tropical water that I'd been swimming in recently.

The Edward river from the back yard of our accommodation.

Eventually we caught up with Rachel and Paul, and had a very pleasant night at the RSL, reminiscing about our trip to Antarctica.

Not quite Tahiti.

The Dirt.
The Jacks Creek walk is very easy, its only about 2.5 kilometres, I got the track notes from Ken Eastwood's book Top Walks in New South Wales, which is published by Explore Australia http://www.exploreaustralia.net.au/Bookshop/Guides/Walking

We stayed at Cottages on Edward in Deniliquin, the Edward being the river that backs onto the cottages, I can highly recommend the cottages. Here's the link http://www.cottagesonedward.com.au/