I was off to an early start today.
Being on the road early had it's advantages.
The sun is rising on 2023.
After leaving the ute at Lochness Well I headed off through some light scrub following the creek line.
Once the country started to close in it was just a matter of following the main creek line up stream.
I was following Balcanoona Creek up stream.
The further up Balcanoona Creek I got the rougher the walking became.
After finding the start of Bunyip Chasm I had to negotiate a couple of these rock chokes - at least I wasn't wading through water on this visit.
Bunyip Chasm.
Climbing the wet sloping rock up this waterfall required a bit of caution.
Looking back down Bunyip chasm from the lip of the waterfall.
Higher up Bunyip Chasm.
This waterfall was as far as I got today - I've seen photos of people climbing this one however I thought the risk / reward equation didn't add up today.
I was feeling pretty happy to be able to experience such a wonderful spot.
Heading back down Bunyip Chasm the views continued.
Bunyip Chasm.
Back down at the top of the first waterfall.
I'm safely down now and breathing a bit more normally!
There was still a bit of water in the lower reaches of Bunyip Chasm.
This is the gully that Joanne and I climbed to get out of Balcanoona Creek on our way up Mt John Roberts last year.
Heading back down Balcanoona Creek in the middle of the day was hot work.
I was still picking up some shade every now and again.
I stopped for a quick soak in one of the plunge pools as I dropped back down Balcanoona Creek.
The gorge is starting to open up.
Walking the creek side flats approaching Lochness Well.
Back in the ute at Lochness Well... yes, I thought it was pretty warm!
The Dirt.
According to my AllTrails App I walked around 10.1 kilometres and climbed about 304 metres on what I'd call a hard walk. Now obviously mid summer isn't the ideal time to walk in the Gammon Ranges and it really should be avoided unless you are experienced in desert walking in summer... and even then it requires a lot of caution. Apart from the extreme heat there is also no one around - I only saw one person all day (including around 7 hours of driving). Speaking of driving a high clearance 4wd is best to access this area - a soft roader might get in but it'll be more risky. The walk itself is completely off piste and while for most of the length I was walking creek beds which meant that navigation wasn't overly hard, the walking itself is slow and sometimes technical - the scrambles in Bunyip Chasm get progressively harder and more exposed the further into the chasm you go. I used my AllTrails map today (I'm familiar with the area though - if visiting for the first time make sure you have the relevant topo map).
Relevant Posts.
YouTube Video.
Heading back down into the Flinders Ranges I copped thunderstorms.... at it was still 40c!
I love travelling this country - it's never boring!
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