This walk was organised and led by Keith T as an irregular CBC Tuesday walk:
Tuesday 3 March: Little Horseshoe Bend and Great Horseshoe Bend – M/R Features some spectacular views and interesting rock formations along the Shoalhaven River. Starts near the end of Matodoro Ridge Fire Trail from where we follow Fossickers Spur to descend steeply 400m to the Shoalhaven River. We then walk along past both Horseshoe Bends towards Reedy Creek. We will exit the river via a spur somewhere along here, the actual location depending on our speed of travel, the temperature and our inclination. You will almost certainly get wet feet and there will be opportunities for swimming. 4 wheel drives are required. Map: Touga 1:25000 Transport: minimum $30.
7 of us gathered and endured the long drive via Goulburn, Bungonia, and along the Matodoro Ridge fire trail to the junction with the New Come Up Ridge fire trail. The Matodoro Ridge fire trail requires high clearance vehicles as the spoon drains are soupspoon sized, not teaspoon. Forgot to time the drive, but probably around 2hrs.
Nerriga-Nowra Road closed till cob 4 Mar, so this is the alternative to the Ettrema day-walk. 6.30am leaving Canberra - shudder.
A 15 hour day door to door, by the time I'd picked up some fellow walkers, we'd sorted ourselves out, taken the long drive (the Matodoro Ridge fire trail is ok (in the dry) but a bit slow), completed the walk with plenty of swimming opportunities and reversed the process including a break in Goulburn on the return. But well worth it.
We parked just a few metres along from the fire trail junction, then wandered back to and along the New Come Up Ridge fire trail. 4 volleys, 2 walking shoes and 1 boots - guess who was the bunny. Near its end we left it to the right and crested Bonanza Hill. The ridge tops were dry and open. Keith carefully checked that we were to head down the correct spur and we were away down Fossickers Spur. Huge views immediately open up N down into the Shoalhaven (see pic 1) and closer to hand where grass trees guarded the top of the plunge (see here). 400m down over 1.6km, taking an hour.
The Shoalhaven was its enjoyable self, a combination of a little gentle rock hopping and sandbar walking. We stopped around Dirty Gully for morning tea (see here) and, to my surprise, most party members actually went for a swim. I thought water was just for drinking. A deep pool.
At it again with the next points of interest the largest and quickest snake I've seen for a while and a native wasp nest (see here). The ridges towered above us, with evocative names such as Backender Buttress and Assay Buttress descending from Bullion Hill. The broad sweep of Great Horseshoe Bend began to open up (see pic 2) and we passed an old piece of mining equipment at the bottom of Assay Buttress (see here). Rounding the bend, we crossed the river beneath Battery Spur. The holes in my old boots provided excellent water drainage. Lunch on the E bank beside another large Olympic swimming pool.
On my 3 previous visits to the Shoalhaven I've always seen a goanna and today was no exception. In fact 4 of them presented themselves as we passed the bottom of Poddy Dodger Spur, one a quite intimidating size (if it was to run up your trouser leg it would nearly be staring you eye-to-eye). Another smaller fellow deigned not to move from its warm log, but hissed a bit as cameras snapped (see here).
We passed through Little Horseshoe Bend (see pic 3). At another pool a halt was called and, whilst some had a swim and others lolled about, Keith took me on a tour of the mining area (see here). Lots of excavation runs, with stones built up into small walls. At the top there was a possible long, shallow dam. A benched footprint of a race to bring water led into it, coming gently round and down the hill from somewhere up in Tims Gully (see here). There was no evidence to suggest how the water was channelled.
We continued upstream for another kilometre, crossed to the W side of the Shoalhaven and reached the confluence of Washedaway Creek and the river. Yet another swim for some, with purpose this time as our exit route up Panning Hill and the spur beyond it towered above us (see pic 4). With a couple of spots of rain and, thankfully, an overcast sky, we began the ascent. 3.3km later, 425m higher and nearly 2 hours on in our lives, we reached the bend in T(h)oms Trail above Come In Creek. Fire trail, 2.9km in 40mins, took us back to the cars.
An excellent round, even if it was a V-walk - down in the morning and up in the arvo. Our leader promises a return to the area for a W-walk! Thanks Keith and also Karen, Henry, Henry, Ian and Rene.
Distance: 17.5km Climb: 550m. Time: 8.50am - 5.40pm (8hrs50mins), with around 2hrs of breaks.
Grading: L/R; H(12)
KMZ file for Google Earth/Maps: Great Horseshoe Bend and Little Horseshoe Bend
