Crossing the Murrumbidgee River

Tuesday morning 14 February: Gigerline Trig – S/M. A walk in the Gigerline Nature Reserve on the outskirts of Canberra’s  southern suburbs. We follow the Murrumbidgee River south from Tharwa and then head east to the trig point before returning the same or similar way. Great views from top. About 100 metres from the trig is a large band of rock that has a geocache, GC22727 Gigerline Guardpost, located at it. Will be visiting this as well.  Distance about 8 k with 300 metres of climbing. Map: Williamsdale. Home by lunchtime. Leader: Roger E.  Transport: about $1.00, after meeting at Lanyon shops. Limit: 8.

Further Information

It’s not good etiquette to geocache on someone else’s bushwalk, so what can be better that a walk with a cache objective led by a cacher 🙂 .

Summary

Distance: 8.3km | Climb: 300m | Time: 7.40 – 10.35am (2hrs 55mins), including 15 mins of breaks | Grading: S/M; M(8)

Photographs

Photographs are available, where you can start a large sized slideshow.

Waypoint and Track Files

Download the .gpx file. (Right click, Save Link As…, Save – if you want to use it.)
To use in Google Earth, do File, Open… and select Gps or All files as the File Type.

Track Notes

A very mild mannered, but most enjoyable, Tuesday walk. A 10minute drive from the meet point opposite my old folks home to the start at Tharwa bridge.

We tried to do the correct thing by walking in the Murrumbidgee River Corridor, but were immediately confronted by a large gully and, at other points, by riverside rampant blackberries.

Finally legal in the Gigerline Nature Reserve, our route took us in a curve from south to east and up a couple of hundred metres. An old vehicle track assisted. Open going with increasing views to the valley below.

We arrived at the Mt Gigerline Escarpment, site RR5 of the Sites of Significance listed in the old NCDC publications. A short way in along the bottom of the rock face and with the help of the spoiler photo, we identified that telltale ‘unnatural arrangement of natural rocks’ that often hides a geocache. GC22727 Gigerline Guardpost duly found and signed. A great little scramble up to the top of the escarpment for wonderful views.

A further short and gentler walk had us at Gigerline trig. Morning tea and more views.

We departed at 9.10am and thought it might be interesting to wander across the Murrumbidgee on our return. The water is very low at the moment. Great aim, but required a southerly loop and the exploration of the huge blackberry banks before we found a way through onto the sand banks of the river. The confluence of the Gudgenby and Murrumbidgee Rivers (may as well throw in Spring Station Creek as well) is site T37 of the ACT Sites of Significance. Barely ankle-deep today.

Through the dry Spring Creek gully, we popped out at De Salis cemetery. We had a look around.

A pleasant stroll back to the cars through the avenue of Elms and Poplars. Back home for morning tea #2.

Thanks Roger and all.

Track Map

Track

Party

5 walkers – Toni A, Roger E (leader), Roger H, Trudi S, Ian W, me.