The Big Adventure Continues: Kosciuszko NP 25th November

Coolamine Homestead

Which part of the park to go to - easy we don't have much interest in seeing the touristy Southern section and decide on the more remote northern part of Mt Kosciuszko that joins the Bimberi Wilderness Area. No point in arguing with me Rob my heart is set on doing some caving and there are some great hikes too.... We decide to base ourselves at Blue Waterholes camp ground and take in some of the historic sites along the way Providence Portal (part of the Snowy Mountain Scheme), which brings water from the Tantangara Reservoir to Lake Eucumbene Dam via a tunnel; the old gold mining town of Kiandra which is also known as the birthplace of skiing in Australia- still a few buildings standing and you can see where the race lines scar and criss-cross the hillsides and mullock heaps still dot the landscape.

Newspaper to help keep out the cold?

The historic huts throughtout the park are evidence of a bygone era. Coolamine was a bit of a favourite, the Southwells built the first real house in 1883 for grazing and followed up with the log cheese house in 1889 (building in the foreground) the building at the rear was a summer house for the Campbells (Fred Campbell was one of the builder of the original Coolamine Homestead).

So far so good the scenery is breathtaking the wildflowers abundant (see photos at the bottom of this post) - Very excited and looking forward to reaching our campground, we put the "Silver Ghost" into 4WD and head for the most remote area of the park. The campground is fantastic, with a view over the two gorges (Clarke Gorge and Nicole Gorge) and nobody here! There are two walking track from Blue Waterholes, Clarke Gorge and Nicole Gorge Walks, which provide access to adventure caves and Cooleman Plain karst landscape. Karst refers to a terrain formed by the chemical dissolution of limestone by water. Features such as caves, steep walled and narrow gorges, rock pinnacles, closed depressions called dolines, the creek beds were in full flow with springs bubbling up throughout the landscape. There are hundreds of Karsts around Blue Waterholes but it takes a bit of climbing, several crossings through the fast flowing creeks quite slippery as I (Anne) soon found out and freezing.

Nicole Gorge Walk

The water tastes so sweet, fast flowing creeks disappear underground and pop up again down stream, there are sink holes that disappear to who knows where, and fossilised rocks containing stromatolites one of the earliest life forms on earth everywhere. We explored Coolman and Murray caves further upstream but managed to take a wrong turn (late in the afternoon) and managed to walk several kilometres in the wrong direction saw wild mountain brumbys - how beautiful they are managed to make it back to camp late afternoon exhausted but what a great day - a fantastic "adventure", not an easy track with the many creek crossings and rock hopping.

Nicole Gorge walk

Next day Rob decided to do some writing and I decided to explore Clarke Gorge a bit more climbing then the previous day and scrambling over rocks more creek crossings (oops fell in again ohh well that's my bath for the day).... more caves some were quite extensive (scary on your own - wish Rob was with me....)

Clarke Gorge Walk

This is by far the most challenging climb/hike I have ever done and I feel exhilarated - ahhh what a life! I've taken so many photos, the flowers are the best yet..... Storms look like they are really closing in so I decide to head back to camp before they hit - opps another fall in the freezing water arrive back just as the first drops fall, soaking wet. Lucky Rob's got the fire going a hot chocolate is just what I need!

Clarke Gorge Walk

We were planning to do more exploring through Clarke Gorge and into Bimberi Wilderness area but the rain set in and did it set in the next 4 days were very wet winds got up and we were freezing - I don't know how Rob managed to get fires going but he did fortunately for me as everything I owned including my shoes were soaking at least we got some things dry.. I slept with thermal underwear, polar neck, bush shirt and my coat as well as leggings, jeans and 2 pairs of socks - how our little tent held up I'm buggered if I know.... We managed a couple more walks but were very wet and miserable - hope it stops raining enough for the very steep 4WD tracks to dry out... Hmmm who was it that said we wouldn't go anywhere again remotely without checking out the long range weather forecast - no wonder their is no one else here no-one silly enough! Aggghhh message to self - CHECK WEATHER FORECAST. After a very scary night with trees falling and winds roaring we got up and fled Blue Waterholes (which was now roaring brown rivers)...

Rob says he wouldn't go back to Kosciuszko again (I'll work on that)! Look at these pics it definitely has been a highlight of the trip for me - I'd go again but I'd check the weather reports first