A Long Way to the Wollangambe
A Long Way to the Wollangambe
Shallow, cool and crystal clear, the water slips steadily away. It threads through deep sandstone channels, narrows between towering walls. It slides over and under boulders in search of the next bend, the next creek, the next river — continuing to shape the sandstone around it just as it has for millennia. It doesn’t pause. It doesn’t turn back. It simply keeps moving. It’s a long way to the Wollangambe.
Quick Details
Total Length: Around 6.7km (of a 9km loop)
Elevation: 300m
Grade: Challenging
Best season: Warm days, not after rain
Suitable for kids: No
Starting the Trail
We’ve just emerged from Joe’s Canyon into the waters of Du Faur Creek. Rather than return through Joe’s and back up the hill, we planned to take the longer way — via Du Faur Creek to the Wollangambe. The shady banks with the sounds of water tumbling in from Clatterteeth Canyon upstream would make a great spot to stop, but we still had a long way to go, so we couldn’t stay.
For a while the stone walls either side of us stayed quite open and the water wasn’t anything more than chest-deep in places. The water was still clear enough to see any submerged rocks — although it was getting tougher to see through it the further we went.
I was still taking the lead, which meant I was the guinea pig for how deep the water was. For a while it continued much the same — wading through the water with the occasional dry side trail when the creek was blocked by trees or rocks. For now we could still keep our packs dry — with a little ingenuity that is.
We knew the water would be deeper in Du Faur Creek and that at some point we’d need to swim. That was one of the reasons why this trip had taken so long to plan and had been pushed back a few times — visiting here after recent rain could potentially be dangerous and we weren’t willing to risk it.
Deeper Water
The walls around us closed in and the now dark water narrowed to a slim channel between them. There would be no wading this time — this time, we’d have to swim. “Maybe I can go through first and take photos of everyone swimming through,” said Jess. “Sounds great,” I said, quietly breathing a sigh of relief because if there’s a monster hiding in that water then Jess can battle it, not me. Sometimes leading means sending your best warrior first.
One by one we swam through the channel and met back up in the shallows. It was only a short swim, but that was really how we handled this whole trip — one section at a time, regrouping before moving on again. Out here, you rely on each other just as much as you rely on everything in your backpack.
We kept moving, wading through the waters of Du Faur Creek Canyon. Before long the walls tightened again, this time soaring far above us. Their pale sandstone faces twisted and curved in intricate shapes, carved patiently by water over thousands of years. We stood at the edge of the next deep pool for a moment, staring ahead at the dark water disappearing between them.
One by one we pushed off and swam through the narrow section. Any lingering thoughts about what might be hiding in the water quickly faded as we became mesmerised by the walls rising on either side of us. In one spot there was even a perfectly round hole carved straight through the sandstone, like a stone window. From the water it looked almost too perfect to be natural.
This was a slightly longer swim than the last, though the sandstone walls around us made it hard to care how long it took. It felt like we were really deep in canyon territory now — which we were. The Mount Wilson area is riddled with canyons, with countless tributaries of the Wollangambe cutting their own twisting corridors through the sandstone.
We’d been in and out of the water for a while now, and a few in the group were starting to feel the cold. I gave Emma my jacket — it was nothing more than one of those cheap plastic rain jackets that ironically do nothing to keep you dry when it rains, but what they also don’t do is breathe. That means they trap most of your body heat, helping you stay warm in the water.
This section was just incredibly beautiful to be in, no matter where we looked. From the constant flow of the creek, to the layered sandstone walls draped in ferns and grasses — holding so much life in the cracks and ledges. All the way up to the narrow sliver of sky between them, which we now noticed was turning an ominous shade of grey…
We had been watching the weather forecast all week and weren’t expecting rain until much later in the day. If it did start to storm, we could be in a lot of trouble. The air was noticeably cooler under the clouds — which wasn’t great for walking around in wet clothes.
There was no choice but to keep going. We were close to halfway through now and figured it would be just as quick to finish the way we were going as it would be to turn around. We’d just have to hope that the rain would hold off until after we were done.
Bell Creek Canyon
We almost didn’t notice when we joined Bell Creek. The place where the water flowed in was kind of hidden, so we didn’t see it at first. What we did notice though was that the water suddenly felt colder.
We definitely felt the drop in temperature through the next deep water section. Despite the cold though, I think this was one of my favourite swimming sections. There was something about it that felt like a forgotten jungle corridor — completely different to the narrow stone channels of Du Faur.
The creek drifted under a large stone overhang as we pulled ourselves from the water and onto a sandy bank. We were all excitedly talking about how beautiful that swim just was and in the background we could all hear this noise… Like static on a radio… Getting louder as we stepped further downstream… We all looked at each other as we realised what we were hearing — the unmistakable sound of falling water…
This Was Not in the Brochure
Ahead of us the creek vanished into a huge pile of boulders, the sound of water forcing its way through the gaps growing louder. There wasn’t really an obvious way to get through — we just had to do our best, slowly negotiating our way over and around the rocks. Avoiding the spots where the water flow made passing too difficult.
I sent Jess ahead to scout each section for a way through, while I helped the others — showing them where to place their feet and lean their weight — all the while keeping one eye on Jess so I’d know where to get through next. While none of what we’d encountered so far required ropes, the skills we’d picked up on guided canyoning trips — along with plenty of rock scrambling experience — really helped all of us in safely getting through.
There were a couple more boulder-like sections to navigate our way through or over as we made our way downstream. In between was more wading, and honestly I think we all got to the point where we were kind of over it. The scenery was still beautiful, but physically we were all getting pretty tired and were ready to find our exit.
Getting to the end, I realised we probably weren’t as well prepared for this trip as we could have been. We were definitely prepared if something went wrong — we had PLBs, first aid, and extra warm clothes. But looking back, most of that preparation was about dealing with an emergency rather than preventing one in the first place. Even though we got through without incident, things like wetsuits and helmets would have taken away a lot of the risk.
We all gave a bit of a cheer when Bell Creek joined up with the crystal clear waters of the Wollangambe River. Just a couple of hundred metres of wading, and when we found the horseshoe bend of the river, our exit was a short scramble up the hill to the track. The day was getting late. We were wet, tired, and hungry. But that wasn’t really surprising. After all, it’s a long way to the Wollangambe.
Getting There
The Wollangambe River and its canyons can be found outside of Mount Wilson.
You can reach Mount Wilson by turning onto the Mt Wilson Road off Bells Line of Road around 25km from Lithgow or 17km from Mount Victoria.
Tips and Tricks
Thanks to Rob, Despina, and Emma for joining us on this trip and for the extra photos.
Be prepared to prevent an emergency, not just to deal with an emergency.
Avoid visiting any canyon during or after significant rainfall. Flash flooding is common and can happen quickly.
Always register your trip with NPWS, carry a PLB, and know how to use it. If you don’t have one, NPWS will let you borrow one from certain locations.
Please remember that canyons are fragile environments. Your clothes and shoes should be clean and free from any mud to avoid carrying damaging pathogens into the environment. Always stick to the track. Never leave rubbish behind.
If you’d like to learn more about travelling through canyons safely we always recommend reaching out to the Blue Mountains Climbing School for training and guided trips.
Always follow the canyoners code of ethics.
