TS6535 - Waratah Gibraltar Range, New South Wales, Australia
By Geocaching Australia on 14-May-20. Waypoint TP13034

Having never driven the Gwydir Hwy before I had no clue what to expect here. These hills are just WOW. I love that I can still be surprised at new locations like this - isn't it just another section of the Great Divide? But it still has it's little treasures that make it unique and surprise me. Before setting up camp the night before, I drove to the [no longer] Visitors Center, which had me pass an amazing looking granite mountain off to the side. I wondered if there was a track to it. Turned out it was the very mountain I was here to climb... well hoped to climb, but after seeing it from the road, was determined to climb.

There were lots of wildflowers out, but sadly I appeared to be a bit early for the Waratahs the trig was named for. Saw a few bushes with buds almost ready to burst open. I normally don't take photos of flowers but decided to take a few today. The different purple ones seemed to be a hit with the white/minty green butterflies. My fave flora find was the orchids up on the rock-face that I only saw in one small section. How do they do that! Be so vibrant in colour? Survive in such a spot? Have such interesting shapes? In my next life, I want to be one of those plants. Great view! No effort besides just sticking to one location till the Climate Change changes too much.

On the way to the trig you pass a couple of chained off tracks. I explored further along the first one and found a couple of filled in old [Mulligan's?] mines. Made me wonder how they chose to dig where they did. Did they find something on the surface there? Did they emu-peck/patrol wander back and forth day after day over new land looking for clues or just set up at one spot and go for it? Did they put their backpack down on the ground while removing a layer and discover the magnets on their backpack and hydropack had picked up a bunch of shiny dirt like i did? haha.

Well all good things come to an end and the easy part of the walk did just that. It felt like I was stopping for every 5m up I travelled from there. Upon checking my Garmin track, it looks about right. The first stop had me scrambling through my backpack for my inhaler. Lucky I had one in there otherwise I would have had to turn back right there. My body wasn't up for this shit. Why do we do these things to ourselves? The view, the challenge, the high, the feeling of conquering something! On I went. I was only half way up that rock when I felt my body say, okay, time to go home, but i ignored it. My body reminded me of my foolish determination for the remainder of the day. Ouch.

The views are amazing from half way up let alone all the way. It was well worth the hard work. I had a good wander around looking out over the world. When it was time to locate the trig point/pipe I struggled finding a way in. I had to slip my top back on so as not to scratch myself up too badly. I sat my phone in the centre of Steel-henge, where the 1980 built pillar stood, for the required photo. It had me wondering if someone stumbled upon this ring of sawn off steel bolts in 1000 years, would they be questioning what religious practices we humans were doing there? [Mind wanders off imagining a doco about the Geo-Halo religious group that placed altars with circles at high places and the people that followed this cult pushing their bodies beyond their limits, inflicting scratches upon ones limbs, and at times shedding blood (the required sacrifice) just to reach the altar and have an ethereal experience taking in the view. Weirdos!!!] Now that would make an interesting GIFF film. haha.

I was very thankful for the rock stacks guiding the way up and back. Great adventure. Well worth the effort and stiff body after. Shiiiit, Garmin says I walked 9km. No wonder I hurt. haha. connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/9687687066#

Oh yeah, I had a quick dip in a "wash pool" near the Coombadjha campground afterwards. Rather refreshing - maybe too refreshing.
Prior phone call with youngest: "I'm going to Washpool National Park"; "So you're going for a long drive just to take a bath? Good. You need it. You stink." I did by the end of this walk.

Rated: for Overall Experience

I’d just been to Summit TS up the road so though I’d check this one out. This one had a much bigger adventure than the last! I parked at the Granite Picnic Area, I was the only one here. I did a quick walk to the granite lookout – some great views from here. Well recommended. The signboard mentioned the Waratah Trig Trail, but it took me 15 minutes or so to find the trailhead. Because of the fires, dead timber was masking the start. The first 300m or so was covered with dead branches from trees that wilted over the track, then died. It wasn’t much fun walking and I almost turned around.

After that, everything cleared up and there was about 1km of good flat trail walking, really easy going and not overgrown or covered with dead timber. The track ended abruptly at a small creek. I jumped over, and sank 20cm into the sandy bank on the other side. From here it seemed pretty obvious that I had to climb upwards on the granite rocks. There were a few different types of trail markers. Plenty of little rock cairns, some typical National Park trail arrows, and some paint on rocks. The fires had scorched everything, so finding the path was difficult at times. Once I got further up I rejoined the proper trail after taking a slight deviation, and was soon on top of the big granite tor.

I explored the top, but couldn’t find a trig! After a good 30 minutes I found what remains of the trig, which isn’t much. There’s some bolts in the rock face where the column once was, one of the guy wires that the SIX report says were used to support the trig is still there, as is the pipe and nail. As there’s some remnants of the trig, I decided I would claim this as a find.

There’s 360 degree views that I would never have found if it wasn’t for this damaged trig – well worth the visit. After about an hour up top I made my way back, and did lose the trail markers again, but not for too long. A few scratches from the timber, and covered in soot – but worth all the troubles.

Rated: for Overall Experience

Published