Bob and myself decided to walk to Goochs Crater. Its a place we had both been to many time before including recently, but we both had not seen it full of water. Photos of it recently posted on social media made it look quite different. It is not that uncommon for it to fill up with water – it would happen after big rain events, and these wold take place every few years.
The Glow Worm tunnel road being in very bad condition and probably the Dumbano Fire road as well – we decided not to walk in the shorter way from the north. Instead we decided to walk in from Sandham Road at Dargan. This was a route we both used to use many years ago 1970’s and 80’s) on circuit trips from Bell Station. But now, Open Street Maps indicated there was a track, so that would make things even easier.
The walk down the first ridge was pleasant. Along the way we had some nice views.
We had to cross the Wollangambe River along the way, and managed to jump across on boulders. The last part was walking along the open ridge you can see on the right in the photo below.
Then we descended towards the crater.
After crossing two more creeks, we climbed up to the large camp cave at the Crater.
This cave has some Aboriginal art.
We then climbed up out of the cave, onto the rim of the Crater. The water had gone down a fair bit compared to what I had seen in earlier photos, but it was still covered in water.
We walked around the rim a bit, then descend down to the campsite in the crater.
We then climbed up on the far side to look at the pagodas.
This side probably gives the best views of the Crater.
We walked back to the far side and had lunch.
After lunch, we began the walk back. We went back the same way we had come. Not far along we saw this nice Tiger Snake –
This was a good walk. It was nice to see Goochs Crater in different conditions.
Evening Dave,
How were the conditions around Wollangambe? Severely eroded with the floods or are the passes/cairns still leaning itself to navigable walking?
I must say the logs that were there a few years ago were placed to perfection, but I presume that they would’ve been washed away.
Conditions were much the same as usual I thought. A bit washed out at the Wollangambe, but not too much.
Hey David,
As a keen photographer are the flannel flowers still about?
Still quite a few of the usual white Flannel Flowers out. A year ago there were the pink ones. They will only re-appear after a bushfire, followed by a wet period.
Hi David – do you know if there a permanent water source at the crater or is it rainfall dependent?
You can collect water from the crater, but better water in the nearby creeks – which are really very close.