On the third day of our canyoning trip, we visited the canyon section in the West Branch of Deanes Creek. Bob had not visited this canyon before, but I could recall a trip with Rob Hynes, probably around 2004, where we had visited the canyon from lower down the creek and walked and swum up it, and then climbed out the top. I could recall the canyon as being quite easy, but having several swims.
We also planned to look for an Aboriginal site, that I had heard about from Alan and Megan Pryke on a trip they had done down this branch of Deanes Creek around that same time. I had been on a trip to visit the upper part of this branch, but we had missed the cave.
Bob parked at Deanes Siding, and we set off along one of the old fire roads. It was rather overgrown.
We followed that fire road until it joined another, then went down that second road into the West Branch of Deanes Creek. It took us down to the site of an old dam. This was once used for a water supply by the steam trains on the Newnes Railway.
The going along these roads had been slow – in the thick regrowth. But we now traversed in relatively open country on the side of the creek.
We continued in this open country, until we reached some large caverns –
We back-tracked a little to look for a way down.
Another large cavern provides convenient access route –
We expected the Aboriginal art cave to be in this area – and after some searching we located it. I think it is the same one spotted many years earlier by Alan and Megan Pryke.
Like the other art caves we had been to on the trip, this one also had white hand stencils. Some very very clear, but other were more indistinct.
Again, the stretching app was useful.
Original –
Stretched version –
Original –
Stretched version –
Original –
Stretched version –
Original –
Stretched version –
We wondered why all the hand stencils we had seen in the three art caves had all been white stencils. It is the local supposed wisdom that white hand stencils are made by women and children and red hand stencils made by initiated men. But perhaps in this case – only white ochre was available?
We looked in other caves but found no more art.
Downstream we our canyon. We followed the creekbed now. It was slow going.
Then, when the canyon started, the going became a lot easier, and a lot nicer.
The canyon here is very beautiful.
We careful cubed down about two short drops. This lower one would have been tricky for me and Rob Hynes to climb up on the earlier trip –
In one part is a blockage of boulders and logs. Here some of the logs were useful as an aid to climbing down.
Then an easy lower bit –
At the end of the canyon, we climbed out aside gully, stopping for lunch on the way.
We spotted another Hyacinth Orchid (Dipodium roseum) –
We soon reached the Old Coach Road, and walked back to Deanes Siding.
And then we relaxed back at our Dry Canyons campsite.
