Recently, while I was in Tasmania, a friend, Keith Maxwell, had been asking about the history of Tiger Snake Canyon. Keith had been on the trip where we had found the canyon back in 1977 and we tried to remember when the trip took place and exactly what happened for the canyon to get its name.
Now back home, I have had a chance to check my records, and will place in this post my recollections.
The trip took place on 10 – 11 September 1977. It was a normal weekend bushwalk and in the party there were members of both Sydney University Bushwalkers and also the Ramblers Bushwalkers. I think the trip was probably on the Ramblers program.
From what I recall the trip was to go from the Wolgan Valley to Constance Gorge, camp in the gorge and then explore the area. In the party was Keith Maxwell, Rose Adams, Francoise Maters, Hugh Paterson (Ramblers) Steve McDowell, Bob Sault, myself (SUBW) and one other person who I cannot remember but appears in the photos (probably a Rambler).
Keith, Rose, ?, Francoise, Hugh, Steve and Bob
On the Saturday, we walked up into Constance Gorge from the Wolgan River, and soon found a nice camp cave. We set up our gear and had lunch, and then started exploring. I think we found passes up to both sides of the gorge.
View from above Constance Gorge
I don’t remember too much else about that day except I can remember seeing old insulators on posts on the Newnes side of the gorge – the remains on an old telegraph. I have since seen the same insulators near the Old Coach Road.
The cave in Constance Gorge
It was the Sunday that we found Tiger Snake Canyon. We had walked down to Deanes Creek and decided to explore a nearby side creek. It was the creek that Tiger Snake Canyon is in. We must have been both keen and determined to walk all the way up that small creek, as it does not look that promising from below.
But I can remember being amazed when we entered the lower constriction of the canyon. At that time it was probably one of the narrowest canyons that we had seen. And it was also quite deep and dark.
I was in the group at the front, together with Bob and Steve. We went all the way through the canyon, past the natural arch and reached the waterfall. I can remember we tried unsuccessfully to chimney up it.
It was when we were returning that we were confronted by the Tiger Snake. It must have been stirred up by us when we walked up, and it was now active and angry. One would think a snake in September would be more placid – but I can recall it rearing up as though to strike at us when we got close. It was situated in start start of the narrow bit of canyon just below the chamber with the natural arch.
The natural arch
To continue down would have meant passing by the angry snake. We retreated up the canyon a bit and climbed onto the arch to see if we could bridge past the snake at a higher level. No – we could not get into the narrow section to be able to bridge.
The snake was at the start of the narrow bit
By this time, the others in the party were close below, and we warned them about the snake. Perhaps we could have killed the snake by throwing rocks at it. But this did not enter our heads. Instead, Rose, who knew something about snakes, suggested taking off an item of clothing and throwing it over the snake. She thought this may calm it down. Hugh, who was below, took off his shirt and threw it over the snake. It worked. The snake stopped thrashing about and we were able to get past OK. Hugh later used a long stick to get his shirt back.
Keith recalls these incidents –
As we (YMCA Ramblers) kept moving up the lower section of the canyon there were shouted questions roughly – “Keith do you know what a Tiger Snake looks like?” Reply – “Black and yellow stripes around the body. Why do you ask?”
Very soon we knew why. We were now close to the bell chamber with three stranded SUBW in it.
In their excitement the SUBW had raced through the bell chamber to go as far as they could. Except at the narrow exit point of the bell chamber there was a driftwood pile with a now cranky Tiger Snake.
A very serious situation but what followed was funnier than the ‘Keystone Cops’. Hugh and I were safe. We were up about 1.5 metres up in the air safely jammed (chimney position) in the narrow passage close to the exit of the bell chamber. Front row seats for what followed.
A few strategies were tried. At the back of the bell chamber there was the start of a ledge so maybe you could go up and over. Except it did not go but before they stopped, all three were close to being up each other’s back side.
What about a slow sneak (walk) past the snake? So, perhaps it was Steve who got close to within about two steps away from safety. Then the snake moved, and Steve did not leap for safety but ran backwards into the bell chamber. Bugger!
Rose Adams (now Maxwell) who had some experience about snakes, from a previous partner, suggested that we cover the snake with a shirt. Great plan. How you get close enough to drop a shirt on the snake?
No problem. It was a mild day so Hugh could spare a shirt. You can probably guess what happened next. Now, since we up a little the shirt floated down every which way and missed the snake. Hugh T- shirt next then my T- shirt with the same result. Three shirts around the snake but none on it!
Could one SUBW (closer to the snake) carefully flick a shirt over the snake? I cannot remember if they could carefully reach for a shirt or whether they may have carefully pulled a stick from the wood pile to keep a safe distance from the snake. IT WORKED! Joy of joy except Dave, Bob and Steve stood still, like stunned mullet.
I called out loudly (roughly) “get moving”. Out they popped one close behind the other like corks from a champagne bottle.
Also some comments from Hugh (and Francoise) –
I think the snake was alert but not cranky.
We think there was only two shirts and it was long-sleeved and a t shirt.
On the first attempt the snake was covered except for the head. The t shirt covered the head. After that I think the snake may have withdrawn further under the shirts.
I found a longer stick a bit further down to use to retrieve the shirts.
After that, we went back to camp and then headed back down to the Wolgan River.
Bob has commented –
My only real different memory is that I think we camped on a flat in the rainforest on Deanes Ck on Saturday night. We stopped in that camp cave in Constance Gorge just for morning tea or lunch. I do remember having a look above the cave at ways to get to the tops.
It rained on Saturday night and I remember finding a very modest bit of overhanging rock to stay dry. I suppose you and Steve put up hutchies. The Ramblers had traditional Paddy tents.
At our campfire
Back down at the Wolgan River
The first party down the canyon from above was one from the Ramblers. I don’t know who was in the party, except Hugh Patterson, who told me about the trip. They had found the nice upper constriction and said we had nearly seen all the lower constriction when we went up from the bottom. I think this trip took place not long after the Constance Gorge trip.
And it was not long after that that (1-2 April 1978) I was on a trip where we explored Deanes Creek from high up. In the party was Bob Sault, Ian Cantle and myself. On the Sunday afternoon of that weekend trip, we reached the Tiger Snake Creek, and would have dumped our big packs. We found a pass a short way up the creek on the true left side, and then went down both the upper and lower constrictions. I can remember we then found a pass out of Deanes Creek back onto the fire road that went our from near Galah Mountain.
Back in those days, there was a lot of drilling was taking place in the area near Rocky and Deanes Creek. Roads had been bulldozed along various ridges where drilling equipment had been set up. One of those drill sites was a the end of a newly bulldozed road that is used for current access to the canyon from the Old Coach Road. The drilling was for a planned coal mine. It was one of the reasons we were actively exploring the area for canyons, as we thought they are very special places and should be protected.
On a much later trip to the canyon – we had another Tiger Snake encounter. This took place at the start of the upper constriction. To enter that section of canyon most people bridge down, which is what we were doing, when we spotted a Tiger Snake that had fallen into a pool. It was desperate trying to climb out. We had to bridge over the top of it, and we hoped that it would not mange to climb out and encounter us below.
And on another trip, in the natural arch chamber we found a dead animal – it was a dead and bloated Koala. It must have fallen into the slot of the canyon.
Note – this article should perhaps be called the “Rediscovery” of the canyon – as it is one that the first Australians, the Aboriginals, would have been able to explore from below. There are certainly Aboriginal art and occupation sites not too far from the canyon.