The Xmas Dinner walk to the Coxs River will be held over the
weekend of the 6 - 7 December on The Coxs River - just off the six
foot track as shown on the map above.
Some people arrive in the morning (and some only come for the
Saturday) - others like to visit a canyon in the Blue Mts before
heading down to the valley after lunch.
To get to the start of the trip - if you are not walking in with
others that know the way - Go from Blackheath down Megalong Valley,
following the main road - and not far past the causeway on Megalong Ck you will find the Six
Foot Track. There is a sign and a small carpark. (You can also follow this track from Katoomba - from near
the Explorers Tree - about 1 km west along the Great Western Highway
from Katoomba).
Park cars here on the side of the road and cross the
style or go through the gate. The track is clearly marked through
farmland and sometimes follows farm roads. Then, after a high hill is climbed, it leaves the open
farm paddocks it begins to wind its way down into the Coxs Valley,
crossing a few small creeks. Look out for a narrow gate - it looks
a bit like a garden gate (it is about 2m wide) -
most of the other fences are crossed by styles) in this section.
Not
long after this (about 5 minutes walk), and crossing one more style) the track goes around a
sharp bend - leave the six foot track here and take a rough track
that goes down the spur towards the river. Go down the faint
track. DO NOT follow a rough farm road with a "keep out
sign"(another farm
road goes up the hill from the same point). The track is fairly steep
in places and not
marked at all and is quite faint. At first it follows the crest of
the ridge and sometimes goes slightly round the right side a bit. It
gets
steeper and looser just after you cross a barbed wire fence and then
you follow the fence down east (left) to the campsite. The campsite is
just above a large swimming hole and some great granite slabs and
boulders. The walk from the carpark to the campsite takes about an
hour to an hour and a half.
Google Maps view of the campsite pool -
Swimming, drinking (bring your own beer, wine etc), swimming, liloing down rapids, swimming, rock climbing (well bouldering really - if you fall off you get wet!), swimming, slime wars, getting sunburnt (bring your factor 30!), joining in the fun in the spa pool, midnight swimming(!!), singing songs around the campfire at night, swimming etc etc...
Yourself, some good food, swimmers, perhaps a lilo, a good bottle of wine, something to keep your beer cool, a jaffle iron and bread and fillings, insect repellant, other bushwalking gear.