Breakfast Creek Canyon - track notes - OZultimate.com canyoning

Trips

2005-10-02 - report - photos

2003-11-16 - report - photos

2002-03-10 - report - photos

Entry

From the locked gate at the end of the Rocky Creek exit track at AMG466141, head N along the fire trail. Take the right turn after about 1km on to a track (the Rocky Creek exit track). After a further 500m you may pass a faint track heading NE, and about 100m further the track forks, one part going straight ahead and the other veering right. The right one is the Rocky Creek exit track. Continue straight ahead. Soon after the track heads downhill and starts to swing to the N. As it starts to climb again is a good point to turn off the track and follow the gully downhill. Continuing down the gully you eventually reach a 10m drop.

Note from 16 Nov 2003: The fires of 2002/03 largely wiped out these tracks. Once you are on the Rocky Creek exit track, you are probably better just navigating to the creek junction at AMG482150 and following the creek from there.

Notes

The drop on to the halfway ledge is about 10m. Traverse right for about 100m until you can walk down into the creek. Some people abseil down the rest of the waterfall.

Some creek bashing follows, before you reach a slide down a slippery waterfall. This can be carefully climbed down on the right, and takes you into a large cave (St Paul's Cathedral). There is some more creek bashing before you reach the canyon proper, and the main drop, down a waterfall with a couple of ledges. This is about 27m from the top anchor, or about 24m from the anchor on the first ledge. A 60m will reach from the top. The pull down is tricky as it is very difficult to avoid the rope jamming in the logs on the second ledge. Also watch out for the rope catching in the crack below the first ledge. The canyon itself follows, clambering down a narrow crack. Then there is a 4m drop down a log, followed by 6m down a waterfall. It is a short scramble out to Rocky Creek from there.

Exit

Walk upstream on Rocky Creek for about an hour. There is a track on one side or the other for much of this distance. There is a spectacular canyon coming in from the left after about 500m. Exit via the Rocky Creek exit. This is at the bend in the creek at AMG485141. Climb the gully, keeping to the left where it splits. Near the top it is blocked by an overhang. Scramble left and up the rock face (easy, but exposed - you may want to belay people if they are not confident). Then follow the track back to where you turned off on the way in, and thence back to the car.

Comments

According to the guidebook there are a few short swims. We never saw them. Apart from getting a bit wet in one of the waterfalls, the canyon was mostly ankle deep, with one bit up to mid thigh. Rocky Creek had a couple of wades up to waist deep. A nice canyon, particularly from the bottom of the big drop.

Time

Left the cars at 11am, back at about 5:30pm. 9 people, 2 experienced, 2 moderately experienced, 5 inexperienced, all reasonably fit. 1x60m and 1x30m rope.