Whungee Wheengee Canyon

James Bevan has photos from this trip

From Stacey Ly:

Tom, Gill, Eva and I set off from Sydney for Mt Wilson at the indecent hour of 6am. We made a stop at Richmond bakery for lunch and coffee to wash away any grogginess from the lack of sleep. Having reached Cathedral Reserve to wait for James, a Frisbee was pulled out and the art of Frisbee throwing and catching explored. Tom and Gill were exceptionally good at this while my wild Frisbees throws largely landed in the bush, metres away from target.

James arrived a while later and we set off on the long walk into the canyon. The day was warm and getting hotter by the minute- perfect for canyoning! The drop into the canyon was made and we were immediately impressed by what surrounded us: dark narrow tunnels filled with cold water. We floated through, feeling our way slowly, squeezing though gaps, and all the time drinking in the sense of mystery created by the canyon.

I was anticipating the "duck unders" where the roof of the canyon comes down near the water level. However, to my disappointment, there was no need for this as the water level only came up to my neck.

We stopped for a quick lunch in a section where the canyon had opened out to become bushland. Pizzas, baked beans, cakes and chocolates were devoured as the conversation wandered from past canyons explored and canyoning accidents to Christmas and New Year plans.

We stopped to admire the "Green Room" which was filled with lush vegetation and clear pools of water. This "room" had no ceiling but was enclosed by canyon walls blanketed by soft green moss. Two more abseils followed before we dropped out into the warm waters of Wollangambe. From there, it was a leisurely swim to the end where James stopped to have some fun on the water jumps before exiting.

A fascinating canyon with great company. Thanks to Tom for leading the trip and to Gill for driving.