Better Offer Canyon - track notes

• 18/11/2022 - photos
• 22/10/2016 - report - photos
• 09/02/2008 - report - photos
• 07/03/2003 - photos

Better Offer Canyon is a pleasant trip, though not a great canyon. It features a number of interesting abseils and can usually be done without getting much more than waist deep, making it a good trip for cooler weather. The canyon sections are intermittent and not of high quality. It is also known as Magnifying Glass Canyon.

Drive 2.2km past the Mt Wilson turn-off on the Bells Line of Road, and park just before the overtaking lane starts. Best parking is on the north side at a large clearing at MGA511861 (Mount Wilson). Cross the road, and pick up a track heading into the bush, generally heading SSW. At MGA509854, turn left (SSE) on to a minor track where the main track continues straight ahead. Cross over the 1025 point and keep to the east side of the ridge. The ridge soon descends and opens out, and you should shortly reach a large rock pagoda, with a second one visible further down the ridge. If you look west, you should see another rock pagoda about 150m away in the creek, off to the right side of the ridge. Head for this. The creek goes over a small waterfall at this point, which you can abseil, or possibly scramble.

The first drop at the small waterfall is only about 3m from the bottom, but it is a dodgy scramble. Better is to abseil from slings about 5m further up the left bank, or from a tree in the creek (about 8m all up). The next drop goes down a sloping crack, over some overhands, and down into an ankle deep pool, about 14m all up. The wade can be avoided by scrambling on small ledges. A slippery slide follows and a rope for a 10m hand over hand or abseil is advisable. A short canyon section follows, starting with a slippery 6m abseil (10m all up) into a waist- to neck-deep pool. It finishes with a final 6m drop into a pool (10m all up) that can be climbed down if dry, or abseiled if wet.

The final two abseils are one after the other. The first is quite long, and can be abseiled straight down the falls, or from a tree on a ledge to the left. Either way it is about 23m. The last is about 8m (or 2m for the minimum drop, where you can walk off to the right), but the anchor is about 8m back making the start quite tricky.

The creek then starts to drop down through boulders. Follow it downstream for about 200m and then veer left across the slope trending lower. Keep below the lower cliff line to avoid a very narrow ledge just below the top cliff line. There is a faint track that traverses the slope, but this is hard to pick up.

Continue traversing around under the bottom cliff line until you reach Birrabang Brook. Head upstream, and then up the first major gully on the left. From the top head up Dalpura Ridge to the pagoda where you turned off earlier and thence back to the car.

A good day out. The creek is nice, though the canyon is somewhat intermittent.